Beside Japanese Covered Bridge, Phung Hung Ancient House is another famous architectural building in Hoi An, considered cultural heritage of the town. With over 200 years old, the house is a typical commercial house, prossesing unique structure with high wooden logs and broad corridors, reflecting the development and fusion of Asian architectural styles in Hoi An in the past centuries.
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Phung Hung Ancient House is located at 4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, which is a minute walk to Japanese Covered Bridge. The house was built in 1780 – the flourishing period of Hoi An urban. The first owner of this house was a Vietnamese merchant. He named the house “Phung Hung”, meaning “Prosper” with the desire to be always successful. In the past, the house was a shop selling forest products such as cinnamon, pepper, salt, silk, chinaware and glassware. The present owner is the eighth descendant who are still living in and preserving this old house. This is one of the most impressive architectural buildings in Hoi an.
The perfect fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese architectures
Phung Hung Ancient House is a typical commercial house representative of Vietnam’s urban areas in the 19th century. Conferred the title of “National Historical and Cultural Site” in 1993, the house has kept many documents about the architecture, culture, art and lifestyle of the Hoi An’s business circle from the old days.
Phung Hung ancient house is a typical commercial house representative of Vietnam’s urban areas in the 18th century with the unique blending of Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. The balcony and door systems are Chinese. The Roof in the middle of the four directions called ” Four Sea” roof is Japanese style. The rest with wooden ribs, beams, spars and traditional two-way roof in the front and back was inspired by Vietnamese style. The different floors are designed in two different styles: the Japanese style of four-sided roof can be perceived in the ground floor, and the Chinese design of round shaped roofs that reflect a turtle shell is present in the upper floor.
The unique features of the house is the flexibility. In the rainy season, Hoi An is susceptible to flooding, so the shuttered door interconnecting to the garret to move goods upstairs is a clever design. In order to give the house the most comfortable living space, all doors used in the house are of the upper type, but the lower is easily removable. In addition, the placement of the yin and yang tile layer creates many interestrials that allow air to flow through the four seasons.
The house has 80 columns made of precious wood. Each column stands on a lotus-shaped base in order to minimize subsidence and moisture for the house and to prevent termites from damaging it. There are square pillars on the veranda, and the roof is made of pan-tiles.
Particularly, you will be impressed with the Phung Hung ancient house by the image of carps carved on the porch shelves. This is a symbolic image with many meanings: flourishing to the Vietnamese, lucky to the Chinese, and it is the power to the Japanese.
The ground floor used to be the shop. Today, it is the family’s living room, furnished with some wooden old-style cupboards containing many precious objects and belongings.The second floor is now reserved for the worship of the family’s ancestors and of Thien Hau Holy Mother. In the Old House, you will also find various tasteful handicrafts that reflect the culture and tradition of Vietnam. On the table, in front of the altar, there is always a bowl with seven marble dices, which the owner used in order to decide the departure time before his far-away journeys. There are a lot of designs carved by carpenters in the Kim Bong Village.
Now part of the house is used as a workshop for making commercial embroideries.
– Opening Hours: Mon to Sun: 08.30 am- 6. Pm
– Admission Fee
– Good for: Culture, Family, History, Local Flavour
– Add: No 4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street
Phung Hung ancient house was built in the midst of lively trade integration and is one of the signs for the prosperous period of Hoi An trade port. If you are planning a trip to the nostalgic and tranquil city – Hoi An, do not forget to visit Phung Hung ancient house with rustic and subtle architecture.
