Three Old Houses in Hoi An: Đức An, Phùng Hủng, and Nguyễn Tường | Vietnam
Đức An
The old house of Duc An was built around 1850, but the family who lives here is one of the founding families of Hoi An; their original house was built on the property in the mid 1600s. In the late 19th century the house operated the most famous bookshop in central Vietnam, selling both traditional Chinese and Vietnamese texts and the work of foreign philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau; like many famous bookstores, it also served as a meeting place for local intelligentsia and anti-colonial activists, including Phan Chu Trinh. As anti—French sentiment rose and was persecuted more strictly in the 20th century, the “bookstore” operation was moved to the back, and the (literal and figurative) front was a Chinese medicine dispensary. The house transitioned from being a gathering place for revolutionaries to one for communists, and there are many pictures and medals from party luminaries on display. Only the front room of the front house is open for guests.
Phùng Hủng
Phuong Hung means ‘expectations of good business’, and its builder was a trader in precious woods, spices and ceramics. The family has been there for 8 generations, and the architecture of the house is wonderful, featuring one of the largest vaulted ceiling and internal balconies. I don’t have the best photos because I visited during Covid and after a flood, but there are some youtube videos that show the space well.
Nguyễn Tường
The Nguyen Tuong family chapel was built in 1806, about 50 years earlier than the other famous old houses of Hoi An. The layout is in the Hue style rather than the local style, as it was built by a military leader gifted the land by then Emperor Minh Mang. However, it still incorporates the local blend of Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. Later generations changed the main house into a family chapel, and now live in connected smaller houses. There were two famous writers in the family, and a noted artist in the current generation who sells his work in their small shop.