Two hundred years of history have done little to diminish the cultural importance and aesthetic charm of the Old House of Tan Ky. This is an absolute prize among the Hoi An Ancient Town, in Central Vietnam. The house build was influenced by Chinese and Japanese architecture styles. The pillar supports are intricate affairs supporting crab shell ceilings. There are wonderful carvings of cross swords and silks, the swords to represent strength and the silk flexibility.
Some of the attention to detail here is fascinating. Chinese poems are written onto mother of pearl and then hung from the pillar supports. The poems are illustrated with beautiful pictures of birds.
In the style of the day the house has a delightful courtyard this not only draws natural light into the property but also provides ventilation, improves the drainage and brings a little bit of nature inside. Even here the attention to detail is amazing. The wooden supports that hold up the balcony are again intimately carved, interestingly with vine leaves which were evidence of the import and export centre that Hoi An was.
The house was a working house of course, as was normal in ancient times. It backs onto the River and merchants from abroad would rent out rooms and conduct their business on the river. There are marks on the walls telling of floods over the years. In 1964 the floods were exceptionally bad, and reached to the upstairs rooms. The pulleys on the loft beams were used to pull furniture and belongings upstair in times of deluge.
The best time to visit Hoi An is between April and June: Read about this in depth here: https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/best-time-to-visit-vietnam-5-hoi-an
!steemitworldmap 15.876501 lat 108.327717 long The Old House of Tan Ky D3SCR
Other Hoi An Attractions include:
#1 The Ancient Town https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-hoi-an-1-the-ancient-town
#2 The Japanese Covered Bridge https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-hoi-an-2-the-japanese-covered-bridge
#3 Museum of Trade Ceramics https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-hoi-an-3-museum-of-trade-ceramics
#4 The Museum of Sa Huynh Culture https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-hoi-an-4-the-museum-of-sa-huynh-culture
#5 Thanh Ha Terracotta Park https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-hoi-an-5-thanh-ha-terracotta-park
#6 The My Son Ruins https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-hoi-an-6-the-my-son-ruins
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