With Hoi An being known as the Ancient Town (or Old Town), it’s no surprise that it contains many ancient houses! Most of the buildings you’ll pass by within the Old Town are historical, and many show influence from the country’s trading or colonial past.
When Hoi An was a major port on the Silk Road, the city had a large Chinese and Japanese population, and you can see this influence in lots of the pagodas and older houses in the area. There’s also a distinctly French-feel to many of the dwellings – the exterior facades including sloped roofs, balconies and courtyards are all from this colonial period in Hoi An’s history.
So, just a simple stroll around the Old Town will introduce you to hundreds of historical houses, most of which now operate as restaurants, tailors or souvenir shops. There are however, several of premium importance – places that held status in the past and are still in excellent condition today. Visit our top 5 ancient houses in Hoi An and you’ll really get a feel for the area’s trading and cultural history.
Note: all the houses can be visited as part of an Old Town ticket – for 120,000 VND (5 USD), you get access to 5 houses, pagodas or museums in the area.
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Tan Ky Old House
Tan Ky is nearly 250 years old and was built by a local Vietnamese family. Seven generations of the Le family have since lived at the property. Like many houses in the area, the house has no glass windows due to the material being expensive at the time of the build.
As well as being a family dwelling, products were traded at Tan Ky Old House. Backing onto the river, the rear was rented out to traders, and you can see the original pulley system used for transferring products on and off boats. Today the pulley system is used for moving the house’s furniture at times of high flooding!
Address: 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc | Hours: 8.30am – 5.45pm
Phung Hung Ancient House
Phung Hung is over 150 years old, and was also built by a Vietnamese family. As well as being a residential dwelling over several generations, Phung Hung was also a business premises. It’s still owned by the same family and the name means ‘to prosper’. Originally, the house was an outlet for many popular products brought to the area when Hoi An was a major trading port. Silk, spices and fine China were all sold here. Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architectural styles can all be seen, and the house was carefully designed so products and furniture could easily be moved upstairs in times of flooding.
Address: 4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai | Hours: 8.30am – 6pm
Diep Dong Nguyen Ancient House
Built in the late 1800s by a Chinese merchant, Diep Dong Nguyen is famous for its antiques, all of which were the preserve of the original family living in the premises. The house is now an open museum, storing ceramics, glassware, coins, photographs, furniture, painting and other antiques.
The original owner opened a pharmacy at the premises selling Chinese medicine and his descendants own a drugstore on the same street at number 80 today. Following several years of success, the business expanded to trade goods popular amongst the Chinese and Japanese populations in the city and beyond – not only ceramics but silk and clothing.
Address: 58 Nguyen Thai Hoc | Hours: 8am – 12pm & 2pm – 4:30pm
Tran Family Chapel
Built in the early 1800s by a Chinese court official, the Tran Family Chapel was first established as a family home. Its owner Tran Tu Nhac was a regular traveler between his homeland and Hoi An, so he constructed the house as a permanent dwelling for his long stays in Hoi An. The house has living quarters and a room for worship, plus some lovely grounds to explore. Compared to the hustle and bustle that you’ll find on the surrounding streets, there’s a real sense of calm to be had from a visit here. Those interested in Feng Shui will find much of interest, as the whole building and its grounds were built in accordance.
Address: 21 Le Loi | Hours: 8.30am – 6pm
Duc An Ancient House
Duc An is a great example of perfectly-preserved ancient Vietnamese architecture, with wooden structures, furniture and carvings throughout. Built around 1850, the location had been lived on by generations of the same family for around 400 years prior. Once completed, Duc An became a bookstore, selling works in Vietnamese and Chinese. Independence activist Phan Chu Trinh is thought to have been a regular visitor and buyer of texts – a nearby street is named in his honour, as well as other many other streets across Vietnam.
The premises shifted from selling books to selling medicine in the early 1900s, and interestingly became a center for the nationalist movement during the French colonial period. Pictures of former owner Mr Lanh and other major figures within the nationalist movement can be found in the property.
Address: 129 Tran Phu | Hours: 6am – 7pm
FAQs
How much does it cost to visit one of Hoi An’s ancient houses?
You can visit any of Hoi An’s ancient houses by buying an Old Town Ticket book. This entitles you to visit up to 5 different sites in the area, including ancient houses, pagodas and museums. Find out more with our guide to buying an Old Town ticket.
Are Hoi An’s ancient houses worth visiting?
Most definitely! Whilst you can discover much just by walking around the Old Town, seeing the inside of some of the city’s oldest premises will really heighten the experience of visiting this once-major trading port. A visit also gives a gateway into the ways that local families lived over a hundred years ago.
When is it best to visit one of Hoi An’s ancient houses?
None of the ancient houses are time-consuming to get round, but you’ll enjoy the experience more if you visit early in the morning. From late morning to mid-afternoon you’ll find the houses are often busy with tourists, so grab an early start and a coffee and you might even have the place to yourself!
