Читать книгу Vietnam Style - Bertrand De Hartingh - Страница 7

“Dragon boats” moored along the banks of Hue's meandering Perfume River take tourists for exploratory trips in the vicinity of Hue or for longer journeys upstream to the tombs of the city’s former Vietnamese emperors.

THE LAND OF THE RISING DRAGON

Situated on the northern banks of the Perfume River, the Citadel at Hue, protected by massive crenellated walls punctuated by towers and ringed by lotus-filled moats, is an impressive example of Nguyen Dynasty defensive architecture.

Hanoi, Saigon, Hue, … the names conjure up images of the Far East, of glorious and mysterious emperors, incense floating around wooden pillars in pagodas, golden and red boats slowly sailing up rivers, carved stones of old temples. French cities in a faraway world, Citroens and cyclos trailing in crowded streets, people dressed in colorful clothes or white suits sipping coffee along boulevards planted with trees, umbrellas à la Manet on the Mekong. Soldiers dying in the mud, helicopters flying over desperate civilians, silent guerrillas dressed in black, lines of armored vehicles devastating paddy fields. Dien Bien Phu and Khe Sanh, Ho Chi Minh, heat and blood, napalm and agent orange, colors spread along pages in magazines once read by millions anxious to know about “Nam.”

These images, true or false, have shaped the collective imagination about Vietnam. But those who have been there know that the country is much more. Far from being devastated, in reality Vietnam is filled with dazzling natural beauty, a verdant tapestry of soaring mountains, fertile alluvial deltas, primeval rainforests, mysterious caves, fascinating rock formations, sinuous rivers, spectacular beaches and alluring islands, complemented by peaceful villages, ancient historic sites and pulsating cities, and populated by an incredibly resilient people! In a remarkably short time – just over two decades – since the North and South were reunited in 1975, Vietnam has been able to offer visitors a feast of culture and history – not to mention probably the best cuisine in Asia! In the north, alpine peaks, the Red River delta, the Cao Bang and Vinh Ven plains, Halong Bay, historic Hanoi and a diversity of ethnolinguistic minorities attract visitors. In the center, the ancient imperial city of Hue, the many ethnic minorities and the beaches, dunes and lagoons have tourist pull. In the south, Ho Chi Minh city – the former Saigon – offers a modern experience while the Mekong delta to the south provides a fascinating insight into life on a flood plain.

Against this complex topographical background, Vietnam’s history, both early and recent, has been characterized by a permanent flux of migrations, internal movements and an almost continuous struggle for independence. For centuries Vietnam fought to maintain its identity: against China that, for nearly 1,000 years, put the country under a domination that was thrown off in the ninth century, and never ceased to pretend to be the legitimate ruler of its southern neighbour (hence the name of the country, “beyond the South”); against France, whose colonization lasted less then a century but deeply transformed the country before its rule was ended at Dien Bien Phu; against the USA, that launched a vain but devastating war until the fall of Saigon allowed Vietnam to enjoy peace and started the economic process that make it today one of the fastest growing emerging countries. Thus Vietnam learned to live by many standards and develop a superb ability to syncretize its would-be masters’ cultural patterns into its own culture.

Peaceful hamlets, verdant paddy fields dotted with tomb-stones and tranquil waterways contribute to the quiet charm of North Vietnam.

The multiplicity of Vietnam’s early and recent history is evident throughout its culture, including its spiritual life and architecture, which are often inextricably mixed. Spiritual life in Vietnam comprises a medley of belief systems, including Buddhism (the dominant religion), Christianity and the curious fruits that sometimes developed from these faiths crossing, such as Caodism. Architecturally, there is a hodgepodge of styles although most constructions fall into five main categories: Vietnamese vernacular, ethnic vernacular, traditional Chinese, French colonial and Vietnamese modern.

Single-story vernacular Vietnamese buildings, commonly seen all over the country but particularly in the villages and hamlets around Hanoi, are distinctive for their wooden framework, put together by shafts, dowels or wooden pegs, heavy flat-tiled roofs designed to withstand typhoons, brick, bamboo, wood or bast fiber mat walls and packed earth or tile floors. None have ceilings or chimneys. (It is not uncommon to find Hanoi residents purchasing such houses for amalgamation with their existing homes.) Larger traditional community halls or dinh, usually built on sturdy piles, are also of wooden construction.

Ethnic vernacular buildings, whether raised on piles or built flat on the ground, remain in mountainous areas, midlands, and plains throughout the country where they are built of lightweight materials to enable disassembly and reassembly as the need arises. The recent permanent settlement of villages, however, has resulted in the adoption of more durable designs. Timber is increasingly used as the walls are load-bearing and roofs may be made with tiles or zinc, a popular material since it displays the wealth of the homeowner. Painted window frames, doors or pediments, unknown in transportable houses, are now worth the time and money spent on them.

The Chinese influence on Vietnamese architecture is most obvious in the country’s vast numbers of historic temples and monastries, especially its pagodas, whose distinctive features include roofs with elevated hip rafters and half-round tiles, heavy ornamentation and the lavish use of embellishments and motifs. Although the layout and orientation and the use of statuary and steles and other exterior elements are usually Chinese in origin, the architectural details of Vietnamese pagodas, although superficially similar to their Chinese antecedents, differ greatly. Chinese influence is also seen clearly in the architecture and furnishings of the the long, thin “tube” townhouses of Hanoi and Hoi An.

Colonial buildings in Vietnam are more than a direct replica of French architecture. Adaptation to a very different climate led to many distinctive features, making the style into a genre in its own right. Good examples of colonial buildings can be found all over the country, but the Town Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and the Opera House in Hanoi, along with the city’s many colonial villas, are particularly splendid examples.

Whereas heavy taxes on the frontage of old vernacular townhouses led to the advent of “tube” houses in Hanoi and Hoi An, spiralling land values have placed a premium on height. Today, in and around Vietnam’s cities, traditional single-story homes vie for attention with a new architectural genre – narrow houses on tiny patches of land, often rising several stories high and displaying a strange pastiche of French architecture – ornate balconies, cupolas, decorations fashioned in cement and painted in pastel shades.

the citadel at hue

HUE IS A UNIQUE CITY that is unmatched in Indochina. It has everything to please the most demanding visitor, from royal palaces and mausoleums to old residential areas, both Vietnamese and French. The Perfume River offers a constantly changing landscape, while everyday life takes place on its sampans. As the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism, Hue has more temples than any other town in Vietnam; these, along with its garden houses, contribute to its considerable charm.

It also has an extremely serene atmosphere, probably because the city is strictly laid out according to phuong thuy or geomancy rules. One of these rules calls for the respect of geological veins or lines, the main ones being likened to the bodies of the dragon and the tiger. Geomancy thus organizes architecture and urbanism in respect to these veins. The core of Hue city, the Imperial City, is precisely situated at the crossroads of two axes, thus allowing the “White Tiger to be seated” and the “Azure Dragon to curl up.” From the main esplanade in front of the Supreme Concord Palace starts a northwest to southeast oriented axis. It links the palace with Ngo Môn Gate, then Ngu Binh Hill (which acts likes a natural screen protecting the city from evil influences) and, 43 miles (70 km) away, with Nui Ke sacred mountain. There, the emperor performed an annual sacrifice to the gods to ensure the fertility of the land, the source of all wealth. The other axis follows the river’s route up to Con Da Vien and Con Hen islands.

Although the city was first created as a Cham outpost at the beginning of our era, Hue rose to prominence when, under the name of Phu Xuan, it became the capital of the Nguyen lords in 1687. When Gia Long, the heir of the Nguyen lords, defeated all his foes and created the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802, he quite naturally decided to establish his capital in his ancestors’ main town. It was renamed Hue.

The city remained the capital until 1945 when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam chose to move the capital back to Hanoi. Although fierce combat during the war severely damaged the Citadel, massive restoration projects under the auspices of UNESCO are improving matters. Recognized in 1993 as a “Heritage of Humanity” site, the Citadel and its mausoleums are slowly regaining their original magnificence.

Hue’s Citadel (Kinh Thanh) is the only extant citadel in Indochina. Erected between 1804 and 1819, it was admired by foreign visitors from the first days of its completion. It is certainly an impressive sight, if only for its 6 mile (10 km) long, 66 ft (20 m) wide and 23 ft (7 m) high surrounding stone walls, which are punctuated by ten gates.

The Ngo Môn Gate (Moon Gate) is the most impressive of the four main gates piercing the 6 mile (10 km) defensive wall of the moated Citadel. Today, it is the main entrance for visitors into the city. In Imperial times, only the emperor was permitted to enter through its central doors. On top of the gate is the Ngu Phung, the Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes, where the emperor would appear during ceremonies. The tiles in the center of the roof are in imperial yellow, while the roofs to either side are green.

The other three main gates leading into the Citadel are simpler two-story stone structures, each symbolizing the characteristic of a human being. The East Gate shown here is known as the Gate of Humanity.

Within these walls stands the Imperial City (Hoang Thanh), with its administrative buildings and high-ranking civil servants’ houses. A second enclosure is devoted to the palaces and temples that made up the Forbidden City (Tu Cam Thanh or Purple City), where the emperor and his family lived. That part of the Citadel was almost entirely destroyed in 1968 during the Tet offensive, although some of its buildings have since been restored.

Except for the outside walls and gates, the Citadel is made entirely of wood and tiles. The styles of the various buildings are distinctive, each being constructed according to its function, although at first glance they look the same as any other wooden Vietnamese buildings. Religious buildings have a relatively low, rectangular shape, and thus look more like long galleries than Buddhist or Taoist temples. The administrative buildings, including the Throne Hall, are higher and squarer, a design rarely employed in traditional Vietnamese architecture. Domestic buildings, such as pavilions, are either built in the French style, having been constructed under French rule, or are more impressive one- or two-story houses designed according to the tastes and ideas of the emperors responsible for their construction. While the Forbidden City was painted in yellow, the color reserved for the emperor, most of the Imperial City’s buildings are decorated in red. This is considered the most auspicious color in Vietnamese tradition.

Today, one enters the Citadel through the North Gate (Ngo Môn), which is actually in the south since it led to the north and stands behind the Flag Tower. Built in 1836 by King Minh Mang, the North Gate gives access to the Imperial City. Only the emperor was allowed to enter through its central doors, which led to a bridge across a lotus pond. Mandarins and visitors were required to go through the lateral doors and around the pond. The Five-Phoenix Belvedere also had restricted access. It was here that the emperor addressed the court and watched feasts and parades. This is where the last emperor, Bao Dai, abdicated on August 30, 1945. The South Gate is the most sophisticated of the four main Citadel gates, while the other three are simpler two-story stone structures that were used on less important occasions. Since the Nguyen Dynasty strictly followed Confucian rules, the three simpler gates symbolized the characteristic of a human being, the East Gate being the Humanity Gate, the West Gate the Virtue Gate, and the South Gate the Peace Gate. The bridge over the pond leads to the Bai Dinh esplanade, used by mandarins during major ceremonies held in the main building of the Imperial City, the Thai Hoa Palace or Palace of the Supreme Concord. Erected in 1803, then moved to its current position in 1833, the palace houses the Throne Hall, distinguished by its eighty red-and-gold lacquered columns. It was here that the emperor held official audiences. The Left (Huu) and Right (Ta) Service pavilions, where civilian and military mandarins respectively worked, flank the palace. From the Throne Hall and through the Golden Gate (Dai Cung), the emperor and his eunuchs could enter the Forbidden City.

In the west of the Imperial City stand several buildings of great spiritual importance. The three-story Hien Lam Pavilion (Glory Pavilion) is the highest building in the Citadel. Built in 1821, it is part of a complex of three temples devoted to the Nguyen Dynasty official cult, and is probably the most elegant structure of the entire Citadel. It was built in honor of those who had helped the Nguyen to establish their dynasty, which explains why it stands in front of the Dynastic Temple (Thê Mieu) dedicated to ten Nguyen emperors, from Gia Long to Khai Dinh, the father of the last emperor. Also built in 1821, this temple houses a wooden lacquered altar for each emperor: on each stands his portrait and the usual liturgical objects: incense burner, vase and candlestick. Since women could not enter this temple, another dynastic temple was specially built for them.

Just behind stands the Queen Mother’s Palace, an interesting mix of traditional and colonial styles. It is almost the only palace that is furnished. There is a typical French sitting room suite and a more traditional chest of drawers set in the middle of columns ornamented with calligraphic panels. It provides some idea of life in such palaces, as does the nearby Longevity Temple, which was used as a place of relaxation by the emperors. In addition to beautiful carved lacquered panels, it is noteworthy for its colored windows that offer a refreshing contrast to the omnipresent wood, stones and bricks found elsewhere.

The main building of the Citadel, the Thai Hoa Palace, houses the magnificent Throne Hall, where the emperor would meet foreign rulers and emissaries, high-ranking ministers and other dignitaries. Recent renovation work has restored its lacquer and gilt interior to its former glory.

The Throne Hall stands in the Great Rites Courtyard. The steles on each side of the courtyard indicate the designated area for mandarins and court officials.

The Bridge of Golden Waters, which only the emperor was allowed to cross, leads between two tranquil, lotus-filled ponds to the Thai Hoa Palace. The yellow-tiled roof of the palace is supported by eighty massive wooden columns lacquered a deep red and decorated with golden dragons, the emblem of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Huge ornate pillars and stone dragons distinguish the back of the Throne Hall, which leads to a courtyard which was once the entrance to the Forbidden Purple City. As with the rest of the palace complex, the Throne Hall was badly damaged during shelling by American warships in 1968 and remained in a state of disrepair until recently.

This solitary, intricately wrought golden throne served as the emperor’s seat in the Throne Hall. It was used during official ceremonies and important court proceedings. On these occasions the emperor would wear a crown decorated with the Nine Dragons design, a golden robe and a jade belt, and would hold in his hands incense sticks or cinnamon bars.

The elegant three-story Hien Lam, Pavilion of the Glorious Coming, at 82 ft (25 m) high is the tallest building in the imperial enclosure. It was constructed in 1821 by Emperor Ming Mang and dedicated to the Nguyen Dynasty. The nine dynastic bronze urns standing at the entrance to the temple, each dedicated to one of the Nguyen emperors, were cast in the 1830s, and are embellished with bas-reliefs of symbolic creatures and plants.

The ceiling of the Dynastic Temple, one of the few buildings spared destruction during the American War, can be seen today in all its original splendor.

Located in the southwest of the Imperial City, the Dynastic Temple (Thê Mieu), dedicated to ten Nguyen emperors, houses a wooden lacquered funerary altar for each emperor, bearing portraits and various liturgical objects.

In addition to the main entrance gate, the Citadel has three simpler gates built in stone which were used on less important occasions. Each symbolized the characteristics of the human being. The West Gate shown here is known as the Virtue Gate.

This photograph of “A young prince and his porters and escort at Hue” attests to the rich cultural lifestyle enjoyed by members of the royal family and to the large numbers of people – mandarins, court officers, civil servants, consorts, concubines, retainers and others – who worked and lived within the three concentric enclosures of the 1330 acre (520 hectare) Citadel.

Although the drawing room in the Queen Mother’s residence is built in Vietnamese style, most of the furnishungs were imported from the West.

The residence of the Queen Mother comprises some buildings inspired by French colonial architecture and others in Vietnamese style.

royal mausoleums of hue

HUE’S MAUSOLEUMS were constructed following the same phuong thuy (geomancy) principles that dictated the layout of the Imperial City. Located along the Perfume River, west of the Citadel, their sites and designs were chosen with great care, since they would become the permanent residences for the remains of the deceased emperors. The same attention was paid to their construction, so much so that they very often became the emperors’ favorite “country retreats.”

All the mausoleums follow the same basic plan: a huge honor courtyard opens onto an alley bordered by stone statues of the emperor’s highest military and civilian mandarins. This leads, sometimes through a wooden gate, to the main pavilion. There stands the emperor’s main altar, with a stele recounting his virtues. Around this pavilion other buildings are usually devoted to his wives and concubines. A bit further away stands the emperor’s temple, with its main altar and often with his favorite objects. The last building of the compound is the grave itself, which is always closed.

Since the emperors personally supervised the construction of their own mausoleums, these usually reflect the period in which they lived as well as their individual personalities. The mausoleum of Gia Long (r. 1804–20), for instance, is sober, almost savage. In contrast, Gia’s son Minh Mang (r. 1820–41), who designed and built his own mausoleum during the first three years of the reign of his son and successor Thieu Tri (r. 1841–7), is more elaborate. The plan of Gia Long’s mausoleum is inspired by the figure three. Three granite staircases lead to the stele pavilion, which is accessed by a beautiful row of red doors. From there, three terraces open to the Sung An temple. Three bridges then cross the Pure Clarity pond to reach the Minh Lau pavilion, which dominates three esplanades that symbolize heaven, earth and water.

The mausoleum of Tu Duc (r. 1847–83) is without any doubt the most beautiful and sophisticated of all the mausoleums in Hue. This emperor, whose reign was the longest ever in Vietnamese history, was a poet and a man well versed in literature and the arts. The design of his mausoleum was more like a residence than a tomb and he used it as such during his long reign. Built by more than 3,000 men between 1864 and 1867, the mausoleum opens with the Vu Khiem gate. A paved alley leads to a water lily and lotus pond dominated by a wooden library where the emperor liked to write his poetry. From here, an imposing staircase leads to the Hoa Khiem temple, which houses the steles and thrones of the emperor and empress, as well as some of the emperor’s personal objects, such as a candlestick presented by Emperor Napoleon III. The temple is ornamented with beautiful and extremely rare paintings on glass depicting famous scenes from Chinese literature and history. The temple overlooks the honor courtyard, which contains stone statues of elephants, horses and mandarins, and in turn leads to the stele pavilion. Tu Duc himself wrote the text on the carved stele. From the pavilion one can see the grave, which is said to be empty. Nobody knows exactly where the king’s remains lie, as legend has it that the 200 servants who buried the king were executed soon after the burial.

Probably one of the most graceful of the eight Nguyen Dynasty tombs, this mausoleum was built to Emperor Minh Mang’s own design after his death in 1841. The grounds are large and peaceful. The entrance is guarded by statues of civil and military officials and opens up to a courtyard with three main temples, including one dedicated to his empress.

Red lacquered doors pivot open into the main pavilion inside Minh Mang’s mausoleum.

Minh Mang’s interest in architecture introduced a lot of new construction to the Imperial City, mostly in the Chinese tradition, not only during his reign but also after the construction of the buildings in his mausoleum.

The Khai Dinh mausoleum (r. 1916–25) is much more modern looking, since the emperor was fond of French architecture and design. A combination of classic Vietnamese style and French palace architecture, it was built between 1920 and 1931. Even though the staircases and temples are made of concrete, which does not make it the most beautiful building in Hue, it is heavily ornamented and is the only mausoleum with painted ceilings.

A shrine dedicated to Minh Mang and his empress sits on top of an altar in the Minh Mang mausoleum.

The Longevity Temple in the Imperial city was built in 1822 during the reign of Minh Mang.

A small stained-glass window in the temple. Unusually, clear glass was also used in door panels.

The interaction between Oriental and Western styles can be seen in these very unusual beautiful wooden doors with stained-glass windows.

The tomb of the Emperor Tu Duc is one of the most elegant mausoleums in Hue and sits in a garden with a magnificent lake and pavilion complex. The Chinese-style pavilion was the centerpiece of the tomb, a place where the emperor could sit in peace and write his poetry.

This extremely rare painting on glass shows a contemporary depiction of court life, in this case a feast. The emperor sits on a raised stage at one end while the guests, dressed in traditional costumes, sit at long tables set with many dishes. Musical ensembles provide entertainment.

One of the statues guarding the mausoleum. The tombs of both high-ranking mandarins and emperors follow the Chinese tradition of being accessed by a grand alley flanked by stone images of soldiers and animals. The number of images depended on rank.

Minh Mang’s tomb is built like a miniature palace set in gardens and surrounded by ponds and lakes. The Sung An temple shown here is dedicated to his empress. Vietnamese funerary architecture was strongly influenced by geomancy, with the sites and the size of buildings being determined by strict rules.

Emperor Khai Dinh’s mausoleum was built during the 1920s, and in comparison to earlier tombs is a much more modern interpretation of both Oriental and Western architectural nuances. Most of the vast pillars and statues are built in concrete. In this first main courtyard, two rows of statues representing the emperor’s soldiers and mandarins, flanked by life-sized elephants, face the court center.

The walls in the main room of the emperor’s tomb are covered in an elaborate glass and porcelain design.

The ceiling clearly shows a mixture of Oriental and Western styles, with nine painted dragons dancing among gray clouds.

garden houses of hue

IN THE CITY OF HUE one finds a number of garden houses that date from the nineteenth century to the present day. Garden house architecture follows exactly the same principles as the imperial palaces of Hue. The house structure is basically a timber, load-bearing frame that can be easily dismantled. The wood used is not as precious as the lim (ironwood) reserved for temples and palaces, but tends to be any of the rot-resistant varieties such as kien, mit and gu. As in palace architecture, such houses respect the rules of geomancy (phuong thuy), with elements of the garden being used as natural screens. The ancestor’s altar, the protective plant screen and an ornamental pond are usually aligned on the same axis. Sometimes, again respecting phuong thuy principles, the garden and house entrances are not on the same axis or, alternately, the plant screen may protect the main door of the house from any bad spirits tempted to enter. The garden is thus a part of the house. As well as having aesthetic and spiritual functions, it also ensures the rapid absorption of excess rainwater and keeps the temperature at an acceptable level during the hot Hue summers.

Most of Hue’s extant garden houses have retained traditional styles and forms. However, many have incorporated French elements, such as a brick wall painted in yellow, blue or green, or floor tiles and furniture, resulting in a pleasant marriage between French classic shapes and Vietnamese traditional wood craftsmanship. Some are also relatively new, having been built only a few years ago and thus maintaining a lively tradition.

The Ngoc Son garden house, one of the oldest in Hue, is believed to have been built between 1885 and 1888. The Emperor Dong Khanh (who reigned only from 1885 to 1888 before the French deposed him) gave it to his daughter, the Princess Ngoc Son. Today, his direct descendant, Mr An, looks after the house. The house was built in traditional Vietnamese style according to strict rules of geomancy. The main entrance faces the garden, not the street, and a protective bamboo screen separates the main door of the house from the pond. Inside, the library has changed little during the last 100 years. The only traces of French influence are the blue wooden shutters on the doors and windows, which are usually kept open, but are closed when the midday sun is too bright.

Garden houses are a unique feature of Hue and date from the beginning of the nineteenth century. The houses were usually privately owned and set in attractive formal gardens. Some have connections with the old Royal Imperial Court.

Harmony between the city’s ancient ambience and its poetic landscape is reflected in this small temple perched on the banks of the Perfume River.

The Ngoc Son garden house was built by Emperor Dong Khanh for his daughter Princess Ngoc Son. It is still occupied by one of his descendants.

The Y Thao garden-house is a good example of a recent development. Its owners, Mrs Cuc and Mr Hoa (in Vietnam, married women keep their maiden names) wanted to build a place to house their collections and to create a garden that testifies to their love of Hue’s traditions. Their house, built on a 14,000 sq ft (1300 sq m) plot of land, is a harmonious mixture of Vietnamese and French traditions. Inside is a beautiful collection of Hue ceramics (Hue has been a ceramic and porcelain production center for centuries and its blue-and-white pieces are famous worldwide) and a number of traditional paintings, either on glass or silk or made of wooden panels inlaid with mother-of-pearl (an art still alive in Hue). Outside, the garden is a combination of seven different smaller gardens, which symbolize either famous mountains or the five notes of the Vietnamese musical scale.

The one-story An Hien house, built in the late 1880s, was the residence of Emperor Duc Duc’s (Tu Duc’s nephew) eighteenth daughter. Although it has changed hands several times, its traditional features have been retained. The river-facing entrance, with an arch topped by a tiger head and the Chinese characters for An Hien, resembles an old temple entrance. The main area of the house, devoted to the ancestor’s altar, is divided into three parts. The living quarters, on each side of the altar, are small and are bare of furniture except for beds. The walls are made of wood, the only concession to contemporary needs being electricity and a few chairs. Most of the 43,800 sq ft (4068 sq m) plot is taken up by the garden, which has the most beautiful orchard in Hue.

The interior has changed little in a hundred years and is well preserved by its current owner, historian Phan Thuan An, the author of several books on the culture and architecture of Hue.

The house is divided into three bays. In the middle is An’s impressive library and an altar dedicated to Buddha as well as to ancestor worship.

The Y Thao house contains an impressive collection of antiques, including Hue blue-and-white ceramics, traditional glass and silk paintings and wooden panels inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The collection is laid out to delineate between pieces used by the imperial family and those used by the mandarins.

The large stone rocks in the garden symbolize the mountain ranges around Hue and act as a screen against the wind. Tropical plants, bonsai and small rockeries are all typical of Hue’s garden houses.

Compared to many of the garden houses in Hue, the Y Thao house is comparatively modern and was built by its present owners as a place for their collection of antiques. The garden is a combination of seven small gardens, each symbolizing different characteristics of the Vietnamese countryside.

The entrance to the An Hien garden house is from the road which runs alongside the Perfume River. Through the archway, topped by a tiger’s head and the name An Hien in Chinese characters, is a broad path leading visitors through the garden to the house.

Originally the residence of Emperor Duc Duc’s eighteenth daughter, the one-story house was built around 1880 and is a classic example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. An expansive ceramic-tiled roof is supported by large wooden pillars with richly carved beams and doorways. The lily pond in front is to ward off bad spirits.

The main area inside the house is devoted to the ancestor’s altar, while the rest of the interior is sparsely furnished. The ceramic-tiled floor is typical of this style of building in Hue. All the tiles, including the roof tiles, were manufactured locally.

chinese houses of hoi an

Successive generations of the same family have lived in the Phung Hung house since it was first built in 1780. The ground floor was originally used for storage and has an opening in the ceiling to enable goods to be hoisted upstairs during floods. Flooding remains a problem for such merchant houses in Hue.

Traditional wooden furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl was used to welcome traders to this merchant’s home. The house is supported by eighty ironwood columns set in marble bases. All the materials used in the house’s construction, including the wood and marble, were sourced locally and are still being used in today’s buildings.

FROM THE SIXTEENTH to the nineteenth centuries, the harbor town of Hoi An, not far from Danang, attracted merchants from all over Asia. Although they comprised mainly Japanese and Chinese, they also included Portuguese, Dutch, French and British. All came to trade in cinnamon, pepper, paper, ceramics, medicinal plants and, above all, the silk that was – and still is – the region’s main glory.

Sailing requires good winds that are not always blowing at the right time, and trading companies like to have people they trust in harbors. Thus, foreign merchants began to settle in the city. Even if it never had more than a few hundred permanent residents, it often housed thousands of foreigners, especially Chinese and Japanese (until 1637), each living in their own areas, with their own rules. They built their own dwellings, temples and congregation halls. By the end of the sixteenth century, the town was split between a Chinese district and Japanese one.

The Chinese district, where scores of merchant houses have been preserved, is a must for any art and architecture lover. The ground floors of the long, thin houses were devoted to trading, while the second floors housed altars of the ancestors and Taoist deities – customarily just below the ceiling.

One particularly noteworthy example of a Hoi An merchant house is the Phung Hung house. Built in 1780, to date it has been inhabited by eight generations of the same family. The house has kept its original structure because it was built with fine materials and has been very well maintained over the years. Its eighty ironwood columns and their marble bases, all the wooden rafters and shutters, both interior and exterior balconies, and its yin and yang roof tiles are exactly as they were the year the house was built. The structure combines Chinese (architecture), Vietnamese (furniture) and Japanese (roof) design styles but is actually quite simple in layout and structure. The ground floor formerly stored merchandise, although a square opening in the ceiling allowed goods to be lifted upstairs during frequent flooding. A sitting room decked out with gu (wooden furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl) welcomed fellow traders. Today, that sitting room, which dates from the nineteenth century, is on the second floor, as is the altar room, the most important space in the house.

Opposite the Phung Hung house stands a dwelling that offers a beautiful succession of rooms, the second one being topped by an opening in the roof allowing light to enter.

The covered atrium at the center of the house is flooded with natural light and is decorated with traditional furniture and ceramics.

The sitting room on the second floor runs from the front to the back of the house, with a shuttered walkway around the central atrium. There are two altars in the room: one to the left of the picture behind a wooden column, and the other mounted high up on a wall in the center of the room.

Most Hoi An houses have no openings other than on the façade and at the back. The Tran family house illustrates how such houses often had a primarily religious purpose. In 1802, Tran Tu Nhac, one of Emperor Gia Long’s most trusted mandarins, was sent as a delegate to China. Before leaving, he built the house in order to thank his ancestors for their protection. Even though it has some rooms used by family and guests, its main raison d’etre is as the family cult place; this is illustrated by a red panel in front of the main altar, which reads Duong Tu Tran (Tran Temple). In the olden days, men were required to enter the house through the left doors on the façade, while women used the right. The central door is reserved for elders and is used during major festivals such as Tet (the New Year Festival). To enter the worshipping part of the house from the living quarters, one has to go under a timber beam, forcing people to bend their heads in a demonstration of respect. The clan’s main altar displays the usual liturgical objects as well as small boxes, arranged by chronological and social order, in which are kept relics and a biography of each deceased clan member. These boxes are opened only during festivals. On each side two lanterns are a reminder that this is the Tran clan cult house.

In contrast, the Diep Dong Nguyen house has a more vernacular atmosphere. In 1856, Ye Hong Chun, a Chinese merchant, established a shop that traded in silk, commodities and other goods. In 1900 the shop and its façade were enlarged by Ye Jia Song (Diep Gia Tong in Vietnamese), the founder’s fourth-generation nephew. It houses an impressive collection of around 1,000 ceramics and other Chinese antiques. In the second-floor yellow sitting room is a blue-and-white plate purchased by Emperor Khai Dinh. The house has two altars: the left is for the ancestors who lived in China, the right for more recent family members, whose portraits are displayed on the walls. The living quarters, a single room on the second floor, is decorated with colonial era lamps, wooden carved Vietnamese panels and gu furniture, while the library is mainly in the Chinese style.

The Tran family house was built as much to house a temple as a home. Erected in 1802 by a civil service mandarin, Tran Tu Nhuc, it contains two main areas: one for worship and the other for the family to reside in.

The sign above the family ancestral altar reads Tran Temple. Behind it, small boxes contain relics and a biography of the deceased.

Along the sitting room walls are three entrances with sliding doors: the left is for men to use, the right for women, while the central doorway is only opened on special occasions to welcome home dead ancestors.

The Diep Dong Nguyen house, built in the nineteenth century by a Chinese merchant, an ancestor of the present inhabitants, is beautifully preserved with an impressive collection of ceramics, including a blue-and-white plate purchased by Emperor Khai Dai. The living room is decorated with colonial-era lamps and traditional gu furniture.