Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village, Cai Be district, Tien Giang province has long been famous for having dozens of old houses over a hundred years old with unique architecture. Among these, the old house of Mr. Tran Tuan Kiet’s family in Phu Hoa hamlet is the most beautiful, dubbed the “Nine Great Beauties” of Vietnam.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Cai Be Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: One hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – Dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/ba-kiet-old-house-cai-be-tien-giang/
Address: Located at number 22, group 1, Phu Hoa hamlet, Phu Hoa hamlet, Dong Hoa Hiep commune, Cai Be, Tien Giang.
Added values: Coming here, visitors will have the opportunity to admire one of the most beautiful ancient houses in the West.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Ba Kiet Old House? Or maybe you found it too long a drive here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Cai Be floating market (2 minutes), Cao Dai Temple in Cai Be (5 minutes), Cai Be Church (5 minutes), Ba Duc Old House (4 minutes), Le Longanier Restaurant (12 minutes), Cai Be Market (4 minutes)…
2. Travel Guide to Ba Kiet Old House
From Cai Be floating market, it takes about 25 minutes by boat, to the canal, visitors walk a distance of about 1 km before reaching the house.
Mr. Tran Tuan Kiet’s old house is located on a 1.8-hectare campus, surrounded by luxuriant fruit trees, jackfruit, grapefruit, citrus, and milkweed of all kinds. This house was built in 1838, and so far it has been nearly 200 years old.
In 2002, the Japanese organization JICA came to survey and determine that Mr. Kiet’s old house was one of the most beautiful houses in Vietnam, but it was seriously degraded, so it decided to invest in restoration and at the same time receive a license. Certificate of Cultural Heritage awarded by UNESCO Asia. In 2004, after more than 1 year of hard work, the house was completed and became one of the tourist attractions in Tien Giang attracting a large number of tourists.
3. What to Do – See – Eat at Ba Kiet Old House
If viewed from the outside, Mr. Kiet’s house, like many other houses, is located in an immense garden. In front of the house is a large yard with stone tables, chairs, and hammocks swinging under the shade of trees.
The house was built around 1838, with Dinh-style architecture with 3 compartments, 2 wings, nearly 1,000m2 wide, with 108 columns, all made from precious woods such as ironwood, rosewood… The carved and decorated patterns on the trusses, columns, skewers, and walls are very elaborate, typical of the old house style in the Southern region.
The roof is roofed with yin and yang tiles, one-row upside down. The column trusses are designed in a typical stacking style. The part of the red rose in front of the house is made of staggered square wood to get light, air, and people in the house to easily observe people outside.
The interior walls and wall paintings are all magnificent mother-of-pearl inlays. Connecting the main pillars of the house is a system of envelopes carved with Mai, Lan, Cuc, and Truc, harmoniously stylized, soft textures, gilded, showing the level and talent of enjoying the art of the house.
Household items are also valuable antiques. The oil lamp, the teapot, the chandelier, the cupboard, the mahogany… recall the old memories of a southern land 200 years ago. The table and the hatch are also precious wood in whole, glossy black with the color of time. The chairs are also made with elaborate designs, delicate textures, and spacious and harmonious lines.
The floor of the house is stacked with rough-fired square bricks, matching wooden walls, and tiled roofs. The gate of the house from the past is also retained by the owner, adorning the garden more impressively.
This place is also a homestay tourist destination that allows visitors to rest and experience the daily life of one of the famous rich families in the South in the past.
The host, whom people often call intimately Ms. Kiet, after her husband’s name, is an honest, simple, Western-style hospitable woman. She warmly welcomes guests to her house and shows them each unique feature of the main house, then she rushes out of the house to stand in the kitchen and cook for guests as a way to show her family’s love.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Cai Be center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in Cai Be. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Cai Be daily tours with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Ba Kiet Old House
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Ba Kiet Old House by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Cai Be village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in Cai Be.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Ba Kiet Old House
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Ba Kiet Old House (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
Best time to visit Cai Be floating market is from 5:30am-6:30am. I hope you have an amazing sunrise on the Mekong Delta river.
You can stay in a homestay which is near the floating market, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself, but you still need to hire a boat for the Cai Be floating market.
If you plan to extend your travel to Cai Be Vinh Long homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Cai Be or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Cai Be responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Cai Be food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Tien Giang cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Hu Tieu My Tho (a kind of noodle soup but it is really yummy), elephant ear fish, snails with pepper, rambutan jam, snake wine, coconut candy, pop rice…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Tien Giang in the rainy season, as Tien Giang always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Cai Be tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Coconut Candy Traditional Village & Small Canals, Puffed Rice Cake Traditional Village, Cao Dai temple (with a holy eye), Cai Be – Vinh Long homestay 2D1N, Cai Be floating market & small canals, Ba Duc Old House, Ba Kiet Old House, Mekong rest stop, amazing Vinh Long homestays on the islets, cocohome homestay, Vinh Long brick & pottery kiln, sampan (small boat) ride in small canals, mighty Mekong river cruise, educational tour and community tour in Cai Be Vinh Long, Tan Phong Islet, Cai Be Church, Le Longanier Restaurant
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Cai Be, My Tho, Tien Giang province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
