One of the best highlights to see and do in Can Tho City is the Binh Thuy ancient house. The Ancient house is a very beautiful residence imbued with features of the southern delta. The Binh Thuy ancient house is a French-styled building with Gothique-styled four-step staircase and spacious front yard.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Can Tho Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: 20,000VND
Spend-time: Half an hour (approx)
Hours: Daily 7 am to 12 pm & 2 pm to 6 pm
Food: a small coffee shop
Shop: a painting shop
Parking lot: Yes, for coach
Blog: https://vemekong.com/binh-thuy-ancient-house-can-tho/
Address: 144 Bui Huu Nghia Street, Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City. About 6km from Can Tho city center.
Recognition(s): was recognised as a National architectural and artistic monument in 2009.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Binh Thuy ancient house? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Binh Thuy temple (10 minutes away), Son islet (20 minutes away), Bang Lang stork garden (an hour away).
2. Travel Guide to Binh Thuy Ancient House
The Binh Thuy French-style house, the privately owned house, was built in 1870 by the Duong family and still managed by the eighth generation. The house was famously used in the 1992 movie “L’Amant” (“The Lover”) based on the novel of the same name by French author Marguerite Duras, directed by Jean Jacques Annaud, telling the story of a young Marguerite Duras and her lover Huynh Thuy Le, set during Indochina times.
The Duong family’s house is a rare model of an old house remaining quite intact in Binh Thuy, Can Tho, local people used to call this place Binh Thuy ancient house, Binh Thuy orchid garden old house. The Duong family came to settle in the South around the end of the 18th century, until Mr. Duong Minh Hien was the 6th generation, the first house was built by Mr. Duong Van Vi in 1870 with precious wood and roof tiles to worship the ancestors. The house you are visiting today was built by Mr. Duong Chan Ky (also known as Mr Landlord 3) between 1904 and 1911.
Book with local: Can Tho Motorbike Countryside Tour with Binh Thuy ancient house (Morning or afternoon tour)
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The Duong family’s house is a work in the architectural complex located along Binh Thuy river – the old Long Tuyen village. The house is built on a campus of about 8,000 square meters, in the east-west direction, the floor is 1 meter higher than the garden. The house has a 5-room architecture, the inside is divided into 3 parts: the front part, the middle house and the back house, lined with cement tiles imported from France. The front house is used as a place to receive guests, decorated in European style. The middle house is decorated in the traditional Vietnamese style, with 3 inner compartments used as a place of worship, 2 rooms on both sides used as a place for family activities. The back house is used as a common living space.
3. What to Do and See at Binh Thuy Ancient House
Entering the main gate, you feel like you are entering a superficial mansion (in terms of time), magnificently influenced by Western architecture, but without losing the national soul, especially the worship space. Thanks to its uniqueness, the house has attracted many studios and directors to choose this place as the filming location, the setting for the films L’amant (The Lover), Nguoi Dep Tay Do… Nowadays, the house is one of the places to visit and check-in for many tourists, wedding couples, especially many tourists come here to “play the role of lovers” right in front of the balcony – one of the famous scenes of Jean March and Tony Leung Ka-fai.
In the middle of a large yard paved with Chinese bricks is a big rock garden with many potted plants.
On one side of the house is an orchid garden with nearly 100 plants. A Mexican cactus stands more than 10m on the other side.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Can Tho city center:
Route 1: Hotel in Can Tho center – boat station – Binh Thuy ancient house – Son islet – hotel in Can Tho center [half day]
Route 2: Hotel in Can Tho center – car or motorbike or bike – Binh Thuy ancient house – hotel in Can Tho center [half day]
Route 3: Hotel in Can Tho center – car or motorbike – Binh Thuy ancient house – Bang Lang stork garden – hotel in Can Tho center [half day]
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 Can Tho. 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 the ancient house and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Can Tho day tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Binh Thuy Ancient 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 Binh Thuy Ancient 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.
Book with local: Can Tho Motorbike Countryside Tour with Binh Thuy ancient house (Morning or afternoon tour)
Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559
hello@vemekong.com
Visit Binh Thuy ancient house by yourself is very okay. Budget travellers and adventure tourists can reach and visit this attraction by motorbike as well. If you have no guided tour, you are fine to explore this place, use Google Maps to get there. Sometimes it takes more time to find it, so you can ask the locals. We may share with you some 3 main ways to visit Binh Thuy ancient house. The best way is to go by car, about 6 km, about 30 minutes via Vo Van Kiet street, on the way to Can Tho airport, you will see Binh Thuy 2 bridge, turn right over the bridge, run along the river, you will see the old house on the left hand side. The second way, from the center, you follow CMT8 street to Binh Thuy bridge, turn left on Bui Huu Nghia street with your motorbikes (tourist cars need to go up Nguyen Truyen Thanh street and turn left), it takes about 5 more minutes to get to the old house. The third way is from Ninh Kieu wharf, you can go by boat to the riverside of the old house, about 45 minutes by boat. Top tip: There is usually a member of the Duong family at home to provide limited commentary on the house if you are lucky.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Binh Thuy Ancient House
It is always good to repeat “responsible travel” over and over. Binh Thuy French style house faces severe deterioration by termites and weather and time as well as scientifically maintained cleaning. We do appreciate any of you who do visit and take good behavior to the family and the ancient house. Top tip: There are less and less traditional places like this in Vietnam because of fast and morden life.
8. Amazing Video of Binh Thuy Ancient 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
The house opens on time and closes at the mid-day. You pay the ticket to the local family when you are in.
Do not touch the old and antique things.
Do not take pictures of the altar.
Shoes and hats off you get in.
If you plan to extend your travel to Can Tho homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Can Tho 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 Can Tho responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Can Tho 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 Can Tho 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 Cong cake in Can Tho, Ut Dzach Fine Rice Vermicelli…
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 Can Tho in the rainy season, as Can Tho always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Can Tho tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Can Tho Wildlife & Forest, Organic Cacao farm, Can Tho Floating Markets, Can Tho Small Canals & Sampan Ride, Can Tho Fruit Garden, Can Tho Paddy Rice Fields, Can Tho Giant Ficus Tree – Secret VC base, Can Tho Rice Noodle Factory, Cai Rang floating market, Can Tho Old Market, Phong Dien floating market, Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery, Can Tho to Con Dao – Express boat, Son Islet – Community-based Tourism…
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Can Tho, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
