When traveling to Tra Vinh, the Cau Ke Ancient House often attracts tourists because the Cau Ke ancient house is a testament to the history of Vietnamese architectural development, a transition period between traditional architecture and modern architecture and is classified as an artistic architectural monument.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Tra Vinh 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/huynh-ky-ancient-house-tra-vinh/
Address: Located in cluster 2, Cau Ke town, Cau Ke district, Tra Vinh province.
Added values: Traveling to Tra Vinh, and visiting the ancient house of Cau Ke, you will not only see beautiful sculptures and paintings but also understand more about the history of Tra Vinh province in particular and the South in general in the 20th century.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky Old House? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ba Dong Beach (78 km), Ba Om Pond (35 km), Vam Ray Pagoda (43 km), Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh (77 km), Con Chim Islet (52 km), Tra Vinh Market (39 km)…
2. Travel Guide to Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky Old House
Cau Ke ancient house is about 30km west of Tra Vinh city. The house of Governor Ham Huynh Ky was built by him in 1924 according to the design of French architects. Although under the influence of Western culture, with the family’s routine, with Eastern cultural traditions, when building Huynh Ky’s house, he paid great attention to choosing the location and choosing the direction. The house that qualifies for the most near-market, the second near-river, the third near-road, and the direction of opening the door to obtain the right air “Thuan Thanh”.
Like many other civil houses, Huynh Ky house includes the main house and some other works such as gate fence, back house, warehouse… The overall floor plan is distributed as follows: The main house is located vertically. In the center, the back house is horizontally behind the main house and connected to the main house by a path. The warehouse is located vertically from the outside of the gate looking in on the left side of the main house. Surrounding the house is a fence with entrance gates.
3. What to Do – See – Eat at Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky Old House
The gate fence is built with reinforced cement in the style of upper and lower panels. Fence posts and gate posts are made of bricks, and barricades, gates are made of steel. The gate has two doors, one of the main doors and one of the side doors. Entering the gate is a rather large yard used to arrange flower pots.
Across the courtyard to the main house. The main house is built in a rectangular shape, length of 20m, a width of 18m, with ancient lines, with many different patterns, bricks, and decorative reliefs inside and outside the house, bearing cultural imprints. decorated in a typical decorative style of French architecture. The most eye-catching are still the ceramic tiles, they are almost colorfast with time.
The interior of the house consists of 05 compartments divided into two parts. The walls and ceiling are decorated with reliefs and patterns with many sophisticated motifs. All items such as tiles and other decorative items were brought back from France, showing that the house is representative of the sculpture and painting style that developed at that time.
However, the furniture in the old house is arranged in a pure Vietnamese style and has a clear interference between modernity and tradition.
In particular, the ceiling of the house is not made of reinforced concrete, but uses wood as a frame, then uses a zinc mesh to attach to the wooden frame and fill it with a lime mortar mixture. From the ceiling to the roof is an insulated space with ventilation holes, so the house is always cool.
In addition to its architectural value, the house is also a unique work of sculpture and painting. Statues and reliefs on the roof, on the tops of columns, arches of doors and windows; paintings on the walls, and the ceiling; The use of ceramic tiles with a variety of patterns to decorate the lobby, siding, and floors have created a unique feature for the project.
Cau Ke’s ancient house is a testament to the history of Vietnam’s architectural development, a transition period between traditional architecture and modern architecture. The house is also a testimony to a historical period of Tra Vinh in particular and the South in general in the early decades of the twentieth century. In 2011, this house was recognized by Tra Vinh province as a provincial cultural, architectural, and artistic relic.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh. 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 Tra Vinh daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky 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 Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky 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 Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky 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 Cau Ke ancient house or Huynh Ky 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
Tra Vinh Khmer pagodas are solemn places, so you should choose beautiful clothes that are still polite and discreet. In the temple grounds, there are many animal statues such as elephants, snakes, etc. If you go with the children, please remind them not to climb because these are sacred symbols of the Khmer people.
The monks don’t ask for money, although donations won’t hurt.
If you plan to extend your tour to Tra Vinh homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Tra Vinh or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets. Safety is a priority! Choose Tra Vinh responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Tra Vinh 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 Tra Vinh 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, Tra Cuon’s Sticky Rice Cake, Bun Nuoc Leo Tra Vinh’s Noodle Soup, Macapuno Coconut…
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 Tra Vinh in the rainy season, as Tra Vinh always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Tra Vinh tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Hang Pagoda, Nôdol Pagoda (Stork temple), Khmer minority people’s museum, Ba Dong Beach, Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda, Vam Ray Pagoda, Truc Lam Zen Monastery Tra Vinh, Cau Ke Ancient House or Huynh Ky Old House, Kampong Ksan pagoda, Con Chim islet – community-based tourism…
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
