Red River Delta ancestral home lifted atop villa

Traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. However, this traditional house perches on top of a four-storey house in Bat Trang village of the capital city’s Gia Lam district as its owner wants to preserve the traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, said he wants to preserve the traditional home but at the same time he wants to make changes to create living space for his family. He said the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. Perching on top a four-storey house in Bat Trang village, this house is made from ceramic and wood. It is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, wants to preserve the traditional home but at the same time he wants to make changes to create living space for his family. He said the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Miniatures in front of the house are created by its owner. They bear features from both history and folklore. It is not just a house, but truly artistic space with traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, wants to preserve the traditional home but at the same time make changes to create living space for his family. According to him, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors because traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Miniatures in front of the house are created by the house’s owner. They bear features from both history and folklore. It is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, wants to preserve the traditional home but at the same time make changes to create living space for his family. According to him, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors because traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta. In photo: A bonsai created by the house’s owner (Photo: Vietnam+)

Miniatures in front of the house are created by Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house. They bear features from both history and folklore. It is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, wants to preserve the traditional home and at the same time he wants to make changes to create living space for his family. According to him, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors because traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Tran Nam Tuoc said that because of his passion for traditional values, he reenacted the ancestral house with five compartments on top of his modern house. This house is made from ceramic and wood. It is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. Carved patterns are sophisticated and created by the owner himself and his team of workers. According to Tuoc, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors because traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. (Photo: Vietnam+)

This house is made from ceramic and wood. It is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. This is a carefully-preserved sacred worshipping space found in every five-compartment house in the Red River Delta. The space expresses the wealth of the owner. According to Tran Nam Tuoc, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors because traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. Tuoc said he wants to preserve the traditional home but at the same time make changes to create living space for his family. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. However, this traditional house perches on top of a four-storey house in Bat Trang village of the capital city’s Gia Lam district as its owner wants to preserve the traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, said he wants to preserve the traditional home but at the same time make changes to create living space for his family. In photo: All pillars of the house are made from large trees and the roofs are connected by rafters. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Antique decorative items are evidence of the ups and downs of Vietnam’s history. This house, all made from ceramic and wood, is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. According to Tran Nam Tuoc, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors because traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. Tuoc said he wants to preserve the traditional home and at the same time he wants to make changes to create living space for his family. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. However, this traditional house perches on top of a four-storey house in Bat Trang village of the capital city’s Gia Lam district as its owner wants to preserve the traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, said he wants to preserve the traditional home and at the same time he wants to make changes to create living space for his family. He said the house represents family unity and respect for ancestors. In photo: Exquisitely-carved wooden doors. (Photo: Vietnam+)

This house, all made from ceramic and wood, is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. According to Tran Nam Tuoc, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors. Tuoc said he wants to preserve the traditional home and at the same time he wants to make changes to create living space for his family. All designs of the house are created by the owner himself and his team of worker. In photo: An art work associatied with the legend “Thap muc nguu do” (The ten ox-herding pictures) - 10 famous paintings in Buddhism. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. However, this traditional house perches on top of a four-storey house in Bat Trang village of the capital city’s Gia Lam district as its owner wants to preserve the traditional values. Tran Nam Tuoc, the owner of the house, said he wants to preserve the traditional home and at the same time he wants to make changes to create living space for his family. He said the house is a work of love. It represents family unity and respect for ancestors. (Photo: Vietnam+)

This house is made from ceramic and wood. It is not just a house. It is truly an artistic space with traditional values. This is a carefully-preserved sacred worshipping space found in every five-compartment house in the Red River Delta. The space expresses the wealth of the owner. According to Tuoc, the house is a work of love, representing family unity and respect for ancestors because traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. Tuoc said by reenacting the ancestral house, he wants to preserve the traditional values. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. The Red River Delta is a large area located in the downstream region of the Red River in the North of Vietnam. It is home to 11 provinces and cities, Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, and Quang Ninh. The Delta is the cradle of the Red River civilization with distinctive culture, historical landmarks and Vietnamese tradition of founding and protecting their country as well as developing the nation. (Photo: Vietnam+)

In the mind of the Vietnamese people, house is something more than a place to live. It’s where the childhood memories of one person belonged to, where to find peace and happiness with our loved ones and the foundation to build our future. Traditional houses with five compartments are part of the unique architecture found in the Red River Delta and bear features from both history and folklore. The system of beliefs in the Red River Delta is varied and diverse, ranging from those related to personal and familial lives to those related to the life of social communities. Like people in other regions of Vietnam, people in the Red River Delta highly regard the worshipping of ancestors and consider it to be the path to humanity. (Photo: Vietnam+)