King Bao Dai, whose real name was Nguyen Phuc Vinh Thuy (1913-1997), was the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty. He is famous for owning many of the most luxurious mansions in Vietnam, with a total of seven residences scattered across the country.
Tucked away in an alley at the beginning of Ngoc Ha Street, the mansion wears the quiet color of time. The house was built more than a century ago, perhaps because of that, it was bold in the French architecture in Indochina at that time.
The ancient building is a unique combination of both Eastern and Western architectural styles. The outside is the typical oriental architecture of the dragon and phoenix palace, but the interior design is completely Western. Although nearly 100 years old, the roof tiles are still intact and do not fade over time.
All windows in the house are structured in French louver glass. The inner layer is ordinary glass door, the outer layer is sunshade. Not only that, the system of sliding doors and windows is still operating smoothly after nearly a century.
What impresses anyone when visiting the house is probably the wide, gracefully winding iron steps connecting the floors. Besides, the fireplace system and wooden wall cabinets in all rooms still keep their original state.
What makes visitors extremely surprised is that the house has a system of underground tunnels and exits to the West Lake. However, when the government took over decades ago, it was rebuilt and assigned to senior officials.
It can be seen that this is a historical work with special architecture, both modern and luxurious, of the residence of the last emperor of Vietnam's feudal dynasty.
