Binh Thuy Ancient House

The Duong family house at Binh Thuy was built in 1870 and remodelled in 1911, and it is the clearest surviving example of what a wealthy delta family built when French materials became available: the front is European with balustrades and arched openings and imported floor tiles, and the interior is arranged as a Vietnamese house with an ancestral altar on the central axis, carved hardwood screens and Chinese porcelain. The family still lives in part of it. It has been used as a location for several films, including Jean-Jacques Annaud's adaptation of Duras's The Lover, which is how many visitors first saw it.

What to look for

• A house of 1870, remodelled 1911 - European outside, Vietnamese inside.
• Imported floor tiles and hardwood screens - the two traditions in one room.
• An ancestral altar on the axis - the plan the family built to.
• A film location - including the adaptation of The Lover.

When to go

November to April. An hour.

Good to know

The family lives here and parts are private. The visit is short. There is limited interpretation. Can Tho traffic makes the trip out longer than the distance suggests.

Nearby

Cai Rang floating market is south of Can Tho; the city centre is east.