Phuoc Tich Village

Phuoc Tich was founded in 1470 on a bend of the O Lau river and was recognised in 2009 as a national heritage village - the second such designation in Vietnam - for its ensemble of nha ruong, the timber-framed garden houses of the Hue region, around thirty of which survive with their gardens, hedges and ancestral altars. The village also made pottery for centuries, including the unglazed earthenware used to cook rice for the Nguyen court, and old kiln sites and a small display remain. It emptied as people left for the cities, and part of the heritage effort has been getting households to stay in the houses.

What you actually see

• Nha ruong garden houses - around thirty surviving with their gardens.
• Founded in 1470 - and designated a heritage village in 2009.
• Old pottery kilns - which supplied the Nguyen court.
• A village that emptied - and the effort to keep households in it.

When to go

Year round. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Houses are private and are seen by arrangement with the households, not freely. Many are occupied by elderly residents. Services in the village are minimal. It is an hour from Hue.

Nearby

Hue is south-east; the coast at Quang Tri is north.