The house at Nguyen Thai Hoc Street is renowned not only for its 19th century charm, but also for its unique and rare antiques.

Once belonging to the Le family of Chinese origin, the Tan Ky house was named a National Historical Relic on February 17, 1990 and was the first antique home in Hoi An to receive the title.

Built more than 200 years ago, the architecture of Tan Ky is typical of the region’s structural style of the time and has been well preserved. The ornate interior is made of antique wood with intricately carved dragons and fruit.

Seven generations of the Le family have lived in Tan Ky over the decades, and according to family members, the ancient home is considered one of the most beautiful and well-kept historical relics in the country.

In addition to the unique Vietnamese architecture, the house also demonstrates the influence of Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. In the 17th century, Hoi An was a prosperous trade town with many Japanese and Chinese merchants in the area. The Japanese architectural style of Tan Ky is expressed through the arrangement of king posts (part of the roof’s structure), and the Chinese influence can be seen in the many sword and silk images incorporated into the home.

According to Tan Xuan, a descendant of the sixth generation of the family that occupied Tan Ky, under each pillar in the house is a circular flagstone brought from north-central Thanh Hoa Province. These stones have prevented the king posts from decaying and have kept the house intact for hundreds of years, says Xuan.

The home is divided into sections, each with a particular function. The front of the house is used as a display area for the many antique items, and the back was once used to import and export goods.

Tan Ky also displays several photos of famous heads of state who have visited the home including former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China Jiang Zemin, and former Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Lydie Polfer.

In the center of Tan Ky is one of the home’s most valuable items, “The Cup of Confucius.” No one knows the item’s exact origin, but it is believed to be a personal possession of the great philosopher Confucius and was considered a lucky charm by the Le family.

In the middle of the cup stands a figurine of Confucius and inexplicably, a hole was designed at the bottom of the cup so that liquid runs out when the cup is nearly full. Experts have debated the reasons for such a design with some saying the hole is meant to control the level of liquid in relation to the Confucius statuette, but no explanation has yet been settled on. Legend says the cup is meant to symbolize one of Confucius’ main doctrines, knowing when “enough is enough.”

The Tan Ky antique house is located at 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc St., Hoi An Town, Quang Nam Province and is open from 8 a.m. to noon, and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Reported by Kim