Old houses in the heart of the city.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, old houses still linger, evoking memories of a glorious past in tranquil Dong Hoi, nestled beside the Nhat Le River. For these families, the effort to preserve their ancestral homes is also a testament to their unwavering devotion to their roots and their commitment to maintaining family traditions.

Through countless historical ups and downs, the three-bay, two-wing house exudes the patina of time with its polished black ebony wood pillars (about 16 remaining compared to the original 32), and the ancestral altar. Prominent features include exquisitely carved horizontal plaques and couplets, and antique embroidered paintings. Two of these couplets, placed prominently on either side of the altar, date back to the Nguyen Dynasty. In the center of the house stands an exquisitely crafted mother-of-pearl inlaid long bench, a testament to the family's past prosperity, and in the adjacent room is a set of ebony wood furniture from Quang Binh, over 100 years old.

The house also contains 500-700 antiques passed down from his ancestors and collected by him, many of which are hundreds of years old. Hai considers all of them a precious "treasure," cherishing and preserving them.

He confided that his house alone has nearly 100 plant stands and an antique fish tank. In the past, only wealthy families could afford so many plant stands in their homes. Mr. Phan Xuan Hai shared that, amidst the "whirlwind" of the real estate market, preserving the old house is a long and arduous journey, but his mother, now over 90 years old, always reminds him to preserve this old house for future generations.

That is why he and his family are always committed to preserving the house so that future generations can understand how their ancestors lived. He and his wife, Nguyen Thi Vui, currently maintain the Minh Xich fishing village business, specializing in selling seafood to tourists .

Nestled on the banks of the Nhat Le River, the ancient house of Mr. Nguyen Quy Dong (born in 1962) in Bao Ninh commune (Dong Hoi city) is hidden behind the bustling restaurants and eateries of a rapidly changing coastal commune. Perhaps few people know that inside this small house lies a heritage that has endured for nearly 145 years, silently witnessing the changes of time. In that house, Mr. Dong's mother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Vo, now 94 years old, still lives, serving as a witness to this precious legacy.

According to Mr. Dong, his grandfather was a Confucian scholar who worked as a teacher, highly proficient in Chinese characters and classical Chinese, and always taught his children about etiquette and family traditions. Despite the many changes over the years, he and his family have preserved the house intact, even though "many people have offered to buy it at very high prices." Not only has the house been preserved in its original state, but many items inside have also been kept intact, from religious artifacts to everyday objects, especially the antique horizontal plaques and the antique furniture set.

According to Phan Duc Hoa, head of the UNESCO Club for Research and Collection of Ancient Artifacts in Quang Binh, in Dong Hoi City alone, there are currently more than 20 ancient houses that remain almost in their original state, and more than 10 ancient houses that have been restored, mainly brought from other localities. Mr. Hoa's family also purchased and restored an ancient house in 2009. Inside, many details are still preserved intact, along with hundreds of antiques he collected over the years. These traditional cultural values make Mr. Hoa's house an ideal meeting place for those passionate about ancient artifacts and interested in traditional folk culture.