Wooden house with hundred-year-old murals

Hundred-year-old murals on wooden house walls

"The most beautiful and unique old house in Soc Trang " is the beautiful name given by tourists to the rare old wooden house of the Lai family, which is nearly a hundred years old. The house is built with 5 rooms, the walls, pillars, and doors are made of rosewood, the roof is tiled, the floor is tiled with traditional Chinese architecture. The furniture and appliances in the house are made of red wood.

The house was built in 1925 and took a whole year to complete.

Mr. Lai Van Tia (59 years old), the fourth generation descendant of the Lai family's wooden house builder, is currently the one taking care of the ancestral altar. Mr. Tia said that his great-grandmother built this house in 1925 and completed it in 1926. In 2014, the house was renovated with financial contributions from descendants but still kept in its original state. Currently, the two side rooms in the house are still used by generations of descendants.

The house is nearly 20 meters wide with 36 columns made of rosewood.

"My great-grandfather passed away early, and my great-grandmother worked hard to raise five children by herself. At that time, she worked as a farmer and saved money to build a big, beautiful house for her children and grandchildren to live together. Therefore, the next generation always tries to preserve it," said Mr. Tia.

The mural on the wall shows the longan growing profession of the Lai family.

The house is nearly 20 meters wide, with 36 pillars made of rosewood and planks made of red wood. On both sides of the house are ancestral altars and two large planks recording the history of the Lai family.

The jobs that the Lai family did when they came to live in Vinh Chau are vividly recreated.

Although he does not clearly understand the process of building the house and the family's life in the past, through the murals on the wall, Mr. Tia and his children and grandchildren clearly imagine the life and career of their grandparents.

The mural depicts rice cultivation

Tourist destination

Taking us to the front wall of the house, Mr. Tia explained about the mural paintings with the theme of local occupations and family life such as: growing rice, growing purple onions, growing longan, working in salt fields, fishing... In particular, the front wall of the house is decorated with murals with the theme of "birds and animals", birds from phoenix, peacock, pheasant, crane, mandarin duck, parrot, chicken, duck... every line is vivid.

Moss-covered yin-yang tile roof

"These murals are almost as old as the house; one depicts the longan growing profession. That's why I followed my family's longan growing profession and succeeded. Currently, I own over 1 hectare of land growing longan and longan, with a very good income," Mr. Tia shared.

Mr. Tia welcomes guests to visit the Lai family's ancient house.

When Mr. Tia was young, this old house was the home of the entire family, so it was very crowded. Now, most of the Lai family's descendants work far away, some live abroad, so the house has become quiet. The Lai family's descendants choose January 16 every year as the death anniversary and gather in large numbers at the ancestral shrine.

Image of Lai family meal on mural

Recently, the Lai family's ancestral house has become a tourist attraction. Mr. Tia is always willing to open the door to welcome visitors.

Old photo of Lai family

Visiting the wooden house of the Lai family, Ms. Le Thi Thuy Diem (33 years old, living in Hau Giang ) could not help but admire the beautiful architecture that was preserved almost intact. Through each architectural work, the skillful hands and talent of ancient artisans were shown, creating many beautiful works of art.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-ngoi-nha-doc-nhat-mien-tay-nha-go-voi-nhung-buc-tranh-bich-hoa-tram-nam-185241010174043047.htm