HCMC man rebuilds century-old house

By Quynh Tran December 1, 2021 | 10:30 pm PT

Do Van Dung from Thu Duc City spent VND20 billion (over $880,000) to deck out his garden home, including towing and installing a nearly century-old building.

Dung built his home in 2000 on a 3,000-square-meter plot.
Instead of making antique imitations like many people, he bought a nearly 100-year-old house in southern Binh Duong Province in 2002 and had it dismantled before putting it back together exactly like before.
"I’ve had a strong passion for ancient architecture since childhood," the 62-year-old said.

Dung bought the house using gold, which is equivalent to VND1.5 billion compared to the current price, excluding furniture.
The house was rebuilt half a year later. But this time, it featured Mekong Delta characteristics and is surrounded by a green garden.

"When rebuilding, I made another wing to create more space. That's the only difference compared to the original plan."

The brick wall, iron window frames, ventilation holes are also kept the same.
"The roof tiles were severely damaged, so I had to replace them with the same ones," said the homeowner.

The house has a total floor area of 200 square meters, including 54 wooden columns.
Dung said the system of trusses, columns and roofs was still very solid, so when rebuilding, there was no need for further restoration.

The antique lamps hang in their original position.

Since the original owner did not sell furniture with the house, Dung had to collect and purchase antiques for decoration to add nostalgia to his living space.

Indoor furniture such as tables, chairs, altars, cabinets are about 50 years old.
After the house was completely rebuilt, Dung often lent it to film crews as a shooting backdrop.

Outside the house, there is a large lotus flower pond and a yard filled with apricot trees and many ornamental plants, creating a peaceful, rustic countryside scene.
Dung used the old and usable roof tiles for the floating pavilion. After building the main house, he also bought materials from some other old homes to build surrounding structures.

Currently, he works as a garden designer and often lives in Binh Thanh District for convenience.
"In my free time, I come back here, sometimes for a whole week to rest up, drink tea, and do some fishing and gardening to get away from bustling urban life."