A visit to Hoi An, one of the most popular holiday destinations, chiefly involves exploring its charming ancient town and its vintage attractions.
It was my first day in the city, and I had already visited the Japanese bridge, Hainan Assembly, and Hoi An Museum. I now wanted to visit one of the old houses to gain meaningful insight into the local life of Hoi An. Like other attractions, it is a part of the ticket for the ancient town too.
I selected Duc An Old House, a place that had got me fascinated while I was browsing through some travel blogs to read more about the old houses in the city. I started navigating my way to the house using google maps (I am bad at reading the physical maps given in the travel guide). The house is about 180 years old and is under the care of Mr. Tram, a member belonging to the same lineage.

The vintage vibes

As soon as I entered the house, I felt vibes that were antique and represented a previous era. Following the entrance, there was a big room (more like a passage), divided into 3-4 sections. The house exhibited antique pieces of furniture, crockery, and paintings. Their display gave a glimpse of how centuries-old houses in Hoi An used to. The lights in the house were dim, only adding to the classicality. I recommend including a tripod in your travel essentials list as the interior of a few other chapels is dark too.

Deeper inside the house, I came across a small open-air section that reflected the bright sunlight. Some traditional clothes and souvenirs were displayed there for sale. After browsing through a few dresses, my eyes moved towards the coins that had signs of the horse, ox, goat, etc. inscribed on them.
As I was trying to figure out the significance of those coins, I heard a soft female voice from behind.
“May I help you?”, I turned back and saw a middle-aged Vietnamese woman. I was glad to find a Vietnamese speaking in English.
“What are these coins for?”, I asked her curiously.
She asked me to find out my animal sign based on the Chinese birth chart pasted on the wall. I could then buy my coin as a souvenir. I looked it up on the birth chart and matched the signs with my birth date, which turned out to be a horse for me.

Even though I was in a little hurry to explore other attractions in the ancient town, talking to that woman seemed more interesting to me. After all, it was rare to find a Vietnamese talk in English (except the people in the hospitality industry).

Interaction with Mrs. Tram, owner of the house

“I am Mrs. Tram,” she said. She appeared to have sensed my desperation to know more. “You mean the owner of this house?” I exclaimed.
“Yes, I live in this 180 years old house with my Husband Mr. Tram. We are the sixth generation living in this house. We take care of the house and the belongings that are of historical interest”

“Which part of the house do you exactly stay?” I asked her while moving my eyes around the whole house.
“Oh, there is a couple of bedrooms and kitchen upstairs. That’s where we stay.” Mrs. Tram was so kind as to answer my queries. She asked my name and did her best pronouncing it the right way just the way I struggled to call their names correctly.
“Mrs. Tram, who are these people in that picture?” I asked her while pointing to a photo frame hanging on the wall leading to the “house” upstairs.
“These are my two daughters. They both are settled in Da Nang (a city near Hoi An) and leading a comfortable life. They keep visiting us now and then. We chose to stay here in our ancestral house, with our family and friends around. We feel gratified taking care of this house.”

Never forget where you came from

“Hasn’t the thought ever cross your mind to settle in a better city too. I mean you could always hire caretakers for this house, right?”
“Bulbul, it is a permanent part of us. Maybe we can plan our life, change our destiny, but we cannot alter our roots. That is where we belong. Whether we like it or not, that is a part of us that defines us in some unique ways. No matter where we eventually settle down, our roots will continue to play a dominant role in our life.
Mrs. Tram was one of the very few people who I talked to at length in Vietnam. I was delighted to find out that she could speak English. Knowing a common language helps to engage in an insightful chat with the locals.

By the time I left the Duc An Old House, it was already late evening, and I could see the streets of the ancient town beautifully lit with colorful lanterns. I felt like I have entered another world altogether.
It is no wonder Hoi An makes a place in one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world.