House of history

Few would guess that the owner of a sidewalk beer shop in the Mekong Delta is a 7th generation descendent of a Nguyen Dynasty official. 

However, Le Cong Nghiep, owns more than just the beer stand.

In fact, a large brick villa next door reveals decades of dynastic history, passed down through generations of Nghiep’s family.

The regal villa sits on Le Loi Street in Chau Doc Town in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang where Nghiep’s ancestor, Commander Le Cong Loi once led his family to begin a new life.

Loi brought his relatives from their hometown in the central province of Thanh Hoa in 1785 and built the house several years later.

Since then, it has been home to the Le Cong family, one of two large families credited with reclaiming the town.

Like other houses in Vietnam, the villa, located on a one-hectare piece of land, represents its owner’s social status.

While most ancient houses in the country were built using standard Vietnamese architecture, the villa on Le Loi Street combines artistic French and Vietnamese styles, distinguishing it from other homes built around the same time.

From the outside, it has the appearance of a typical French villa made of bricks during the 19th century, when the French designated Chau Doc as an administrative center in the Mekong Delta.

Behind the pale yellow walls are quintessential Vietnamese characteristics like ornate, hand-carved wood furniture embellished with mother-of-pearl inlay.

Such features are also present at gate-like entrances and on an altar within the home.

Two china cabinets, flanking the two sides of the altar, display the original owner’s belongings including bowls, plates and even a casket.

In another area, sketched on a white board, is a family tree with records showing the family annals, starting with the great commander Le Cong Loi.

As an alternative to opening up the villa to tourism, Nghiep says he chose instead to open his sidewalk beer shop to chat with locals and serve up drinks and seafood.

Reported by Phuong Anh