An ancient garden house in Phuoc Tich village, Thua Thien-Hue. (Photo: VNA)Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) – More than 3.6 billion VND (nearly 155,180 USD) has beenspent to restore five “nha ruong” (old garden houses built with wooden beamsand pillars) in Phuoc Tich ancient village, the central province of ThuaThien-Hue.
The move ispart of the province’s project to safeguard and promote the values of Hue’siconic garden houses this year.
After therestoration is completed, the management board of Phuoc Tich ancient villagewill discuss with owners of the historic houses about how to clean them up andimprove their landscape design before they are opened to the public, said DoanQuyet Thang, the management board’s deputy director.
The woodenhouses are also expected to serve community-based tourism and be used forhomestay services, he added.
Phuoc Tich, 50km from Hue City, is oneof only two ancient villages in Vietnam recognised as nationalcultural-historical relics.
Located at Phong Hoa commune in PhongDien district, the village was formed under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong(1460-1497) with the initial name Dong Quyet and subsequently renamed PhuocTich during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).
It was also named a national architectural and art relic site in 2009 by theMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
It has maintained its traditionalpottery craft through the centuries.
Families in the village have earned a living from making ceramics for the past500 years. Phuoc Tich ceramics used to be very famous, and they were onceselected for use by the Nguyen kings.
Phuoc Tinh also boasts 26 century-old houses carved with sophisticatedpatterns, which have invaluable architectural and cultural values.
These ancient wooden houses were built with three compartments and twolean-tos, surrounded by a garden with rows of green tea bushes serving as thefence and a brick-covered courtyard. Many of them are now in very poorcondition, requiring urgent restoration.
There are seven garden houses inPhuoc Tich currently engaged in tourism, four of which provide homestayservices. The village welcomed nearly 2,700 visitors last year.
By 2020, the province aims to restorea total of 25 “nha ruong” in the village. –VNA
VNA
