Tan Ky Old House in Hoi An: River-to-Street Tube Layout, Family Relics and Practical Visiting Etiquette

A Tube House Spanning Two Streets

What sets Tan Ky apart from an ordinary clan ancestral hall is its floor plan. The Hoi An Monuments Management Board’s heritage dossier describes it as a multi-section tube house running straight from Nguyen Thai Hoc Street out to riverside Bach Dang Street. The front entrance served retail trade while the rear doorway opened toward the water so cargo could be unloaded from boats, turning the building into shopfront and warehouse alike. VinWonders likewise notes that its position between Nguyen Thai Hoc Street and the Thu Bon River suited port commerce.

In the archival dossier, its formal Sino-Vietnamese title is Le Tu Duong — the Le family ancestral hall — whereas Tan Ky was the family’s trading name. The original Tan Ky shop signboard still hangs inside and is cited in the dossier as physical proof of the household’s merchant era. Today the building remains privately owned by the family, functioning simultaneously as a residence and ancestral worship space.

Age and the Official Heritage Dossier

Travel sites such as VinWonders and MIA report that the house was built in 1741 and has sheltered seven generations of the Le family, with VinWonders adding that the builder was a merchant of Chinese descent. The official monument dossier dated 15 April 1992 is more cautious: at that time the homeowner stated that the house was over 200 years old and that he represented the fifth generation. The two accounts do not conflict — counting seven generations reflects more than three decades passing since 1992, while 1741 represents the commonly cited date rather than a single surviving deed.

Regarding monument status, the dossier records that the house joined Hoi An’s protected list in 1985 and received national monument recognition from the Ministry of Culture in 1990. The same file notes that in February 1990, with financial support from the Hoi An Monuments Management Board, the family repaired the roof eaves framing the central courtyard, replaced two damaged ornamental brackets and rebuilt the guttering. Up to the time that dossier was compiled, no other major structural overhaul had occurred, with annual upkeep limited to cleaning and polishing the woodwork.

Walking Through the Three Bays

The monument dossier divides the structure into three consecutive roofed sections (bays). Walking in from the street, you pass through them in order:

1. Step 1: First bay on the street side. Six rows of pillars form three compartments, with the central doorway leading straight inward from the street. Above the lintel sit two carved wooden “door eyes” patterned with yin-yang spirals. Round timber columns rest on lotus-carved stone bases, and an upper-loft hatch measuring roughly 1 m × 1 m allowed goods to be hoisted upstairs.
2. Step 2: Second bay framing the open skywell. This is the most richly crafted section, built across two storeys with stacked tie-beams and short king-posts. Column brackets are carved with squirrels, peaches, Buddha’s-hand citrons and bats, while lattice-and-panel balcony doors carry four-season motifs. The skywell brings daylight and airflow right into the middle of the deep plot.
3. Step 3: Third bay set crosswise. Positioned parallel to the first bay, it features four rows of pillars, a corridor leading up to the loft and a carved wooden screen right beside the courtyard. Veranda and courtyard floors use wide stone slabs, whereas interior rooms are paved with Bat Trang terracotta tiles.

Double-layered yin-yang roof tiles top curved gable ends. Several travel articles add that the ironwood frame locks together purely with mortise-and-tenon joinery without iron nails; while typical of Hoi An carpentry, that specific detail is not singled out in the 1992 dossier, so listen to the on-site guide’s explanation as you look upward.

Heirlooms and Flood Stories

The official dossier inventories key artefacts: multiple pairs of gilded parallel scrolls on red or black lacquer — including mother-of-pearl inlaid sets — horizontal plaques inscribed Le Tu Duong and Tan Ky, a four-character plaque presented by Emperor Bao Dai, and carved wooden reception furniture. The famous Confucius Cup appears in modern travel guides rather than the 1992 inventory, and because published dates for the cup vary widely, approach it as a family narrative passed down to visitors.

Seasonal flooding is what visitors ask about most. Travel guides point to the 1964 deluge as the highest on record, submerging the ground storey while the timber skeleton stood intact. None of our verified sources record an exact metre reading, so this article avoids quoting an unverified height; instead, ask your host to point out the flood-level marks on the wall and explain how merchandise was winched through the 1 m × 1 m loft opening in the front bay every rainy season.

How Tan Ky Differs from Other Old Houses

Because a Hoi An Ancient Town ticket covers a limited number of selectable heritage stops, pick an old house based on the architectural features you care most to see. The quick comparison below contrasts Tan Ky with Phung Hung Old House near the Japanese Covered Bridge:

Visiting While the House Is Still Lived In

• Family members live on the upper level while welcoming visitors downstairs, so keep voices low and never climb toward private quarters uninvited.
• Avoid touching lacquered plaques, inlaid scrolls or altar objects; ask the on-site guide if you want a closer look at specific carvings.
• Ask before photographing anyone in the household, and turn off camera flash around gilded and lacquered timber.
• Travel sites list opening hours around 8:30 AM to 5:45 PM without an official municipal notice, so double-check at the Old Town ticket booth, particularly on public holidays.
• Admission uses the Hoi An Ancient Town ticket system; full details of the 80,000 VND ($3 USD) and 120,000 VND ($5 USD) tiers appear in our Phung Hung Old House guide linked above.

Getting to Tan Ky and Private Car Options

Located on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Tan Ky is an easy walk east from the Japanese Covered Bridge past the Cantonese Assembly Hall, making it natural to pair with the Teochew and Cantonese Assembly Halls on the same loop. Because published sources vary on exact drop-off gates and pedestrian-only hours inside the core heritage zone, agree on a pickup corner with your driver beforehand and expect a short walk into the heritage quarter.

Arriving from Da Nang International Airport, a Da Nang Airport to Hoi An private car covers roughly 30 km in about 45 minutes, with listed one-way fares of 280,000 VND ($11 USD) for a 4-seat car, 330,000 VND ($13 USD) for a 7-seat car and 500,000 VND (~$20 USD) for a 16-seat van. Rates apply per trip rather than per person, and cancellations or time changes are free with at least 2 hours’ notice. Check the full Da Nang and Hoi An private car price list if you are departing from another neighbourhood.