via Hanoi Times/Vietnam Net, 08 July 2023: The French-style house at 44 Hang Be Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, once a tenement and primary school, holds memories of a wealthy family, a unique love story, and features exquisite architecture that has attracted film crews and tourists.
“The house was designed by a famous French architect and built in almost a year by up to 100 construction workers from the provinces near Hanoi. Its highlight is four stone block pillars, exquisitely carved with peach, bamboo, chrysanthemum and apricot tree patterns, to bring good luck, wealth and prosperity to its owners. That’s what can be seen from the outside.
But what people may not know is that the interior was ahead of its time. The wardrobes, tables, shelves and decorative ceramic tiles are the same age as the house, surprising many with their modern and comfortable design,” Thuy said.
The house’s golden age and architecture are so well known that main scenes of many Vietnamese films such as Ha Noi Mua Dong Nam 46 (Hanoi in winter 1946), Tuoi Thanh Xuan (The Youth), Mua La Rung Trong Vuon (The Leaf Fall Season) or Huong Ngoc Lan (The Scent of the Ylang) were shot at the house at 44 Hang Be Street.
Source: Unknown story of a house in French-designed Old Quarter
