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French architectural beauty in the heart of Hai Duong city

MOC MIEN 27/05/2025 18:00

Old houses with French architectural features nestled in the heart of Hai Duong city lend the urban landscape a distinctive, unmistakable charm.

Ảnh báo in: Dạo qua những con phố:Tam Giang, Bắc Kinh, Sơn Hòa hay Phạm Hồng Thái, không khó để bắt gặp những ngôi nhà cổ đậm chất Pháp. Trong ảnh: Ngôi nhà ở khu vực
Old French-style houses are a common sight on Tam Giang, Bac Kinh, Son Hoa, or Pham Hong Thai streets. In the photo: A house near the flower garden at the Bac Kinh - Nguyen Du intersection

Echoes of the past

Though time may have left its mark on faded yellow walls, French-style houses scattered across Hai Duong city remain as silent witnesses of history, contributing to the urban cultural identity of Hai Duong province.

Soft curves, intricate motifs, and Western classical elements harmoniously blended with traditional Vietnamese living habits create a one-of-a-kind beauty for Hai Duong’s streets today.

Walking down streets like Tam Giang, Bac Kinh, Son Hoa, or Pham Hong Thai, one can easily spot old French-style houses dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite the passage of time and changes in history, the marks of French architecture remain evident in every doorframe, tile, and arched window of the houses.

Ảnh báo in: Ông Đoàn Hữu Bích đã gắn bó quá nửa đời người với căn nhà Pháp cổ trên phố Tam Giang
Doan Huu Bich has spent more than half his life in this French-style house on Tam Giang street

The house of Doan Huu Bich’s family at No. 29A Tam Giang street features three compartments and two mezzanines, built in the French style before 1945. It still retains patterned floor tiles, wooden doors, and ceramic inlaid Chinese characters reading “Duc Loi” on the rooftop.

Từng chi tiết nền gạch, cánh cửa vẫn được ông Bích giữ nguyên
Bich retains every detail of the house, from the tiled floor to the wooden doors

At the intersection of Nha Tho and Pham Hong Thai streets, the house at No. 85 stands out with its warm yellow façade, a typical color in French colonial architecture. Built in 1903 by a local landlord who hired a French architect, the house now celebrates its 120th year.

Căn nhà số 85 Phạm Hồng Thái của gia đình bà Phạm Thị Xuyến nổi bật với kiến trúc Pháp
The house of Pham Thi Xuyen’s family at No. 85 Pham Hong Thai street stands out with its French architecture

Pham Thi Xuyen, the current owner of the house, said her husband's parents originally rented the house before purchasing it from the State. Despite its prime location, Xuyen’s family decides to preserve the original structure and refuses to alter it for commercial purposes.

Trong căn nhà số 85 phố Phạm Hồng Thái vẫn còn giữ nguyên nền gạch hoa từ thời đầu xây dựng
Inside the house at No. 85 Pham Hong Thai street, patterned floor tiles from its early construction remain intact

Preserving old traces

After having captured Thanh Dong (old name of Hai Duong city) in 1883, the French colonials began redesigning the urban space. They dismantled military structures and erected a series of civil and administrative buildings in European architectural styles.

Nhà thờ Hải Dương trên đường Trần Hưng Đạo là công trình theo lối kiến trúc Pháp cổ
Hai Duong Church on Tran Hung Dao street is a structure built in classic French architectural style

Landmarks such as the Governor’s Mansion (now part of the provincial People's Committee headquarters), the Envoy’s Mansion (now the provincial Party Committee's office and guest house), the Public Works Service (former Department of Transport), and the Treasury (now the provincial branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies) all reflect neoclassical French design. These buildings were mostly constructed along the Sat river, the main waterway of the then administrative zone.

Several French colonial buildings are still in use today, including the former Department of Transport, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the provincial branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, and Hai Duong Church.

Tòa nhà Dinh Tổng đốc, nay là trụ sở UBND tỉnh Hải Dương, kết hợp hài hòa giữa kiến trúc tân cổ điển phương Tây với nét truyền thống Việt Nam
The former Governor’s Mansion, now part of the provincial People’s Committee headquarters, is a harmonious combination of Western neoclassical architecture and traditional Vietnamese elements

Most notable is the Governor’s Mansion, now located within the provincial People’s Committee compound. It exemplifies a harmonious fusion of Western neoclassical architecture and traditional Vietnamese elements such as boat-shaped roofs, screen walls, and three-entrance gates, creating a unique and dignified structure.

Trên mái những công trình cổ thường có tên hiệu chữ nho được khảm sứ
The rooftops of old French buildings often feature ceramic-inlaid Chinese characters

Preserving French colonial architecture is not just about keeping a few walls or tiled roofs, but it is about safeguarding the memory of the cityand layers of cultural sediment for future generations.

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French architectural beauty in the heart of Hai Duong city