The house is located at 21 Le Loi Street. It is a place for all family members of the Tran clan to worship their ancestors. Tran Tu Nhac, an intelligent mandarin who lived during the reign of King Gia Long (around 200 years ago), built this house. The chapel is a reflection of Vietnamese aristocracy and it also bears cultural and traditional values. The Tran Family Home and Chapel is a famous tourist attraction and people from all over the world come to visit this chapel.
In late 1802, Tran Tu Nhac and some other mandarins were sent to China as the King’s envoys. Before departure, he wanted to leave something to his offspring and show his gratitude towards his ancestors. So he had this house built. Like other family chapels in Hoi An, the Tran house is situated in the middle of a 1.500 sq m garden, with a gate and high surrounding walls. Ornamental plants, flowers, fruit trees and several century-old plants are grown in the front. The architecture of the house bears the Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese styles and it has remains almost the same as two centuries ago. The house is made of precious wood and its roof is covered with pan-tiles. It comprises of three compartments and two lean-tos, and the wooden columns and beams are decorated with refined carvings. The house is divided into two parts: the main one is used as the worshiping tranfamily5place, and the other one as the living space for the clan’s head and for receiving guests. The drawing room of the chapel has separate entries for men and women. The left door is for the men and the door on the right is only for women. There is another door in the center of the room, used for festivals such as Tet. The design of the house respects the rules of traditional geomancy.
tranfamily2Today, some of Tran Tu Nhac’s belongings are still in the house; the most representative are a sword and a seal. People of the Tran clan often go to the house to pay their respects to their ancestors. Annually, all the clans gather in the house, in front of the altar to show their gratitude and piety towards their ancestors and to pray for happiness. On this occasion, they recall the past, discuss the future and teach their offspring to do good things. The meeting is organized in a joyful and warm atmosphere. Parents educate the children about the clan’s traditions. Such annual gatherings help strengthen the attachment of the clan and are a good opportunity for new members to make acquaintance with each other, to define their rank in the clan’s hierarchy.
The house of the Tran clan is a famous tourist attraction thanks to its architectural and cultural values, and it is a fine example of the distinctive clan life of Hoi An residents among the multi-ethnic community of Vietnam.
tranfamily4Essential Information
Opening Hours: Mon to Sun: 08.30 am- 6. Pm
Admission Fee
Good for: Culture, Family, History, Local Flavour
Add: 21 Le Loi
Soure: hoian-tourism.com
