At around 5 am each day, Phung Tien Vinh, 66, the owner of the house in Ba Dinh Ward, is woken by noise outside his front door as groups of visitors, mostly young women, arrive early to take photos of the ageing building.
“This has been happening for about six years and the crowds keep getting larger,” Vinh said. “Most people treat this as a public photo location and forget it is a private home where people live.”
The number of visitors taking photos at the ancient house has increased (Photo: Hong Anh).
Built in a French architectural style around 100 years ago, the house has been home to Vinh’s family since 1954. It is now shared by four to five households, with his family living on the ground floor in a space of about 40 square metres.
The building has retained its peeling walls, old wooden doors and weathered facade, giving it a nostalgic appearance that stands out among newer houses on the street. Over time, it has attracted visitors seeking images that evoke old Hanoi.
Sometimes visitors even spill onto the road for photos (Photo: Hong Anh).
Vinh said his family once put up a sign reading “Private house, not a photo location”, but it was removed by unknown people just days later.
He recalled mornings when he and his wife had just swept fallen leaves into a neat pile in the yard, only for visitors to scatter them across the pavement to create a romantic scene for photos. Despite repeated reminders, the situation has not improved.
“For years now, we have almost never had a proper afternoon rest,” he said. “Except on rainy days, the house is constantly surrounded by strangers, especially on weekends, holidays and during Tet.”
Photo: Huy Hoang.
To avoid family members appearing unintentionally in photographs, Vinh installed metal mesh over the doorway, which has reduced natural light inside the house.
“I am not asking for much,” he said. “If people asked for permission first and kept the noise down, it would be fine. But many act too freely and disturb our living space.”
The nostalgic interior of the house (Photo: Huy Hoang).
Vinh estimates that around 200 to 300 people visit the house daily, with numbers doubling on busy days.
A nearby resident said some visitors place cameras and equipment on the roadway, occasionally causing minor traffic congestion.
Many visitors travel long distances and prepare elaborate outfits to capture the most beautiful moments with the house (Photo: Hong Anh).
For Phuong Duy, 26, who lives in Thanh Xuan Ward, the house is one of the most attractive locations in Hanoi for taking photos with the Vietnamese traditional long dress ao dai. He said he initially believed the house was unoccupied, a misconception shared by many young visitors.
“After meeting the owner, I always ask for permission,” Duy said. “He is open and understanding, but many people do not pay attention to traffic safety or their behaviour when taking photos here.”