When talking about Bac Lieu, people not only mention Cao Van Lau and the art of Don Ca Tai Tu, but also many anecdotes about Ba Huy (The Prince of Bac Lieu), famous for his entertainment at one time. Traveling to Bac Lieu, it would be a mistake if you did not take the time to visit the Prince of Bac Lieu's house to admire the majestic architecture of the largest house in the six ancient Western provinces.
Bac Lieu Prince's House is currently located at 13 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 3, Bac Lieu City, next to the bank of Bac Lieu River. The house has luxurious Western architecture, built from 1917 to 1919 when completed. The house possessed the most majestic architecture in the Western provinces at that time, so the people here called it "big house".
The mansion was built by Mr. Tran Trinh Trach, aka Trach Council, father of Prince Bac Lieu when the prince was only 19 years old. Mr. Tran Trinh Trach is the owner of 74 fields, with 110,000 hectares of rice land and nearly 100,000 hectares of salt fields. At that time, the entire Bac Lieu province at that time had 13 lots of salt fields, 11 of which belonged to him. Mr. Trach has 7 children, 4 girls and 3 boys. Among the three sons, Tran Trinh Huy is notorious for playing around and is famous for his love of girls. It is known that the total assets that Prince Bac Lieu inherited and "wasted" on luxury entertainment is estimated at over 5 tons of gold.
The villa was designed by a French engineer, most of the construction materials were brought from Paris. Many details, materials, and furniture in the house are imported from France, from bolts and screws to construction details, all of which are stamped with the letter P to show their origin.
As soon as you step into the house, visitors will be fascinated by the meticulous and sophisticated design lines, exuding elegance and magnificence. Yellow lights radiate shimmering light, creating a cozy and elegant feeling. Each pillar of the house is decorated with many beautiful patterns.
The first floor (ground floor) of the mansion includes 2 bedrooms, a living room and two large halls with a large staircase leading upstairs. Upstairs there are also 2 bedrooms and two large, airy halls, absorbing sunlight and wind, making the mansion always airy and cool.
The stairs to the second floor are made of marble, divided into 3 sections, each section has 9 steps symbolizing longevity and eternity. The wooden stairs leading to the terrace were formerly the place where Mr. Trach, Prince Bac Lieu's father, used to dry money.
Up to now, the project is more than five years old, but the architectural and artistic values at Mr. Ba Huy's mansion are not only not "outdated" compared to the times, but on the contrary, have become even more precious and highly appreciated.
The kitchen part of the house was converted into a ticket counter for customers. The house also displays many objects associated with the anecdote of "The Black Prince". This car was bought by Mr. Tran Trinh Trach in 1930 in Saigon to welcome his son, Prince of Bac Lieu, back from studying abroad in France.
Visiting the prince's house in Bac Lieu today, you will admire the precious remaining artifacts such as: 2 hot beds and a cold bed, a set of sofas made from a single piece of wood, a set of "Three unicorns" turntables (a round table with a stone surface, triangular kneelers carved with 3 unicorns), a set of "Banch statues" (shaped like an armchair placed on the back of an elephant), a "Tam Thanh" stall (3 walls) which is the sleeping place of Tran Trinh Khuong, his younger brother. of Prince Bac Lieu), the bed of Mr. and Mrs. Council Trach, the bed for guests to smoke opium, the card table, flower vases,... are all very valuable items.
One place where people stopped the longest was the altar of Mr. Tran Trinh Huy and his first wife. It is said that no one can count how many wives Prince Bac Lieu has, but his first wife is Mrs. Ngo Thi Den, who was married properly, the daughter of a rich lord in the area. The remaining people are his concubines, including a woman of French nationality.
Visiting the Bac Lieu Prince's mansion, in addition to being introduced to the architectural features, the birth of the house, and related items and utensils, visitors are also told many anecdotes about its owner (Mr. Ba Huy) by the tour guide.
According to these anecdotes, the Prince of Bac Lieu was the first Vietnamese to own a private plane in the country; first visit to fields by plane; The first organizer of beauty contests (predecessor of later beauty contests) in the South... He is from Bac Lieu, owns a lot of land, salt department (salt making land), coal mining, and rents the most buildings, so he is very wealthy. Typically, the story of burning money to cook tea with Prince Bach or "The prince of Bac Lieu burns money to cook eggs to show that he is rich" has entered the lyrics...
The Prince of Bac Lieu and his anecdotes have become nostalgic and of the past. Today, the mansion, also known by the popular name Bac Lieu Prince's House, has become a favorite destination for domestic and foreign tourists. And it is also the anecdotes about the dissipation, bohemian and luxurious lifestyle of the Prince of Bac Lieu that make tourists from far away more curious, curious to once see the residence of the Prince of Bac Lieu.
Ca Mau
From January to December
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