Those who are familiar with the French authoress Marguerite Duras would remember her most celebrated novel awarded Goncourt Prize in 1984, The Lover, got inspiration from her girlhood in Mekong Delta Region in Vietnam. In a house in Sa Dec Town, Dong Thap Province, that love story is retold almost every day though nearly a century has passed since then. The house is Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, where the lover of the authoress lived. Hence Duras had lots of memories here.
The former owner of the house is Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, who is believed to be the male character in the novel. It is located at 225A Nguyen Hue Str., Sa Dec Town, Dong Thap Province. The house has the history of over 130 years, and now become a popular tourist destination in Mekong Delta Region for all literature-lovers, approximately 2000 tourists come here monthly. Most of them are foreigners. Visit here with Vietnam travel
In the past, Huynh’s is the most reputable family in Dong Thap. The house is well-structed and the furniture is luxurious, some of them even were brought from France. It is a low house with a Chinese-style ridged roof which was described in Duras’ novel as a “big villa” with “blue balustrades” and “tiers of terraces overlooking the Mekong”. The busy facade combines Chinese and Classical elements, while the interior walls display photographs of both Le’s and Duras’ families, although the relationship was never condoned by either side.
The house was built in 1917, replacing a wooden home from in 1895. In 1972, the Le family departed the house and after the Vietnam War it became a police station. In 2010, authorities declared it a historic site and ever since it became a popular tourist spot in Mekong River Delta Region tour.
People get here to see with their own eyes the portrait and dwelling of the authoress’ lover. Here still remain all documents about the Huynh family and pictures recalling that old love story and hence became an attractive destination in list of Vietnam travel.
The Indochina Voyages team.
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