Hanoi City Breaks

The old house at 87 Ma May street is located in the North of Hoan Kiem lake. The current Ma May street was once the two streets: Hang May street – where rattan products were sold and Hang Ma street. In the French colonial period, it was also called Quan Co Den (black flag army).

The house was built in the end of the 19th century in a structure of traditional house. Between parts of the house are a yard to get wind and light; the outer part of the ground floor is used for the trading activities, the inner part is for living and working, the inmost is the kitchen and the restroom. In the second floor, the outer room is the living room and is also used as a place for worship; the inner one is the bedroom. The house also has old architectural decorations of Hanoi.
The house was renovated in 1999 and completed in October 1999. The house is a model of the old architecture of Hanoi.
87 Ma May House (built late 19th century)

The 87 Ma May house is a classic example of late 19th-century housing in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It was renovated by a UNESCO-funded organization to a close approximation of its original condition. Many houses in the Old Quarter are known as “tube houses” since they can be as long as 70 meters and as narrow as two meters–this developed as an attempt to minimize taxes, as each property was taxed according to the width of the street-facing facade. To allow for sufficient light in these narrow dwellings, it was necessary to design multiple courtyards along the length of each house. Although the 87 Ma May house is comparatively wide, it was designed along the same principals.

87 Mã Mây is perhaps the most noteworthy antique house still standing in Hà Nội’s Old Quarter. Built at the end of the 19th century, it was home to just one family down to 1954 when five families were resettled here. Recently restored to its original turn-of-the-century condition, it is decorated with period furniture, including an ornate bed, cupboards, an altar and a screen. The largest room in the house is used to hold talks, seminars and professional exchanges on issues relating to Hà Nội and the Old Quarter. The room also serves as a venue for traditional performances and displays.
(Source: VN cultural profile)

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