Tan Ky Old House Hoi An 2026: Tickets, Hours & History

Tan Ky Old House (Nhà cổ Tấn Ký) is a merchant house more than 200 years old at 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Hoi An Ancient Town, Da Nang. Still home to the Le family, it is famous for carved timber, a courtyard linking street and river, and its blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese design. Entry uses one coupon of the 120,000 VND old-town ticket.

Status (checked October 2026): open daily as normal, roughly 8:00–17:30. As a private family home it can close briefly for family events, and the riverside street floods most years in October–November. The house now lies in Hoi An Ward, Da Nang city, after the July 2025 merger.

Why Tan Ky Old House is worth seeing:

A living home: descendants of the merchant family still live here and welcome visitors.
Three cultures in one roof: Vietnamese tube-house plan, Chinese carvings and a Japanese-influenced roof frame.
Exceptional woodwork: carved column heads, mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquered panels.
Street to river: the house runs from Nguyen Thai Hoc Street through to Bach Dang Street on the river, showing how merchants loaded goods.
Flood history on the walls: marks show how high past floods rose inside.

Tan Ky Old House at a Glance

Vietnamese name	Nhà cổ Tấn Ký (Tấn Ký house)
Address	101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An Ancient Town, Hoi An Ward, Da Nang
Distance	About 5 minutes’ walk from the Japanese Covered Bridge; about 30 km from central Da Nang
Age	More than 200 years old (exact date unknown; family records were lost)
Known for	Merchant-house architecture, carved wood, courtyard, flood marks
Recognition	On Hoi An’s heritage protection list since 1985; part of the UNESCO Hoi An Ancient Town site (1999)
Opening hours	About 8:00–17:30 daily
Entrance fee	One coupon of the Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (120,000 VND for foreigners, 5 sites)
Time needed	15–30 minutes
Best time	8:00–9:30, before tour groups arrive
Nearby	Museum of Trade Ceramics, Japanese Covered Bridge, Cantonese Assembly Hall, Hoi An riverside
Find it	Google Maps · Official heritage record (Vietnamese PDF) · UNESCO

Is Tan Ky Old House Worth Visiting?

Yes, it is the best single introduction to how Hoi An’s merchants lived. If you only enter one old house in Hoi An Ancient Town, Tan Ky or Phung Hung should be the one. It is small and gets busy, so timing matters.

Best for: architecture and history lovers, photographers who like interiors, families.
Skip if: you dislike crowded spaces at midday, or you prefer large spaces like the Fujian Assembly Hall.
Short on time: come at opening time, spend 15 minutes, then walk to the Museum of Trade Ceramics on Tran Phu Street.

History of Tan Ky Old House

Tan Ky was built by a Vietnamese merchant family during Hoi An’s trading heyday, when ships from China, Japan and Southeast Asia anchored on the Thu Bon River. Its exact construction date is unknown because the family’s genealogy records were lost, but the owners date it to more than 200 years ago, and most references place it in the late 18th or early 19th century. Tan Ky was the name of the family’s trading business; the old signboards still hang inside.

The house served several functions at once: shop at the front, storage and living quarters behind, and access to the river at the back for loading boats. Today it is both a family home and the Le family’s ancestral hall. Under the French it was No. 18 Rue de Cantonnaise; before 1975 it was 21 Nguyen Thai Hoc. Hoi An’s heritage authorities have protected it since 1985, and it became part of the UNESCO-listed Ancient Town in 1999.

Architecture: Three Cultures under One Roof

Like many Hoi An shophouses, Tan Ky is a long, narrow “tube house”, with a series of sections from front to back. According to the Hoi An heritage centre record:

The front section has six round wooden columns about 30 cm across, forming three bays, with a loft above and a square hatch (about 1 m by 1 m) used to haul goods up out of the reach of floods.
The courtyard section has two storeys and slimmer square columns on stone bases, with carved column heads showing squirrels, grapes, peaches, Buddha’s-hand fruit and bats, all symbols of luck and longevity.
The roof frames combine a “stacked beam” style and a “crab-shell” truss, often cited as examples of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese influence meeting in one building.
Materials include heavy hardwood columns and panels, lotus-carved stone column bases, green stone paving and Bat Trang bricks.

Dark wood beams and furniture inside Tan Ky Old House, Hoi An — Carved dark-wood beams and furniture inside the house. Photo: YukioSanjo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What to See at Tan Ky Old House

1. The front shop and signboards

The front room was once the shop. Look for the Tan Ky signboards and the lacquered boards with Chinese calligraphy, some inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

2. Carved column heads and beams

In the courtyard section the columns are topped with fine carvings of fruit, animals and auspicious symbols. Take your time here; the details are the highlight.

3. The inner courtyard

The small open courtyard brings light and air into the long house and collects rainwater. Potted plants and stone paving make it a calm spot.

4. The flood marks

Marks on a wall or column record how high past floods reached inside the house, including the great flood of 1964, a vivid reminder of life on the Thu Bon River.

5. The riverside entrance

The back of the house opens towards Bach Dang Street and the river, where goods once came in by boat.

6. Family heirlooms and tea

Family members usually offer a short explanation and sometimes a cup of tea; small souvenirs are on sale, with no obligation to buy.

Tan Ky Old House Tickets and Opening Hours (2026)

Item	Price / hours	Notes
Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (foreigners)	120,000 VND	Tan Ky counts as one of the 3 “heritage site” choices
Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (Vietnamese)	80,000 VND	Smaller selection of sites
Opening hours	About 8:00–17:30 daily	May close briefly for family events or floods

Tickets are sold at booths around the old town, not at the house itself. Ticket rules are set by the Hoi An heritage authorities; check the official Hoi An tourism information for updates.

Etiquette at Tan Ky Old House

Remember it is a family home and ancestral hall: speak quietly and do not touch altars.
Do not sit on antique furniture unless invited.
Photography is generally fine without flash; ask before photographing family members.
Shoulders and knees should be covered.

How to Get to Tan Ky Old House

From	How	Time
Japanese Covered Bridge	Walk east along Nguyen Thai Hoc Street	About 5 minutes
Hoi An Market	Walk west along Bach Dang or Nguyen Thai Hoc Street	About 5–7 minutes
Hotels near the old town	Walk or bicycle	5–15 minutes
Da Nang	Car, taxi or Grab to the old-town edge, then walk	40–50 minutes

More options in our Hoi An transportation guide.

Best Time to Visit Tan Ky Old House

When	What to expect
8:00–9:30	Quietest; best for photos of the interior
10:00–16:00	Tour groups; the house can feel crowded
February–April	Best weather in Hoi An
October–November	Flood season; the house may close on high-water days

Local Expert Tips for Tan Ky Old House

These tips come from years of arranging Hoi An tours for international travellers.

Visit Tan Ky first thing, then the Museum of Trade Ceramics a short walk away, to understand the trade that paid for the house.
If a tour group arrives, step into the courtyard and wait a few minutes; groups move on quickly.
Use your remaining coupons on the Fujian hall and the Cantonese hall for contrast.
Read our Hoi An travel tips for money and etiquette advice.

Tan Ky Old House vs Phung Hung Old House

Feature	Tan Ky Old House	Phung Hung Old House
Address	101 Nguyen Thai Hoc	4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai
Age	Over 200 years	Built around 1780
Size	Long, narrow, intimate	Larger, two storeys with an upper-floor balcony
Highlights	Carvings, courtyard, flood marks	Around 80 ironwood columns, upstairs altar, flood hatch
Crowds	Busy at midday	Usually a little quieter

Our view: Tan Ky has the finer carvings and the more famous name; Phung Hung is more spacious. With five coupons you can comfortably see both.

Nearby Attractions

Japanese Covered Bridge: Hoi An’s 400-year-old symbol.
Phung Hung Old House: the other great merchant house of the old town.
Cantonese Assembly Hall: famous dragon fountain.
Hoi An Market: breakfast and local life.
Bay Mau Coconut Forest: basket boats, 15 minutes by car.

Sightseeing in Hoi An for First-Time Visitors: Where Tan Ky Old House Fits

Tan Ky fits neatly into a morning walk: Japanese Covered Bridge, Phung Hung house, Tan Ky, the Cantonese and Fujian halls, then lunch at the market. Spend the afternoon at An Bang Beach and the evening on the river. Our Hoi An food guide and where-to-stay guide help with the rest.

Plan your trip with our Hoi An travel guide and Hoi An tour packages. Contact Vietnam Tour Expert Team for a free custom itinerary.