Co Vien Lau

Co Vien Lau, also known as the Ancient Garden House, is an open-air museum in Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. Established in 2008, it spans over 20,000 square meters and features a collection of over 20 authentic ancient houses from the Red River Delta region, dating from the 17th to early 20th centuries. These houses, constructed without nails using intricate wooden joinery, reflect the architectural styles of the Nguyen and Le dynasties. The museum offers visitors a glimpse into Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage, with exhibits including traditional wooden houses, antique ceramics, bronze drums, and other artifacts. It is located near the Tam Coc boat wharf and Thai Vi Temple, within the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can explore the serene gardens, participate in local folk games, and enjoy regional delicacies. Co Vien Lau is open daily from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with an entry fee of 50,000 VND per adult.

Planning your visit

Cố Viên Lầu is an assembled village rather than a preserved one: over twenty authentic timber houses from across the Red River Delta, dating from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, dismantled and rebuilt on a twenty-thousand-square-metre garden site from 2008 onward.

The construction is the point. These houses are joined entirely by carpentry — mortise, tenon and wedge, no nails — with carved beams and door panels in Lê and Nguyễn dynasty styles, and seeing several generations of the technique side by side is not possible anywhere else in the region.

Ceramics, bronze drums and household objects furnish the interiors, and folk games and regional food are offered in the grounds.

It sits beside the Tam Cốc boat wharf inside the Tràng An UNESCO landscape, so it pairs naturally with the river trip through the karst caves.

Allow an hour. Current availability is shown below.