Hue is famous for not only picturesque landscape, but also well-known for spiritual culture through its architecture. Along with solemn royal tombs and majestic Imperial City, Hue is the city of peaceful garden houses.
Constructed in accordance with "Feng Shui" principle, Hue garden house is a group of architectures arranged in North - South axis. Depsite its area, each garden house must consist of gate, entrance, screen, miniature mountain, shallow tank, yard and house. Usually, its gate and screen are made from brick. Flowers or trees are planted on the two sides of the entrance. Visitors will reach a shallow tank placed in a large yard before entering ruong house. Many kinds of tree and flower are planted around the ruong house
There are many kinds of ruong houses such as one-compartment-two-wing house, three-compartment-two-wing house, five-compartment-two-wing house, pavilion house, etc. As its name suggests, the house is a system of wooden items. No matter how big or small the house is, no nail (fasterner) but wooden dowel is used. It is furnished with wooden tables, chairs and horizontal lacquered boards, etc.
Visitors may easily recognize owner's lifestyle by observing their house. Hue garden house not only shows the harmony of human life and nature, but also the balance between spiritual and material life.
Today, there are a number of garden houses remain intact, for example, An Hien, Ngoc Son Residence, Lac Tinh, Y Thao, etc. About 2,5km from Hue city center, Phu Mong - Kim Long is dense with garden houses.