It took six years of hard work and the help of master craftsmen, historians and geomancers to build this spectacular garden.
In 2006, I met Madame Tran Thi Tuyet and her husband while they were in Hue searching for skilled artisans to build their dream garden in Dong Nai province.
This was a lucky coincidence. Like them. I longed to recreate the ancient royal gardens of the Nguyen Dynasty. After a long and congenial conversation on the subject of gardens, the couple asked me to advise them in designing their garden.
Fortunately, the artisan Truong Van An – the eldest son of Master Artisan Cuu Lap – agreed to erect a traditional wooden Hue – style house and the main gate.
Master geomancer Vinh Cao advised on the geomantic features of the terrain and water, and suggested a name for the garden. The couple’s friends also offered help and advice.
Words fail to describe the passion and hard work that Mr. and Mrs. Dang put into this garden. Over a period of six years, the couple traveled far and wide to collect materials. They visited the distant mountain ranges of Vietnam’s Northwest and the remote Southwest. They went from the Limestone Mountains of Ninh Binh to the thick jungles of the Tay Nguyen Highlands, then on to Hue and through the Central Region. They investigated every rumor concerning skilled artisans, beautiful plants and bizarre stones.
In the old day, Phu Xuan – Hue was the nation’s capital, while Dong Nai was a remote area in the South.
An old verse states:
“As man one must behave a man
Then reach Phu Xuan and conquer Dong Nai”
A native of Dong Nai, Mr. Dang wished to create a garden that recalls the charm of Phu Xuan in the old days. He named the garden NHA VIEN. The word “Nha” expresses the meaning of both “Exacting” and “Elegant.” The word “Vien” does not only mean “Garden” but also connotes the meaning of “Fullness” and “Perfection.”
The garden measures exactly one mau ta – a Vietnamese acre, or 5,000 square meters. It is large enough to hold a few houses, a narrow brook, flowerbeds, ornamental shrubs and several rockeries.
The small brook that flows from west to east is named Huong Tuyen (Perfume Brook), to remind people of the Perfume River in Hue. The brook receives water from Mount Ngu Phong, a large ornamental rock. At the back of the Hall is a well. Ngu Phong Waterfall empties into a small pond where
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