2 Best Sights in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

One of the few remaining examples of 19th-century residences in the Mekong Delta, the ancient house is managed by a sixth generation descendent of the Duong family. The photogenic French colonial exterior has canary walls, blue shutters, and ornate trim, while the interior is filled with a blend of French-Vietnamese decorative art and antiques. The house briefly appeared in the 1992 film The Lover, based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by French author Marguerite Duras, as the ancestral home of her Chinese lover Huynh Thuy Le; his actual home still exists in Sa Dec but at the time of filming it was being used as a government office. Binh Thuy Ancient House is a 10-minute taxi ride from most hotels, and it's worth visiting Binh Thuy Temple, an ornate structure that predates Binh Thuy Ancient House, along the way.

This house is famous for being the family home of Huynh Thuy Le, upon whom French author Marguerite Duras based the title character of The Lover, a 1984 autobiographical novel about a schoolgirl's love affair with an older Chinese man, the son of a wealthy business magnate. The house, built in 1895, was later used as a government building (which meant the 1992 film The Lover was actually shot at Binh Thuy ancient house in Can Tho). It's been restored reasonably faithfully, and maintains the beautiful blend of Chinese, Vietnamese, and French architecture and decoration. Photos of the real family and from the film adds some storytelling, but otherwise, there are no informational signs.