Spend 800 million VND to turn house into 'Spring market'

Bac Giang Bao Ngoc, 28 years old, spent 800 million VND buying decorations and hiring workers for 7 days to turn a 6-story house into a space for people to play and take photos.

Ngoc said that before, during the holidays, she often went to coffee shops and beautiful places in the city to take photos. This year, she just got married and was pregnant with her first child, so she decided to turn the outside of her family's house in Bac Giang City into a place for everyone to have fun. Her intention was supported by her husband and both parents.

Taking advantage of the New Year holiday, Ngoc and his wife went to Hang Ma street, Hanoi to look at Tet decoration samples and find a design team.

The exterior design of the 6-storey house where Bao Ngoc's family lives in Bac Giang city has a highlight of a pair of dragons worth about 500 million VND. Photo: Character provided — The exterior design of the 6-storey house where Bao Ngoc's family lives in Bac Giang city features a pair of dragons worth about 500 million VND. Photo: *Character provided*

Ngoc said that after researching and consulting, she decided to turn the front of her house into a "Spring market" space with three areas.

The facade of the building displays the "Song Long Quy Tu" (pair of dragons) measuring 12 m and 15 m. This dragon model is crafted with a steel frame, the body is covered with waterproof fabric instead of foam to ensure durability and not be affected by the weather.

The main hall, called the "Vietnamese Tet market", displays pots of chrysanthemums, peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and kumquat blossoms, along with tea tables and traditional banh chung packages. Finally, the front yard is set up with folk games for children.

In order not to affect traffic, the decoration and design must be carried out at night. During the day, the project will be covered with tarpaulin to surprise viewers.

Ngoc initially planned to complete the work in 3-4 days, but in the end it took the construction team a week because some of the miniatures had to be dismantled and redone many times. "I want to do it properly so that people who come to visit and take pictures will be most satisfied," Ngoc said.

Because of that, Ngoc and his wife's project cost more than the original estimate of 200-300 million VND to nearly 800 million VND.

Bao Ngoc takes a photo with a tray of banh chung and banh tet in the lobby outside her house in Bac Giang city. Photo: Provided by the character — Bao Ngoc takes a photo with a tray of banh chung and banh tet in the lobby outside her house in Bac Giang city. Photo: *Provided by the character*

After being completed in January, the "Spring Market" will be open to the public for free viewing and photography until the end of the Year of the Dragon. During this time, Ngoc will arrange for someone to take care of it, replace the flowers if they wilt, or fix the decorations if they show signs of damage.

"I want to give and receive joy from everyone on New Year's Day," Ngoc said. She also said that since opening, the number of people coming to have fun and take photos has been very large, but it is not yet possible to count them.

Minh Duc, 25, hired by Bao Ngoc to take photos of his family and visitors, said that people from the province and surrounding areas gathered in large numbers on weekends, when the weather was warm and sunny. Visitors were of all ages, but most were young people and women with small children who wanted to take photos before Tet.

"This is probably one of the most beautifully decorated private buildings in the city, open to the public for free," Duc said.

People in Bac Giang city brought their children to take pictures and play at the game area of Bao Ngoc's family in early February 2024. Photo: Provided by the character — People in Bac Giang city brought their children to take pictures and play at the game area of Bao Ngoc's family in early February 2024. Photo: *Provided by the character*

Knowing about a beautiful photo spot near her home through social media, Vuong Hien in Bac Giang city took her daughter there in early February. Compared to the pictures and videos shared on social media, the 27-year-old girl said the outside landscape was bigger, more beautiful and more majestic. In addition to free entry, visitors can also borrow free ao dai to take photos.

"Having a beautiful space and sponsoring clothes for the photoshoot is great. In the next few days, I will take my two children back to the "Spring Market" to capture beautiful moments," Hien said.

Quynh Nguyen

Source