People familiar with French author Marguerite Duras might not know that The Lover, her most celebrated novel and winner of the Goncourt Prize in 1984, was inspired by her girlhood in the Mekong Delta in Việt Nam. 

There is a house in Sa Đéc city, Đồng Tháp Province, where a love story was set and has been retold almost every day for nearly a century, attracting many curious visitors. 

The house, at 225A Nguyễn Huệ Street, is Huỳnh Thủy Lê Ancient House, where the author’s lover lived.

The former owner of the house was Mr Huỳnh Thủy Lê, who is believed to be the male character in the novel.

The house has a history of over 130 years, and is now a popular tourist destination in Mekong Delta for literature lovers.

The house was built in 1917, replacing a wooden home built in 1895. In 1972, the Lê family left the house, and after the war ended in 1975 it became a police station. 

In 2010, authorities declared it a historic site, making it a popular tourist spot. — VNS