Mr Pham Phu Khanh, who lives in Da Nang’s Ong Ich Khiem Street, is a well-known antique collector in the city and the central region as a whole.  He has indulged in this expensive hobby for over 30 years.

His house is surrounded by trees of varying shades of green, but visitors are taken by surprise by the several hundred antique items on display around every corner of his house.  They include cabinets, altars, vases, a pair of wood panels on which are inscribed parallel sentences, and many other items. 

Mr Khanh beside his favourite custom-made pattern porcelains

In particular, the majority of his antiques are custom-made pattern porcelains dating back to the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).  In addition, his collection boasts other valuable artifacts including 1,200-year-old bronze mirrors and pottery items dating back to the Oc Eo civilisation, which developed in the Mekong Delta between the 1^st and 7^th centuries.

Mr Khanh remarked that the evaluation of antiques is usually based on 4 main criteria: the aesthetic value, decorative skills, intactness and age.

He also noted that valuable antiques are usually sourced from Quang Binh to Binh Dinh provinces.  In particular, Quang Nam Province’s Tien Phuoc District was once home to an abundance of antiques and Vietnamese ancient traditional houses.

The man affirmed that he would continue to follow his passion for collecting antiques until he is exhausted.