Cổ Châu Communal House

Cổ Châu Communal House is located in Cổ Châu Hamlet, Chuyên Mỹ Commune, Hanoi City. The communal house stands on a high plot in the middle of the village, facing southwest, with the Châu Giang River in front. This is where the Tutelary God is worshipped and communal activities are held.

The Tutelary God worshipped at the communal house is Princess Tiên Dung, daughter of King Hùng. According to legend, Tiên Dung married Chử Đồng Tử, together helping the poor and teaching them how to make a living. The people of Cổ Châu established a place of worship and regarded her as the deity protecting the village.

The Nghi môn gate is built with two tiers and eight roofs, opening in three entrances. The Đại bái hall consists of three bays and two side wings, with four curved roofs, covered with small ridged tiles; the wooden frame has four main trusses and two auxiliary trusses. The Hậu cung rear sanctuary is connected behind, where the worship niche, throne and tablet of the Tutelary God are placed.

The monument dossier records that the communal house bears architectural marks of the early 19th century, with the Gia Long 14 date, i.e. 1815. Decoration is concentrated in carved panels of dragons, phoenixes, lật leaves and clouds; the communal house still preserves a 19th-century worship niche, throne and tablet, worship platform, incense table, horizontal plaques, couplets and many ritual objects.

The main festival takes place on the 14th and 15th days of the first lunar month. The ceremony includes purification, worship of the Tutelary God and palanquin procession; the festival includes Chinese chess, wrestling, lion dance and folk arts activities. On December 20, 2004, the communal house was ranked as a provincial-level relic and is now part of the relic system of Hanoi City.