National Relic: Thanh Chieu Communal House

The Thanh Chieu Communal House relic is located in Phuc Loc Commune, Hanoi City. The Thanh Chieu Communal House was formerly situated along the Red River. Through the course of history and due to the scorched-earth resistance policy, the communal house is no longer as it was originally. In 1987, the elders and local people moved the communal house to its current position. According to documents preserved at the relic, Thanh Chieu Communal House worships the three tutelary deities Tan Vien Son Thanh. According to transmitted legends, the three deities were born in the reign of the 18th Hung King and are among the four immortal gods (Four Immortals), representing the traditional strength of brave and persistent struggle in the conquest of nature. From a deity forged by the sacred spirit of rivers and mountains. Through two feats of resisting floods and Northern invaders, Tan Vien became a legend and cultural heroes who began the cause of nation building and defense of our ancestors. The three devoted themselves to doing good and saving the world and helped Hung King defeat the Thuc invaders and save the country. After civilizing many localities, they established temples and shrines and were worshipped as deities protecting the spiritual life of the people.

Over its existence, Thanh Chieu Communal House has preserved many precious artifacts dating from the 18th to the 20th century, such as: an incense altar carved with the four sacred creatures and three dragon thrones with openwork motifs of dragons, phoenixes, and stylized flowers and leaves; a set of palanquins from the Le dynasty; 02 pairs of bronze cranes; 07 imperial edicts; and a genealogy book on do paper.

Every year, local people organize the traditional festival from the 15th to the 17th day of the first lunar month. The ritual part is solemnly held from the morning of the 15th with the opening ceremony of the communal house; in the afternoon, a worship ceremony is held. The 16th is the main feast day, when people of Thanh Trieu village carry the literary palanquin and offering palanquin to Quan Gan in Thieu Xuan hamlet, Vien Son Ward, Son Tay Town, for three rounds of worship, then carry them back to the communal house to perform traditional rituals. On the morning of the 17th day of the first lunar month, a farewell ceremony is held.

The festival section includes cultural and artistic exchanges and folk games, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere that attracts a large number of people of all classes and visitors from everywhere to the festival. With its outstanding values as a historical and artistic relic, Thanh Chieu Communal House was ranked as a national relic by Decision No. 2009/QD-BVHTT&TT dated November 15, 1991, of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Sports.