Cấn Giang Communal House

5.0Free

Introduction

Relic ranking level: Cấn Giang Communal House was ranked at City level in Decision No. 844/QĐ-UBND dated 25/02/2026 of the Hà Nội City People’s Committee

1. Objects of worship at the communal house

According to sources still kept at Cấn Giang Communal House, such as royal edicts of investiture, deity records, village conventions, etc., Cấn Giang Communal House worships the water deity “Long Vương Hà Bá tôn thần.” This is consistent with the residential area of the people of Cây Chay Village, since the belief in worshipping Hà Bá is one of the beliefs of people living along rivers.

Regarding the origin of the belief in worshipping Hà Bá, some studies hold that this belief was originally a product of residents living in the Yellow River basin in China. Hà Bá was originally fish-bodied and later turned into human form. According to Bác vật chí volume 7, it says: In ancient times, when King Yu observed the Yellow River, he saw a fish-bodied person who said: I am the spirit of the Yellow River, that is, Hà Bá. Originally he was Phùng Di, a person from Đông Hương in Hoa Âm, who attained the Way and transformed into Hà Bá. Hà Bá is the lord of the rivers, calls himself king, has attendants, and organizes an underwater court. People created images of Hà Bá, knelt and prayed to him; during droughts they often burned mountains to pray for rain. Legend has it that the mountain god married Hà Bá’s daughter, so when Hà Bá saw fire he called down rain to save her. Accordingly, in Han culture, Hà Bá, like other water deities, was created as the deity governing the waters of rivers and streams.

In the book Vietnamese Spirituality by Nguyễn Duy Hinh, it is said: in history the Chinese people had the custom of praying for rain, usually to the Dragon King. When the Buddhist idea of the Dragon King was introduced into China, the Dragon King appeared not only with the title of king but also with a human-like appearance, and: although rain is mentioned, the spirituality of Water is mainly the Water Official, the water deity, that is, China’s Hà Bá, which then merged with the Buddhist Dragon King. Hà Bá, like other water deities, is a Water Official, that is, one who governs the waters of rivers and streams, mainly the Yellow River.

Thus, when Buddhism was introduced into Chinese culture, the image of Long Vương Hà Bá showed a fusion with the image of the Four Seas Dragon Kings; Hà Bá had originally been created by the people to perform the function of governing underwater. In the past, the Chinese feudal authorities imposed domination and carried out a policy of cultural assimilation in Vietnam. However, because of similarities in concepts and in the desire for protection and shelter by supernatural forces to conquer the river and sea environment among the people of the two countries, the belief in worshipping water deities in general and the belief in worshipping Hà Bá in particular was quickly adopted by the Vietnamese people and became an indispensable deity in their spiritual life.

Author Tiêu Hà Minh in Tracing the Origins of Idioms wrote: One day, a demon came down from heaven and saw that the Earth God governed a vast area, while Hà Bá governed only a small body of water running around it, so it conceived the idea of seizing part of the river and part of the land here. It immediately went to see the Earth God and asked him for permission to build a citadel, and was agreed to. But before building, it did not perform a thank-offering ceremony, which made Hà Bá furious. Hà Bá then let water flow into the land along underground channels. Wherever the demon’s citadel was built, water eroded it, so the citadel collapsed there. The Earth God saw that the water was encroaching on the great domain under his governance and was angry; he sent his servants to block the water with earth wherever they saw it, not allowing it to spread. At this time, in the underwater palace, Hà Bá saw that his water source was blocked and was annoyed; he raised the water high and beat against the land, causing the land to crumble and drift into the water. The two deities fought, causing landslides, scattered trees, muddy river water, and exhausted people. In the end, both realized that the demon had caused the mischief and decided to meet and negotiate. Hà Bá said: “I am the River God, I govern the river; whoever encroaches on my river, I will punish.” The Earth God also said: “I am the Earth God; whoever encroaches on my land will not get away with it. You and I have nothing to do with each other; let us fight no more, causing landslides, withering trees, and floods that swamp houses.” Then both deities said together: “The land has the Earth God, the river has Hà Bá”… From this story, the idiom “the land has the Earth God, the river has Hà Bá” was passed down orally among the people, containing the conception of the spiritual world in the community culture of the Vietnamese people from the past to the present, with deep educational meaning about the tradition of worship and remembrance of the deities. Over time, no one knows since when, folk people have not been very favorable toward Hà Bá and regard him as an evil deity. Perhaps it began from cases of people drowning, so in folk consciousness they believed they were taken away by Hà Bá. Even so, people still built shrines to worship him in order to express their sincerity to this deity, hoping that he would understand this and not “bring disaster.” As a country with many canals, rivers, and a coastline stretching from north to south, the presence of Hà Bá in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people is not strange. Perhaps knowing that there is a deity governing rivers and waters, in some regions, whenever a funeral procession crosses a bridge, the family often throws small change or votive money down with the intention of paying the ferry fee across the river for the deceased, just as living people must pay road and ferry fees when crossing bridges and rivers to those guarding the ferry landings.

According to historical records, the entries in Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ clearly record the approval of establishing shrines and offerings for sacrificing to Hà Bá under the reigns of King Gia Long and Minh Mạng as follows:“In the 14th year of Gia Long, according to a petition approved for Quảng Đức garrison to build a Hà Bá shrine at Thuận Trực estuary in Hà Trung Commune, annually in the second month of mid-spring and the second month of mid-autumn, one day after the sacrifice at Hội đồng shrine, the sacrifice is performed; the offerings are 1 pig and 1 tray of glutinous rice, and an official from Quảng Đức garrison is sent by imperial order to perform the sacrifice. It was also approved to provide 2 people whose names are in the commune register to serve. In the 9th year of Minh Mạng, a proposal was approved: At the place where the Lô River and Thảo River meet in Sơn Tây Trấn, choose a site to build a Hà Bá shrine; annually in spring and autumn sacrifices are held; the offerings are 1 buffalo, 1 pig, 1 tray of glutinous rice, and 2 trays of fruits, and officials of that trấn, wearing hats and court robes, usually perform the ceremony. Every year after the Frost Descent solar term, all rejoice at being safe from waves, and there will be a separate order to distribute incense and silk from the store for a thanksgiving ceremony, with offerings the same as for the spring and autumn sacrifices”. And the granting of edicts of investiture and promotion in rank to Hà Bá: In the first year of Minh Mạng… It was also ordered and approved that: The deity at Thuận An estuary is ranked upper; the deity at Tư Hiền estuary and the Hà Bá deity are all ranked middle; each is granted one edict of investiture; the Hà Bá shrine at Thuận Trực estuary is granted one edict of investiture

Thus, Hà Bá is a deity specializing in governing river and water areas who appears in folk belief. The water deity Hà Bá is not widely worshipped but is worshipped only by people along rivers to pray that everyone will not meet with disaster on the river and to pray that everyone will catch manyfishduring the seasonrain.

In Hà Nội there are a number of relics worshipping Hà Bá such as: Trung Lập Communal House, Hà Bá Temple, Liễu Nội Communal House… At Cấn Giang Communal House there is still one edict of investiture granted to Hà Bá in the 9th year of Khải Định (1924) as follows: “Edict: Sơn Tây Province, Quốc Oai Prefecture, Cấn Xá Commune, Thủy Cư Village worships the Great Sea Dragon King Hà Bá, the water deity, a venerable deity who protects the country and assists the people”. This is historical evidence recognizing the lawful worship of this deity in the past. From this, it helps us better understand the belief in worshipping this deity and the changes in the way this belief has been received in the cultural life of people today.

More Other places

Other placesVerified
Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)
Ung Hoa Commune
5.0

Story

012. Revolutionary and resistance events

With great contributions to the cause of resistance against the United States for national salvation, the Party Committee and people of former Cấn Hữu were awarded by the Party, State, and Government: 1 certificate “Có công với nước”; 1 commemorative medal; 2,858 certificates of merit of various kinds; 1,125 commendation certificates of various kinds; 693 medals of various classes; 243 victory and combat achievement medals of various classes; 374 liberation medals of various classes; 531 resistance medals of various classes; 29 medals and decorations of various classes awarded by the governments of Laos and Cambodia; the whole commune has 4 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers; the whole commune has 185 martyrs during the resistance against France, against the United States, and martyrs defending the Fatherland’s borders. From these figures, one can see the spirit and tradition and the extremely great contributions of the Party Committee and people of Cấn Hữu Commune to the cause of building and defending our nation’s Fatherland.

3. Cultural and religious activities related to the relic
According to the village convention in Chinese characters copied in 1945 and still kept at Cấn Giang Communal House: Every year there are four quarterly worship services for the deity at the communal house: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days of the first and second lunar months; and the 28th day of the eighth lunar month. On the 28th day, the various hamlets and giáp use glutinous rice and chicken, or a pig’s head and pork, to sacrifice at the communal house. Every year at Tết Nguyên đán, on the first and full-moon days, sacrifices are held at the communal house. However, the village convention does not specify what these dates commemorate?

* Main festival

Currently the festival at Cấn Giang Communal House is held from the 14th and 15th days of the 11th lunar month; it is regulated that the festival is held once every 5 years in accordance with state regulations. Preparations for opening the festival: starting from the 1st day of the 11th lunar month, chaired by the village head, assigning tasks to members; the village head is the head of the organizing committee, the head of the elderly association and the head of the communal house ceremonial committee and the head of the Fatherland Front working committee are deputy heads. Heads of mass organization branches and representatives of clan heads are members, participating in work to help the organizing committee propagate the festival to the people and encourage descendants in the clans to actively participate in festival activities. Families in the village clear bushes and clean the environment, dismantle traps in the river for the saint’s palanquin procession, decorate for the festival such as painting flagpoles, hanging festival flags, national flags, pennants, lanterns, making mobile festival gates, decorating lights in the communal house grounds and around roads in the village and along the route of the palanquin procession on the Tích Giang River. The area inside the relic is handled by the communal house ceremonial committee.

Before the festival day, a bathing ritual (mộc dục) is performed at the communal house (on the afternoon of the 14th day of the 11th lunar month), undertaken by the caretaker of the incense. The water for the bathing ritual is prepared by the chief sacrificer and the assistants. Water is put into a ceramic jar (chóe). During the ritual, pure water that has been carried in is used. The cloth used in the ritual is white; the spare cloth is for daily use at the communal house (sharing offerings with the people, watering plants, and other uses).

The sacrificial committee consists of 23 people: 1 chief sacrificer, assistant sacrificer, reader of the text, eastern chanter, western responder, 1 small drum, 6 male guides, 6 female flower offerers, and 4 flag bearers; each person performs specific tasks: 1 chief sacrificer, assistant sacrificer, reader of the text, eastern chanter, western responder, 1 small drum, 6 male guides, 6 female flower offerers, 4 flag bearers. During the traditional village festival, 2 sessions were held, in the afternoon of the 14th and the morning of the 15th day of the 11th lunar month. Each sacrificial session usually lasts about 2 hours.

During the regular ceremony, there are four ritual weeks: the first week is the incense week, the second the initial procession week, the third the Á procession week, and the fourth the general procession week. According to regulation, the festival is held and the palanquin is carried once every five years. The palanquin is carried from the communal house down to the river, then onto boats; about 25 boats follow one another, row in circles, travel about 500 m along the river, and then the procession returns to the communal house. The palanquin procession starts from the communal house, passes through several main axes of the village, goes out by one road and returns by another in a counterclockwise direction, follows the main axis, then goes down to the Tích Giang River and boards boats to fetch water. At the head are the flag group, the ritual team, the palanquin group, and the villagers. Besides the ritual ceremonies, the festival also organizes folk games such as swinging, tug-of-war, wrestling, and cockfighting in the communal-house yard, at the village pond, and in the village fields; the atmosphere is very lively and attracts many local people.

* Other holidays and seasonal festivals:

Every year on the full moon and the first day of each month, at Thanh Minh Festival, Đoan Ngọ Festival, and the new rice offering, the ceremony on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month (Thanh Minh ceremony) is held; on the 1st day of the 4th lunar month, the summer opening; on the 1st day of the 7th lunar month, the summer closing; on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, offerings to wandering souls; on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month and the 10th day of the 10th lunar month, new-rice offerings; the thượng điền and hạ điền ceremonies take place at the village communal house. In addition, birthday and longevity celebrations are held at the communal-house relic on the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year every year.

4. Overall introduction to the relic

024.1. Date of construction and restoration of the relic

According to local people, the people of Cây Chay village originally lived in the riverbed and made a living by fishing. In the reign of King Thành Thái, they moved to Gò Đình in the Đồng Phượng Pump Station area, Mả Vua area. However, whenever there was work at the communal house and the drum was beaten, houses in Cấn Thượng village caught fire. For this reason, Cấn Thượng village quietly dismantled a Đại Bái building and used it to make a brick bridge. At that time, Cấn Giang communal house had only a small Hậu cung left. People of the two villages began to sue each other, and life was not peaceful. Cấn Giang communal house existed in the Mả Vua area from the reign of King Thánh Thái to the reign of King Duy Tân. In 1937, people bought land in the Bốt Hạ area and began moving from the riverbed to settle.

In 1958, the people of Cây Chay village dismantled the Đại bái and used it as a warehouse at the present communal-house location. The old Hậu cung was far from the residential area and small in scale, inconvenient for religious activities, so the palanquin, fans, and parasols were taken to Gốt shrine (about 500 m from the communal house), and the old communal-house area was abandoned. In 1987, people dismantled the old Hậu cung and brought it to the local earth-spirit shrine for worship. In 1995, people built a cultural house at the present communal-house location for worship, because the cooperative’s public land was about 240 m2. In 2011, a wooden Hậu cung was erected on the present communal-house grounds. In 2018–2020, people rebuilt the Đại bái and Nghi môn.

034.2. Landscape space and overall relic

Cấn Giang communal house is located in the middle of Cây Chay village, facing northwest toward the Tích Giang River, on a rather narrow plot surrounded by densely populated residential areas. Previously there were not many houses around the communal house; the whole village had about 20 households. In the 1990s, many houses were built around the communal house. Therefore, there is no space for conducting ceremonies. Cấn Giang communal house is a closed complex; the gate faces northwest. The overall plan of the communal house is in the shape of the character Đinh, including the Đại bái and Hậu cung.

045. Architectural description

055.1. Communal-house gate

The gate of Cấn Giang communal house is of the pillar-gate type and has an important function in separating the place of worship from the people’s living space. The main gate is formed by two pillar gates and pillar columns. On the lantern frame, the four sacred creatures and phoenixes are molded. On the column body, moldings are created on three sides into large grooves; in the grooves of the columns, pairs of parallel sentences in Han characters praising the merits of the Thành hoàng are embossed.

065.2. Đại bái

The Đại bái has a single-compartment ground plan, and interior decoration is concentrated mainly in the central bay. In the center is a palanquin for worship; on the dragon throne are a water jar, an incense pedestal, and a candle stand used for processions during the festival. On both sides of the palanquin is a set of ceremonial weapons. Above, on the longitudinal beam, a horizontal plaque is hung; along both sides of the main columns, parallel sentences are hung.

The Đại bái consists of 3 bays; its floor is 0.3 m higher than the front yard and paved with Bát Tràng bricks. The frame structure is of the five-row-of-column-feet type, with 3 rows of columns in front and 2 rows behind, among which the front veranda columns are made of stone carved with many rich images. The two main columns of the side bays are made in the style of omitting the row of column feet, while the central bay omits the front main-column row to create an airy space for the building. The roof-truss structure of the central bay is of the chồng rường type, with rường pieces stacked on one another through đấu kê blocks. The side truss of the central bay is of the kẻ ngồi type; the side-bay trusses are of the chồng rường type, and their rường bodies are carved with leaves and bát quả by line carving and relief carving. The front veranda connection is of the kẻ suốt type; the rear is of the diagonal bẩy type resting on the enclosing wall. Decoration on the architecture consists mainly of floral and leaf motifs, geometric motifs, four-seasons motifs, etc., or sacred symbols such as spiral clouds and knife-blade motifs. The front enclosure is made of wooden doors at the subordinate columns; the two gable ends and the rear are enclosed with brick walls coated with mortar.

The roof is of the gable-wall type with closed gable ends and ngai-style arms, consisting of two wide main roofs covered with di tiles; below is the roof frame including purlins, rafters, and battens supporting the tiles. The roof purlins are all made of wood with square cross-sections. The two gable ends and the rear are enclosed with brick walls. The roof system is of the one-story, two-roof type; the roof-supporting frame includes wooden purlins and rectangular rafters supporting two tile layers: lining tiles and di covering tiles. The corner đao are molded in mortar in leaf shapes; the two ends of the roof ridge are molded with con triện patterns bearing the artistic style of the early 21st century.

075.3. Hậu cung

The Hậu cung is connected to the Đại bái to form a Đinh-shaped ground plan. The Hậu cung has 2 bays, of which the rear bay is where the throne and memorial tablet of the Thành hoàng are placed, along with many other worship objects. The memorial tablet clearly records “Đại hải Long Vương Hà Bá thủy thần linh ứng đại vương”. The frame structure is simpler than that of the Đại bái, with hidden column rows and a quá giang resting on the enclosing wall. The trusses are of the vì kèo type; the components are only planed and edged with moldings, have rectangular cross-sections, and are made of xoan wood. The two gable ends and the rear are enclosed with brick walls coated with mortar. The roof system is of the one-story, two-roof type and is covered with di tiles.

086. Value of the relic

Cấn Giang communal house was first built in the Nguyễn dynasty but has been moved several times. To date, the communal house still preserves a number of dó-paper artifacts such as sắc phong and thần tích. These are evidence of the formation and development of the riverside village and express the spirit of solidarity in struggling together against the harshness of nature.

Cấn Giang communal house is a center of traditional cultural activities and is closely linked to the spiritual and cultural life of the community in the village and commune; it is also a place that preserves the fine customs and traditions of the local community. Today, local people still preserve intangible cultural values such as festivals and religious activities at the relic quite richly, especially the festival commemorating the birth and death days of the Thành hoàng.

To date, religious activities here are still maintained. Every year, the communal house still maintains 4 seasonal ceremonies, of which the main festival is held at the communal house on the 14th–15th days of the first lunar month. To date, although customs and religious activities have been simplified, the main festivals continue to be maintained, demonstrating the solidarity of the residential community. Cultural and religious activities at the relic are an occasion to strengthen village-community bonds, preserve and inherit the traditional cultural identity of the village, and contribute to preserving and passing on cultural values to younger generations. The main ground plan of Cấn Giang communal house today is in the shape of the character Đinh, including the Tiền tế and Hậu cung. Although it has been moved several times, the current architectural works are built in the traditional architectural style of the Vietnamese people and have similarities in overall layout.

Cấn Giang Communal House

Introduction

More Other places

Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)

Story

012. Revolutionary and resistance events

024.1. Date of construction and restoration of the relic

034.2. Landscape space and overall relic

045. Architectural description

055.1. Communal-house gate

065.2. Đại bái

075.3. Hậu cung

086. Value of the relic

Hai Giac Pagoda

Phuong Bang Pagoda (Hung Long)

Sung An Pagoda, also known as Sung Khang Pagoda (Dong Ba Pagoda)

Introduction

More Other places

Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)

Story

01|2. Revolutionary and resistance events

02|4.1. Date of construction and restoration of the relic

03|4.2. Landscape space and overall relic

04|5. Architectural description

05|5.1. Communal-house gate

06|5.2. Đại bái

07|5.3. Hậu cung

08|6. Value of the relic

Hai Giac Pagoda

Phuong Bang Pagoda (Hung Long)

Sung An Pagoda, also known as Sung Khang Pagoda (Dong Ba Pagoda)

012. Revolutionary and resistance events

024.1. Date of construction and restoration of the relic

034.2. Landscape space and overall relic

045. Architectural description

055.1. Communal-house gate

065.2. Đại bái

075.3. Hậu cung

086. Value of the relic