Cát Lễ Communal House

Cát Lễ Communal House is located in an ancient area formerly called Cát Lễ Hamlet, now under the management of Năm Trại Hamlet, Quốc Oai Commune.

Origin of the name 'Năm Trại': This administrative name comes from the historical characteristics of the core area of Sài Sơn. In the past, to serve, protect, and cultivate agriculture around the sacred Thầy Mountain area, people established 'Trại' (military camps or agricultural hamlets). Over time, the camps gathered into a large village named Năm Trại Hamlet (meaning five old camps merged). Cát Lễ Communal House is the common communal house, a long-standing place for the spiritual and cultural activities of the local people.

Unlike the large communal houses in central Sài Sơn that worship Saint Từ Đạo Hạnh or General Đỗ Cảnh Thạc, Cát Lễ Communal House worships Quan Nghè Phan Thế Hoan.

Background: Mr. Phan Thế Hoan was a great scholar (a doctoral laureate, respectfully called Quan Nghè by the people) under a Vietnamese feudal dynasty.

Merits: According to local documents and legends, he was not only an upright and incorruptible official at court but also made great contributions to the people of Cát Lễ and Năm Trại. He organized land reclamation and settlement, taught the people farming, spread knowledge (teaching literacy), and safeguarded the borders, protecting the peaceful life of the village.

Honoring: After his death, to express gratitude for his profound merits as 'both teacher and father' of this land, the people of Cát Lễ Hamlet built a communal house for solemn worship and kept incense burning for many centuries.

Cát Lễ Communal House bears the characteristic architecture of a village communal house in the Đoài region, simple yet solemn. It includes basic structures such as the Nghi môn (communal house gate), courtyard, Đại bái (main worship hall), and Hậu cung (rear sanctuary). Recently, local people contributed labor to build a Mother Goddess temple right next to the communal house.