Cự Đồng Communal House

In the Nguyễn period, Cự Đồng belonged to Cự Linh Commune, Cự Linh Canton, an area with many historical and cultural relics. This place was once an operating area of the Hai Bà Trưng insurgent army during their defeat of Tô Định’s forces in 40–42 AD. Historical traces remain today on the land of Cự Đồng, where a communal house still preserves the worship of the famous general Thành Công Tương Liệt Đại Vương, who was granted a fief by Hai Bà Trưng in the area of Gia Lâm District.

According to extant written sources preserved at the relic, the famous general Thành Công Tương Liệt Đại Vương was a man who helped Hai Bà Trưng defeat Tô Định’s forces. He was assigned to oversee military affairs and often traveled on inspection throughout the region. Besides training troops, he taught the people to farm and raise silkworms. Once, while passing through Cổ Linh village, seeing the beautiful scenery and the diligent people, he stayed in Cổ Linh and built a Sinh Từ at Trạm village. Later, when he died in battle against the invading Han army, Hai Bà Trưng recognized his merits and granted him a fief in the Cự Linh area and allowed the people of the village to establish a shrine to worship him forever. All Cự Linh villages established shrines to worship him and honored him as the village tutelary deity. Cự Linh Communal House also worships Lady Quế Hoa of the Đặng family. According to local folk legend, Princess Quế Hoa was the sister of Princess Quỳnh Hoa, who is worshipped at Sài Đồng Communal House, Phúc Đồng Ward.

The worship rituals at Cự Đồng Communal House differ from those at other communal houses in the surrounding area. Among the communal house’s architectural works, there are only an altar place for the dragon throne and memorial tablet of the village tutelary deity and an altar for the rear deities. At Cự Đồng Communal House today, there is also a hall for Mother worship according to folk beliefs, and the communal house’s Tảo Mạc building is used as a Buddhist hall for worshipping Buddha.

The architectural works include: the Nghi Môn gate, the communal house well, the courtyard, the main architectural building with a đinh-shaped structure, and two rows of Tả and Hữu Mạc buildings.

The Cự Đồng village festival is held from the 10th to the 12th day of the second lunar month. The festival features many diverse and rich activities.

Cự Đồng Communal House was decided by the Hanoi City People’s Committee to be ranked as a historical-cultural relic in 2007.