Dan Di Communal House

Dan Di is a hamlet in Uy Nỗ Commune, Đông Anh District. Dan Di Communal House worships the village tutelary gods, the two generals Cao Sơn - Quý Minh, who rendered meritorious service to the Hùng Vương dynasty, and Lady Ý Đức Đoan Trang, who rendered meritorious service to the people of Dan Di Village in the early days of the village's founding. Based on the village's hagiography, the merits of the village tutelary gods can be summarized as follows:

Regarding the two generals who rendered meritorious service to the Hùng Vương dynasty, Cao Sơn and Quý Minh: In the time of King Hùng Duệ Vương, in Thanh Hoa Circuit, there was a man surnamed Nguyễn who married Lady Lê Thị Thận. The couple devoted themselves to good deeds, but they were advanced in age and still had no children. After making a pilgrimage to a temple, Lady Lê Thị became pregnant; when her months and days were complete, she gave birth to a single sac that opened to reveal two sons, and they named the elder Cao Sơn and the younger Quý Minh. Both were naturally intelligent and had extraordinary appearances. At the age of 13, they had mastered martial arts. When enemies advanced to attack the country, they were recommended by Sơn Thánh and had an audience with King Hùng Duệ Vương. Seeing that both were accomplished in both letters and martial arts, the king appointed Cao Sơn as Left General and Commanding Officer and Quý Minh as Right General and Commanding Officer. On that very day, they led troops to the Đản Dị area of Từ Sơn Prefecture, Kinh Bắc Circuit, camped there, and built fortifications to attack the enemy from behind. The two said to the local elders: “We brothers bestow blessings on your area; now we reward you with three hốt of gold so that you may later take care of sacrificial rites.” The next day, the two joined forces with Sơn Thánh to launch a great battle and won. From then on the realm was at peace. The two thanked the king and returned to the Đản Dị area, where they held a feast inviting the elders and the people to celebrate. They additionally bestowed five hốt of silver so that the people could take care of future sacrificial rites. After saying this, the two passed away. That day was the 12th day of the 11th month. Thereafter, successive royal dynasties granted them the title of Top-ranking deity.

About Lady Ý Đức Đoan Trang: She was a daughter of the Vũ family named Ý Nương, from the Đản Dị area. She was about twenty years old and possessed beauty that made birds fall and fish sink, the moon blush and flowers yield, a beauty that could overthrow cities and kingdoms, and she had not yet married. One day she was invited by King Lý Thái Tổ into the palace to serve as wet nurse to care for and raise a prince. When the prince grew up, the king rewarded Vũ Thị with ten hốt of gold and permitted her to return to the Đản Dị area to settle and make a living. Upon arrival, she distributed money to help the poor and gave money to the elderly. From then on the village became prosperous and every household flourished; her merits were truly great. When she was over 50, she held a feast inviting the elders and the people to eat and drink. The elders said: “She is a person of virtue, and we the people do not yet know how to repay her. Because of her merits, we the people will worship her together with the village tutelary god”. She ascended to heaven in the early part of the second month; the people prepared a petition and reported it to the king. After hearing it, the king was moved by her merits, so he issued an edict allowing the villagers to establish a shrine to worship her and sent an envoy to confer the original divine title of Lady Ý Đức Đoan Trang and the additional title of Lady Huệ Hoà Gia Hạnh Trinh Thục.

According to the village elders and the surviving documents, the Cường Nỗ village communal house (also called the Three-Village Communal House) was originally built long ago as the common communal house of three villages: Đản Mỗ, Đản Dị, and Phan Xá. In the Nguyễn era, it was restored; by 1938, the three villages separated and built their own communal houses, and the Đản Dị Communal House was built at its present location. In 1947, during the resistance against the French, the state called for a scorched-earth resistance and the implementation of empty gardens and empty houses, and some sections of Đản Dị Communal House were destroyed. In 1972, during the “Điện Biên Phủ in the Air” campaign, due to the impact of B-52 bombing, the communal house's architecture was once again damaged. In 1975, Đản Dị Communal House was restored and renovated, but the architecture remained modest. In 1998, through contributions from the people and visitors from near and far, the local government and the people of Đản Dị Hamlet restored and renovated the communal house and its architecture. In 2008, the ceremonial gate and enclosing wall were built. In 2011, the courtyard was built, the pond in front was embanked, and a pair of stone dragons was added in front of the communal house, making the landscape more spacious, clean, and beautiful, and it has been preserved to this day.

Đản Dị Communal House is currently located on a beautiful plot near an inter-communal road, at the center of the village's residential land. The communal house faces south, the traditional architectural orientation of the Vietnamese, cool in summer and warm in winter. In front of the communal house is the communal pond, creating a water-gathering (retaining-water) position. According to traditional belief, the communal house has gathered the features of high, fertile land with a cool stream flowing in front, carrying the meaning of gathering spirit and blessings. The components of the Đản Dị Communal House relic include: the communal house gate, courtyard, tảo mạc (ritual preparation house), and some green trees that create landscape and shade in front of and behind the communal house. The architectural plan follows the shape of the character “đinh”, including the tiền tế (front worship hall) and hậu cung (rear sanctuary).

The communal house's ceremonial gate is built with four pillars; two large ornamental pillars and two small ornamental pillars are connected by a low wall, with two small doors leading into the communal house courtyard.

Across the wide communal house courtyard, on the right side of the communal house, there is a three-bay tảo mạc built in the style of a gable wall with closed gable ends, used as a place for arranging offerings. The tiền tế (front worship hall) has five bays, built with closed gable walls, tay ngai, roofed with traditional tiles; on the ridge are molded lemon-flower decorations, at the gable ends are molded đấu nắm cơm ornaments, the side walls are built in stepped tiers, and there are ornamental pillars in front. The structure consists of six sets of wooden roof trusses; the four central trusses use the thượng giá chiêng, trung kẻ chuyền, and hạ kẻ methods, with the rear lower part using bẩy resting on the wall. The two trusses of the gable bays use cốn mê, with stacked cốn in the middle, kẻ in front, bẩy in the rear, and hidden posts resting on the wall. All of this creates a warm atmosphere for the entire communal house space. From ancient times to the present, the communal house has always been the center of local cultural activities and meetings, a place that nurtures village affection and neighborhood ties and the solidarity of the residential community.

The communal house worships tutelary gods who are historical figures whose names are associated with the Hùng Vương dynasty. The royal edicts bestowed on the two deities the honorific titles Quang Diệu Đôn Đĩnh, Địch Cát Trác Vĩ, Dực Bảo Trung Hưng, Top-ranking Deity. The annual festival is held on the 12th day of the first lunar month to recall the ancestors' tradition of fighting invaders and defending the country, while educating younger generations in the tradition of remembering the source when drinking water.

With its historical and artistic values, the communal house deserves to be honored. Đản Dị Communal House was recognized by the Hanoi City People's Committee as a Historical and Cultural Relic under Decision No. 977/QĐ-UBND dated February 18, 2013.