Story
01|2.1. Place names and worshipped figures
02|Do Tan Communal House is where the tutelary deity Bach Hac Tam Giang, namely Truong Hong and Truong Hat, is worshipped. According to documents, there are many variants of the legend about the two figures: one hypothesis holds that they were historical figures living in the Early Ly period; another legend says that they once spiritually assisted Ly Thuong Kiet in the battle against the Song army on the Nhu Nguyet River. Basically, however, through research we can summarize as follows
03|Legend says that in Van Mau Commune, Vo Giang District, Bac Ninh Province, there was a woman surnamed Phung, titled Tu Nhan, of gentle character and extraordinary beauty. At the age of 18, on the night of the 15th day of the 11th month of the Canh Thin year (500), she dreamed that a divine dragon wrapped around her, and she became pregnant. On the 5th day of the 1st month of the Nham Ngo year (502), she gave birth to a cluster of four sons named Hong, Hat, Lung, Lay and one daughter named Dam Nuong. The children grew up intelligent, were taught by Mr. La, became proficient in military texts, and were skilled in martial arts; among them, Truong Hong and Truong Hat were the two who left reputations and legends.
04|At the age of 20, Truong Hong and Truong Hat gathered friends and sought a way to fight the enemy and save the country. The two actively participated in the spring uprising of the Nham Tuat year (542) led by Ly Bi. After the insurgent army defeated the Liang army and the Champa army, in 544, Ly Bi founded the Van Xuan state and proclaimed himself Ly Nam De. In 545, the Liang dynasty continued to send troops to invade. Ly Nam De had to retreat to the mountains and handed power to Trieu Quang Phuc. After ascending the throne and proclaiming himself Trieu Viet Vuong, Trieu Quang Phuc recruited talented people. The brothers Truong Hong and Truong Hat brought troops to offer help to the country and were granted titles by the king and assigned to command troops.
05|In 550, Trieu Quang Phuc attacked Long Bien citadel, killed Duong San, and regained independence for the country. Truong Hong and Truong Hat were granted titles and assigned to guard the regions of Kinh Bac, Kim Hoa, and Dong Ngan. In 557, when Ly Phat Tu brought troops to contest the throne with Trieu Viet Vuong, the two continued to be assigned to command troops against him. Later, villages along the Ca Lo River worshipped the Truong brothers as tutelary deities and called them Duc Thanh Tam Giang. The deity records also note the two figures' spiritual assistance to later dynasties. The two were posthumously honored, granted edicts, and conferred the title of superior-grade deity. Every year, local people organize offerings at the village communal house on their birthdays, death anniversaries, and great celebration days to remember the two figures' merits.
06|2.2. Revolutionary events
In the days preparing for the August Revolution of 1945, Do Tan Communal House witnessed many revolutionary historical events of the locality and the whole country. Under the leadership of the Party, Do Tan Village contributed its strength to the national resistance wars of the people nation.ChAt the communal house, meetings were often held and local cadres' work for the nation's long resistance was deployed. Especially during the resistance war against the French colonialists, the communal house was a base for the army and people to shelter cadres, including diplomatic cadres such as comrade Duong Thiet Son, comrade Ho Ngoc Thu, and Mr. Tran Thanh Hien, a cadre of the Da Phuc Provincial Party Committee.
3. Architecture of the relic
07|3.1. Overall introduction and dating
Do Tan Communal House is currently located on a fairly flat plot close to the inter-commune road, spacious with large grounds of 936m2; in front is a mound called Go Trong and lush perennial trees, blending with the sacred traditional architectural space of the communal house. The architectural components of the relic include: the gate, the Dai Bai main hall, and the Hau Cung rear hall, oriented to the southwest. The main architecture is in the Dinh character shape with front roof slopes and rear gable, including the Dai Bai and Hau Cung.
The relics and artifacts currently kept at the site include: stone steles, edicts, horizontal plaques, and couplets. Among them is the stele Hau Than Bi Ky, dated to the 25th year of Tu Duc (1873), recording the names of those who contributed rice fields and money to restore the communal house.
The existing main architecture of the relic bears the traditional artistic style in the Dinh character shape.
In 1954, the three compartments of the Dai Bai hall were rebuilt.
In 1967-1968, the communal house was used as a primary school for local children.
In 1991, the roof was repaired.
In 2000, it was restored and the tiles of the Dai Bai hall were relaid.
In 2009, a surrounding wall was built and the roof of the Hau Cung was renovated.
In 2012, the yard was paved and minor repairs were made.
08|3.2. Gate
The communal house gate is a simple item with two symmetrical pillars built together with the surrounding wall. Through a wide inner yard is the central building, including the Dai Bai and Hau Cung, and the Huu Mac house.
09|3.3. Dai Bai
The Dai Bai house is a horizontal building consisting of 3 compartments and 2 wings, built on a foundation 60cm higher than the yard, surrounded by brick edging, roofed with local tiles, the ridge decorated with lemon-flower patterns; in the middle of the roof ridge is a raised pair of dragons flanking the moon with the image of a pair of dragons winding in water waves, heads raised high. On both roof ridges are two dragon-head ornaments biting the roof ridge, in a running posture on the ridge, heads facing forward. From the roof ridge down to the edge and roof, it is made in a slightly curved dao style. The front of the Dai Bai house opens with 3 doors of the ban ne type, including 4 leaves. The five compartments of Dai Bai are structured by 4 roof trusses; the central truss is made in the gia chieng, ke ngoi, bay hien style. The interior plan has 4 rows of feet; the columns and structural members in the communal house are all made of imitation-wood concrete supporting the thuong thu, ha thach-style trusses placed on cylindrical stone bases 40cm high. All are left plain without decoration. The floor is paved with red bricks.
10|3.4. Hau Cung
The Hau Cung is a two-compartment longitudinal house, connected from the central compartment of Dai Bai to the rear. This is the remaining architectural unit bearing the imprint of Nguyen-period architecture.
From the outside, the Hau Cung is built in the style of a gable wall with closed top and hand-rest ends, the roof ridge protrudes high, the closed gable part stands out, and the roof edge slopes gradually toward the hand-rest ends. On the rear wall of the gable is a clearly molded tiger face holding the character Longevity.
The front of the Hau Cung is a roof truss made in the van me style. From the Dai Bai floor, step up the three-level threshold to the entrance of the Hau Cung. The truss is created by two rear columns and a horizontal beam running across. On the horizontal beam are two concealed pillars standing on tapered stone supports that support the small horizontal beam and the van me board decorated with cloud scrolls and floral vines; on both sides are two me panels with dragon motifs. Below the horizontal beam is a vertical board divided into 3 panels with three Chinese characters in relief.
Inside is a set of roof trusses made similarly in the qua giang truss style, resting on the wall and concealed columns.
11|3.5. Hữu Mạc House
The Hữu Mạc House is built of brick with closed gable walls, roofed with domestic tiles on a foundation 30 cm higher than the courtyard, and opens with a two-leaf wooden door system.
12|3.6. Interior arrangement
The Đại Bái is a five-bay horizontal house. This section contains no artifacts and serves only as a meeting place for the villagers.
The rear sanctuary is arranged with three altars. The central altar holds the dragon throne and statue of the Saint, along with a Thổ Hà ceramic incense bowl, lamp stands, and water vessels. The two side altars are also decorated with a number of worship objects.
13|3.7. Historical, cultural, scientific, and aesthetic values of the relic
3.7.1. Historical value
Đô Tân Communal House was built early and carries a history of hundreds of years, associated with an ancient land with a long tradition in Sóc Sơn District. The tutelary god worshipped here is Trương Hống and Trương Hát, deities belonging to the mythological system of the early dawn of the nation's history, and it is also a place where rice-farming people express their wish for abundant water. Today, the communal house remains the center of cultural and religious activities for local residents and is closely tied to local cultural activities, a place that preserves and nurtures fine cultural traditions for present and future generations.
3.7.2. Architectural and artistic value
Đô Tân Communal House has a relatively large area; its current architecture has been restored by the people in a traditional architectural style, shown in its architectural plan and construction form. With a T-shaped (chữ đinh) structure, front eave and rear gable, a three-bay Đại Bái with two lean-tos, and four roof trusses in the style of 'thượng giá chiêng, hạ kẻ ngồi, bẩy hiên'. The architectural components of the relic are left plain without decoration.
Over a long period of existence, Đô Tân Communal House has preserved many valuable artifacts, such as two stone steles, one dated to the 25th year of Tự Đức (1873), along with horizontal plaques, parallel sentences, altar niches, incense tables made of wood, ceramic incense bowls, and the customs of local people, which help determine the date of the relic and affirm the historical, cultural, scientific, and artistic values of the relic and the land here. This also helps researchers better understand the organization of villages in the Red River Delta of Vietnam with fine institutions that continue to this day.
3.7.3. Cultural and scientific value
Đô Tân Communal House is a place for cultural and religious activities, holds annual festivals, and expresses local people's reverence for the tutelary gods who protected and blessed the village with prosperity and peace. Located near the Sóc Temple relic and many other relics in the area, it will supplement and enhance the value of sightseeing, tourism, and research routes about the historical land and local people, contributing importantly to building Hanoi's tourism routes.
4. Culture and festivals
14|4.1. Traditional festival
The Đô Tân Communal House festival is held for two days each year, from the 5th to the 6th day of the first lunar month.
According to village custom, to prepare for the festival, the villagers invite village dignitaries to meet and establish the festival organizing committee. Today, the Culture Board meets with all villagers to prepare for electing the organizing committee, whose task is to notify committee members and carry out festival work such as preparing offerings and assigning people to serve the festival. After the meeting, the village assigns tasks to each person, such as hanging the great flag and festival flags, preparing the palanquins, cleaning the interior of the communal house, and preparing offerings to present to the village tutelary god, and beating drums and gongs to announce to all villagers so they can join in cleaning village roads and lanes.
15|4.2. Sái Tảo Ceremony and Mộc Dục Ceremony
After the 4th day of the first lunar month, the village performs the Sái Tảo Ceremony and Mộc Dục Ceremony for 30 minutes starting at 10 a.m., conducted by nine elderly members of the Mộc Dục Board and the temple caretaker. During the ceremony they must dress neatly; beforehand, they must purify themselves with fragrant water and cover their mouths with red cloth.
16|4.3. Rituals on the 5th day of the first lunar month
On the 5th day of the first lunar month, the village organizes a palanquin procession to welcome the tablet of Đức Thượng Đẳng from the temple and shrine to the communal house for the festival, and after the festival, he is carried back to the shrine. The palanquin bearers are handsome, strong young men. The procession order is as follows: at the front are the big drum and gong, followed by rows of ceremonial guards with halberds, the eight treasures, and festival flags; next are the dragon-pavilion palanquin and the palanquin for the ceremonial text, then the main palanquin carrying Đức Thượng Đẳng; behind the palanquin are the music and sinh tiền dance team, village elders and officials, and sacrificers in neat festival clothes, with guards behind the main palanquin.
17|4.4. Sacrificial address and sacrificial board
Sacrificial address: according to village regulations, the writer must be a person with a rank among village dignitaries, good at writing and characters, full of virtue and moral conduct, and writes based on the relic and family genealogy; the sacrifice is performed at the main sanctuary. On the morning of the 5th, the village sends two people to the writer's house to welcome the address; the first carries a hand drum, and the second carries the address to the communal house and solemnly places it on the altar in the rear sanctuary. The content of the address clearly states the history of the village tutelary god and praises his merits.
The sacrificial board consists of 16 members, of whom the village selects one chief sacrificer; the selection criteria are the same as for choosing the writer. The board includes one chief sacrificer, four assistant sacrificers, two East chanters and West chanters, one reader of the address, two candle bearers, and four ritual attendants. Sacrificial officials wear blue ceremonial robes, traditional red sacrificial hats, and white trousers; the sacrifice is held on one afternoon of one day.
18|4.5. Offerings
The offerings presented to the village tutelary god during the festival days are on the 5th and 6th, including compressed sticky rice and fruit. On the 5th (the main offering day), there is also pork; the criteria for choosing the pig are: a completely black pig, bought whole and complete, without blemishes or signs of mourning; before the feast on the 5th, the pig must be raised separately in a clean place and bathed once a day. On the feast day, it is brought to the communal house to be slaughtered; the pig's head and a piece of neck meat under the nape are cut into five slices and offered to the tutelary god. Today, under the new cultural life, only vegetarian offerings are made, without pork.
19|4.6. Festival activities
During the village festival days, folk performances are also organized to show martial spirit, such as wrestling, chess, swinging, and đón Trò (arts). In front of the communal house, tuồng, chèo, and ca trù singing are performed; today, mass arts programs are widely attended and supported by the people.
20|4.7. Rituals on the 6th day of the first lunar month
On the 6th day of the first lunar month, the village sends a team of strong young men representing the village to Sóc Temple to carry a ceremonial ham into Sóc Temple.
21|4.8. Kết chạ and other festivals
In the past, the relic was also twinned with Tiên Chu Communal House in Bắc Sơn Commune and Tứ Thịnh Communal House in Trung Thành Commune, Phổ Yên District, Bắc Thái Province (now Thái Nguyên). However, since 1954, the festival rituals have not been held.
In addition to the main festival, the village also organizes other ceremonies during the year, such as the New Year's Eve ceremony on the night of the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, the early-year ground-breaking ceremony, Lunar New Year, spring and autumn sacrifices, the Đoan Ngọ Festival, the Thượng Điền Ceremony, and the death anniversary of the hậu ancestor; on the first and fifteenth days and seasonal occasions, the temple caretaker performs rituals at the communal house.
