Dong Ngac Communal House (Ve Communal House)

Dong Ngac Communal House is a large-scale traditional architectural work, arranged in the style of “inner đinh, outer quốc”, bearing many marks of Le Trung Hung architectural art.

The overall relic complex includes the outer three-entrance gate, inner three-entrance gate, communal courtyard, left and right side houses, main communal house, central sanctuary, and rear sanctuary. The components are harmoniously arranged, creating a solemn and ancient architectural space.

The outer three-entrance gate is built in the style of a three-bay house with mũi hài tiles, combined with a gate and enclosure wall system, creating a relatively enclosed space.

The inner three-entrance gate lies on the sacred axis, is made of wood, and combines with the two rows of left and right side houses and the communal courtyard to form a balanced architectural layout.

The main communal house has a traditional wooden structural system, with elaborately crafted trusses, columns, and beams. Its roof is covered with mũi hài tiles, the corners curve upward, combined with images of dragons, nghê, and decorative motifs strongly imbued with traditional artistic style.

In particular, the rear sanctuary area preserves many exquisite wood carvings with themes of dragons flanking and dragon heads holding pearls, expressing the artistic style of the Le Trung Hung period.

Besides the architectural system, the communal house also preserves many valuable artifacts and Han-Nom documents such as stone steles, royal edicts, horizontal plaques, couplets, and traditional worship objects.

Typical is the system of stone steles at the left side house, including a stele dated to the fifth year of Vinh Thinh, placed on a stone turtle's back, bearing distinctive historical and artistic value.

The architectural values and artifact system have contributed to affirming the position of Dong Ngac Communal House in the cultural heritage treasury of Hanoi Capital.

The traditional festival of Dong Ngac Communal House (Ve Communal House) is held annually on the 9th, 10th, and 11th days of the second lunar month, and is one of the typical cultural and religious activities of the people of Dong Ngac – Ke Ve ancient village.

The festival is held to commemorate and express gratitude for the merits of the village tutelary deities and predecessors who contributed to the homeland and country; at the same time, to pray for national prosperity and peace, favorable weather, and a peaceful, prosperous, and happy life for the people.

During the festival days, the ceremonial part is solemnly organized with rituals of offerings, incense offering, and palanquin procession according to traditional customs.

In particular, the palanquin procession ritual with the participation of forces in the community is one of the distinctive highlights, expressing reverence for the tutelary deities and the solidarity of local people.

The festive part takes place vibrantly with cultural exchange, arts, sports, and folk games, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere and attracting a large number of local people and visitors.

The festival not only meets the community's religious needs but is also an occasion for generations to meet, interact, preserve traditional customs, and educate patriotism and pride in the history and culture of the homeland.

Through festival activities, the distinctive cultural values of Dong Ngac village continue to be preserved and promoted, contributing to enriching the people's spiritual and cultural life while promoting the image of Dong Ngac – Ke Ve, a land of academic excellence, to domestic and international visitors.

Dong Ngac has long been famous as a land rich in the tradition of learning and academic excellence, known by the name Ke Ve – one of the typical ancient villages of Thang Long – Hanoi.

Over many centuries, this land has produced many talents, notable figures, and successful scholars who contributed to the country, forming a tradition of valuing learning and morality and preserving family and clan cultural values.

In that cultural space, Dong Ngac Communal House plays the role of a center for religious and community cultural activities, a place that connects generations of people in preserving the customs, practices, and traditions of the homeland.

Along with the system of ancient houses, clan temples, communal houses, pagodas, and traditional architectural works, Dong Ngac Communal House contributes to creating the distinctive cultural appearance of Dong Ngac ancient village.

The communal house is not only a religious architectural work but also a symbol of community spirit, the tradition of remembering the source when drinking water, and the awareness of preserving the cultural identity of Ke Ve people.

Those values create important potential for developing sightseeing, experiential, research, and heritage education activities associated with the ancient village cultural space.

Visiting Dong Ngac Communal House, visitors have the opportunity to explore the ancient communal house architectural space, learn about the history of the relic's formation, and hear stories about the deities worshipped by local people.

Visitors can admire the traditional wooden architectural structure system, artistic carvings, stone steles, and representative artifacts preserved at the relic.

Besides visiting Dong Ngac Communal House, visitors can combine exploring the space of Ke Ve ancient village, learning about the academic tradition, ancient house architecture, clan temples, and distinctive features in the cultural life of local residents.

In particular, during the traditional festival from the 9th to the 11th day of the second lunar month, visitors can immerse themselves in the village festival atmosphere, learn about traditional offering and palanquin procession rituals, and participate in distinctive community cultural activities.

Dong Ngac Communal House is a suitable destination for groups of school students, university students, researchers, visitors who love history, culture, and architecture, and those who wish to explore the depth of Thang Long – Hanoi heritage.

Dong Ngac Communal House is a cultural heritage of important value to the spiritual life of the people of Dong Ngac ward in particular and Hanoi city in general.

The protection, preservation, and promotion of the relic's value are always of local concern, associated with preserving traditional architecture, conserving artifacts and historical documents, maintaining religious activities, and organizing festivals in accordance with regulations.

The application of digital technology in introducing and promoting the heritage is also emphasized, contributing to creating favorable conditions for people and visitors to access and learn about the historical, cultural, and architectural values of the relic.

In the local orientation for cultural and tourism development, Dong Ngac Communal House is one of the heritage sites with potential to connect with historical relics, traditional architectural works, and ancient village cultural spaces in the area.

Preserving and promoting the value of Dong Ngac Communal House not only contributes to preserving the heritage of previous generations but also plays an important role in traditional education, building cultural identity, and promoting the image of Dong Ngac ward as a civilized locality rich in historical tradition.

Dong Ngac Communal House (Ve Communal House) – a convergence of distinctive historical, architectural, and cultural values of Ke Ve, a village renowned for its scholarly tradition, and a destination rich in identity on the journey to explore the cultural heritage of Thang Long – Hanoi.

Address: Dong Ngac Ward, Hanoi City.

Type: Historical – artistic architectural relic.

Ranking: National relic.

Year of designation: 1993.

Designation decision: No. 937-QD/BT dated 23/7/1993 of the Minister of Culture – Information.

Traditional festival time: The 9th, 10th, and 11th days of the second lunar month annually.

Typical values: History, artistic architecture, folk beliefs, and the culture of Dong Ngac – Ke Ve, a scholarly village.