Dong Son Communal House

Dong Son Communal House stands on a plot with a total area of 557.0m2. Its architectural works include: the gate, the main hall (dai bai), the rear hall (hau cung), and the courtyard. In addition to the main items, adjacent to both sides of the rear hall are two small shrines. One side worships Mr. Ba Chang from Thai Khe Hamlet, Can Huu Commune, who had merit in organizing the construction of the communal house, and the other side worships the Earth God. These structures are enclosed within a wall.
Current technical condition of the relic: Over time and under natural encroachment, Dong Son Communal House has undergone many restorations, embellishments, and repairs. According to the stories of the village elders, Dong Son Communal House in the past was an ancient small-scale shrine. Then, at the end of the 19th century, the villagers restored and embellished it on the foundation of the old shrine, and the people added the main hall (dai bai) item to form the 'nhi' character-shaped architecture as before... Through the years of war, the old architectural structures of the former communal house no longer remain. However, based on the Hau statue (Le period), along with 2 stone steles and a royal edict (Nguyen period), it can be inferred that the communal house dates from around the Le Trung Hung period and was repaired many times in the Nguyen period and the 20th century. The current architectural scale is the result of the restoration in 2013. Since then, Dong Son Communal House has become a spiritual site, a gathering place, and a common community activity place for the people of Dong Son.
* Architectural description:
The beginning of the relic area is the gate: Dong Son Communal House's gate is made in the four-pillar style; the two main pillars are about 7m high; the pillar tops are decorated with 4 phoenixes with tails joined together forming a stylized 'chai gianh'; below are 4 lantern panels with reliefs of the four sacred creatures and four seasons; the pillar bodies have cut faces and frames; the front and back faces bear couplets in Han characters.
On both sides of the main gate are two side gates made in the stacked-eave style with two tiers and 8 roofs. From the side gates to both sides are 2 marker pillars made lower than the two main pillars; on top of the side pillars are two nghe (mythical lions) facing slightly outward; below, the lantern panels have reliefs of the four seasons.
Dai bai (main hall): consists of 3 bays and 2 lean-tos, with 4 roofs covered in nose-tip tiles; at the 4 corners are attached 4 stylized dragon-leaf corner ornaments. In the middle of the roof ridge is a decoration of a dragon facing the sun; on both gable ends are two dragon heads. In front, the middle 3 bays open with a system of upper-panel lower-board folding doors; the two side bays have round windows in the shape of the character 'tho' (longevity); the floor is about more than 1m higher than the yard with stepped levels. The frame consists of 4 concrete trusses imitating wood, structured in the style 'upper gia chieng, lower ke ngoi, bay hien' on 4 rows of column bases.
Hau cung (rear hall): lies parallel to the dai bai, forming a 'nhi' character shape; the building consists of 2 bays, in the 'front knife, rear gable' style. The frame consists of 3 concrete trusses imitating wood, structured in the style 'upper gia chieng, lower ke ngoi'; the floor is paved with bricks.
The decorative parts on Dong Son Communal House architecture are mainly on the con ruong, con, and eave brackets in the dai bai and hau cung, with traditional themes such as the four seasons, four sacred creatures, scroll clouds... creating elegance for the architecture.
Dong Son village communal house dates from the Le Trung Hung period and has existed continuously to the present day. Throughout its historical process, the communal house has been closely attached to and witnessed many ups and downs of an ancient village near the Tich River.
Dong Son Communal House was built to worship the village tutelary god, a yin deity who had merit in helping the country fight invaders; with the beautiful title Princess Ngoc Nuong, renowned for her sacredness, a yin deity of the Ly dynasty, who
After the invaders were defeated, she traveled to places with beautiful mountains and waters and famous landscapes. When she came to Dong Son village, she saw a favorable land, so she built a royal residence and taught the people to preserve fine customs and traditions. For years, she was extremely efficacious.
After she passed away, the villagers worshipped her as a Tutelary God, with incense smoke for thousands of years
The place of worship of the yin deity previously was a shrine with a still small and narrow scale. Then, at the end of the 19th century, the villagers renovated on the foundation of the old shrine and built it into a communal house. Over time with historical changes, the communal house has been repaired day by day to become more beautiful and spacious.
Dong Son Communal House today is like a historical vestige, marking the formation and development of the homeland rich in revolutionary tradition yesterday, today, and tomorrow, contributing to promoting the cause of building an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national cultural identity. At the same time, it is also a milestone recording the historical process here.
Besides historical value, Dong Son Communal House also has historical value. In the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism: the people of Dong Son dug tunnels for guerrillas to take shelter and participated in transporting ammunition and cooking rice for ambushing soldiers. They fought the French and puppets from Buong post to support the battle at Ngoc Bai Pagoda post
Tay Phuong, at the Sy Ham Rong culvert, they destroyed the enemy right on the spot; along with the war against America, the people of Dong Son village implemented the slogan 'Not one pound of rice short, not one person short of troops', all for the beloved South, all to defeat the American aggressors.
The communal house was also the state's food warehouse, a place where radio station officials worked throughout the time the Americans attacked the North, also a place for students to study, and a place to run rice-milling machines. That was the contribution of the people in Dong Son village.