Dun Communal House (Lai Xa Communal House)

1. Location
Lai Xa Communal House is located in Lai Xa Village, Hoai Duc Commune, Hanoi City. It is one of the typical historical and cultural relics of the locality, associated with the Lai Xa area, famous for its rich tradition of learning and scholarship and especially as the homeland of Vietnamese photography. Located in the center of the ancient village, the communal house is not only a place for the people's religious activities but also an attractive destination for visitors who want to learn about the history and traditional culture of Hoai Duc.

2. Architecture and Landscape
Lai Xa Communal House bears strong traditional architectural features of a Northern Delta village communal house with a solemn, ancient space. Through many renovations and restorations, the communal house has still preserved distinctive artistic architectural values along with many artifacts and ritual objects of historical value. The communal house grounds are spacious and harmonious with the rural landscape, and it is where important cultural and religious activities of the local community take place.

3. Historical figure
Lai Xa Communal House worships Saint An Sinh Vuong Tran Lieu – a famous general of the Tran Dynasty and father of Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan. According to local records and legends, in 1274, when visiting Lai Xa, An Sinh Vuong Tran Lieu helped the people overcome a major epidemic, supported the poor, and asked the court to reduce taxes and corvee, stabilizing the villagers' lives. To commemorate his merits, in 1279 the people of Lai Xa honored Saint An Sinh Vuong as the village's tutelary god and have worshipped him at the communal house to this day.

4. Festival
The traditional festival of Lai Xa Communal House is held annually from the 15th to the 18th day of the second lunar month, with the 15th being the main festival day, commemorating the day Saint An Sinh Vuong visited the village. Every five years, the locality organizes a grand festival with solemn palanquin processions and sacrificial ceremonies along with many distinctive folk cultural activities. The festival not only expresses gratitude to the village's tutelary god but also contributes to preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of the homeland.

5. Relic Values
Lai Xa Communal House is a place preserving the distinctive historical, cultural, and religious values of the local community. Along with other famous relics in Hoai Duc Commune, Lai Xa Communal House contributes to enriching the cultural heritage treasure of Hoai Duc and is also a meaningful stop on visitors' journey to explore the history, culture, and traditional craft villages of the locality. With these values, Lai Xa Communal House was ranked as a National relic under Decision No. 34VH/QD dated January 9, 1990, of the Ministry of Culture.