Gia Khánh Communal House

Gia Khánh Communal House belongs to Gia Khánh hamlet, now in Thượng Phúc commune, Hà Nội city, and is an ancient communal house with unique architecture, preserved quite intact, bearing many historical, cultural, and artistic values.

The communal house was built in the Cong shape, including the great hall, the tube-shaped connecting section, and the rear shrine. In front is a circular communal pond, creating the characteristic landscape space of traditional Northern Delta village architecture. The communal gate was built in the four-pillar style, with the pillars decorated with kneeling nghe and the four sacred creatures; in front are the Chinese characters “Môn ấp Gia Khánh”. The screen placed before the communal house bears three characters “Tất Hữu Hưng”, expressing the villagers’ wish for a prosperous and well-fed life.

According to the deity genealogy, the communal house worships three tutelary deities who contributed to the country and taught crafts to the people: Lỗ Ban – the patron saint of carpentry; Hưng Đạo Đại Vương Trần Quốc Tuấn – a famous general of the Trần dynasty; and Hoàng Cao Khải – an official of the Nguyễn dynasty who helped the villagers stabilize their lives.

The great hall consists of 3 bays and 2 wings, roofed with fish-scale tiles. The wooden architectural system is elaborately carved with many motifs such as dragon rolling water, tiger symbol, four sacred creatures, Long Mã bearing the Hà Đồ, the sacred turtle and Lạc Thư…, bearing strong artistic imprints of the Lê dynasty.

The communal house still preserves many precious artifacts such as an eight-carriage palanquin with a dragon pavilion, lacquered and gilded; a set of ceremonial weapons; a curtain door; horizontal plaques; scrolls; wooden crane and turtle; royal edicts; and ancient village conventions. The village festival is held on the 7th day of the first lunar month every year. In 2015, Gia Khánh Communal House was recognized as a National-level historical, architectural, and artistic relic..