Giáp Nhất Communal House

The communal house was built long ago on a high mound on the south bank of the Tô Lịch River, facing east-northeast. According to the village elders, the communal house was built on land shaped like an elephant: the four ponds around it were the four elephant legs, the two mounds were the elephant's ears, and the elephant's trunk was the field bank in front of the communal house extending to the winding Tô Lịch River in front. In the communal house grounds, on the right is a well and on the left is the communal pond, interspersed with five ancient mango trees casting shade, giving the relic a tranquil, ancient landscape. From the courtyard, nine stone steps lead to the veranda of the Đại Bái (Main Hall), built in the shape of the character 'nhất' (一) in the style of a five-bay wall with closed gables, each bay about 2.5 m wide. On the right gable there is a small door leading down to the oản house. On the left, an arched side door leads to an exposed 10-step brick staircase. The walls around the Đại Bái are built of Bát Tràng bricks smoothed with lime and molasses; on the outside of the two gable walls are molded hổ phù (tiger-face) motifs. The main door to the Đại Bái is made in the 'thượng song hạ bản' style, with four panels bearing the four characters 'Tả hữu phùng nguyên', decorated with flowers, fruit, brushes, book boxes, etc. The roof frame structure is made in the chồng rường giá chiêng and kẻ bẩy hiên styles, creating openness and harmony. The Hậu Cung (Rear Sanctuary) has a three-bay structure in the thượng chồng rường hạ kẻ bẩy style. The Đại Bái and Hậu Cung are built in the shape of the character 'nhị' (二); between the eaves of the Đại Bái and the Hậu Cung is a drainage channel separating the two buildings, and over the channel two blue stone slabs are laid as the entrance to the Hậu Cung. This architectural style allows both buildings to receive natural light and creates a cool, airy atmosphere. In the central bay of the Hậu Cung, a brick platform is built to hold the throne, memorial tablet, and altar of the village tutelary god. In particular, the communal house still preserves three stone steles, including a 'Hậu thần' stele carved in 1812 and a stele carved in 1892, many stone bases of communal-house columns, large stone paving slabs for the veranda; two large wooden incense tables, a beautifully carved throne with coiled dragons; a small bell and many other valuable ritual objects. With its historical and cultural values, Giáp Nhất Communal House was ranked by the State as a national-level historical and architectural-artistic relic in 1992. On August 27, 2006, Giáp Nhất Communal House was honored to hold a ceremony to receive the Hanoi People's Committee's Decision recognizing it and attaching the Revolutionary Resistance Relic plaque.