HA HOI COMMUNAL HOUSE

Ha Hoi Communal House is located in the Ha Hoi area, Hong Van Commune, Hanoi City, and is one of the typical historical and cultural relics of the locality and the Red River Delta. The communal house was built around the late 16th century and has undergone several restorations and embellishments, yet it still retains many characteristic features of traditional Northern Vietnam village communal house architecture. The relic has an architectural layout of the “inner Cong, outer Quoc” type, with a ceremonial gate system, communal courtyard, main communal house, and rear sanctuary arranged along the spirit axis. In particular, the wooden architectural components are elaborately carved with many traditional themes such as the four sacred creatures, the four noble plants, and folk daily-life images, creating distinctive architectural and carving-art values.

Ha Hoi Communal House is dedicated to Cao Son Dai Vuong, the tutelary deity revered and worshipped by local people with the title “Supreme Most Sacred Deity.” In addition to Cao Son Dai Vuong, the communal house also jointly worships Than Nong and Lady Hau – who contributed to building the communal house in its early period. The system of royal edicts and artifacts still preserved at the relic are valuable materials, helping to reflect the formation history and religious life of the Ha Hoi community across many generations.

Ha Hoi Communal House is also associated with an important milestone in the nation's history. In the spring of the Ky Dau year, 1789, during the Tay Son insurgent army's advance north to attack the Qing troops, the Tay Son forces attacked and captured the Ha Hoi post, opening the way to advance toward Ngoc Hoi and Thang Long. The Ha Hoi Communal House area is therefore linked to the historical memory of the Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da victory and the lightning-fast march of the Tay Son army under the command of Emperor Quang Trung. This historical value helps make Ha Hoi Communal House not only a place for the community's religious activities but also a site preserving the marks of the nation's history.

Every year, local people organize the traditional Ha Hoi Communal House festival on the 15th day of the third lunar month with rituals such as palanquin processions, incense offerings, and sacrifices, along with many cultural, artistic, sports, and folk game activities. The festival involves the village's giap groups, demonstrating community cohesion and helping to maintain the locality's traditional customs and practices. Over time, Ha Hoi Communal House has continued to serve as a space for community cultural and religious activities, where people remember the tutelary deity, preserve traditions, and educate younger generations about the history and culture of their homeland. With outstanding values in history, artistic architecture, and religious culture, Ha Hoi Communal House was ranked as a national-level historical and cultural relic in 1985 and is one of the typical valuable relics of Hong Van Commune today.