Ha Communal House

Ha Communal House is located to the left of Ha Pagoda, on Chua Ha Street, Cau Giay Ward. This is a site at the gateway to Thang Long Citadel. The communal house was built to worship Trieu Chi Thanh, who had the merit of fighting the Liang invaders in the 6th century under King Trieu Quang Phuc (Trieu Viet Vuong).

Trieu Chi Thanh was a heavenly general who was reincarnated into the family of Mr. Trieu Xuong and Mrs. Ly Thi Thich in Thai Binh Hamlet, Chau Dien (Me Linh, Phuc Yen). He was intelligent and perceptive, accomplished in both literature and martial arts, skilled in crafts, and knowledgeable in music. He helped Trieu Viet Vuong resist the Liang army and was therefore appointed Commander-in-Chief. The Commander-in-Chief recruited able-bodied men from Boi Ha and Dich Vong to fight the Liang army in the regions of Tu Liem, Dong Anh, Gia Lam, and Hung Yen, and then joined forces with Trieu Viet Vuong at Da Trach Marsh. Thanks to the magic crossbow he made, which was even more effective than the magic crossbow of Cao Lo in the An Duong Vuong era, it hit every target, and each shot killed hundreds of enemies. General Duong San of the Liang army was shot dead in battle. After defeating the Liang invaders, he returned to serve at court.

After his death, Trieu Viet Vuong remembered his contributions and issued a decree to build shrines in many places, including the shrine in Giap Boi Ha, Dich Vong Trung Village, which later became Ha Communal House. From then on, prayers for rain and for the people's well-being all proved efficacious, so successive dynasties bestowed royal decrees.

Ha Communal House today still preserves an imposing, spacious, unique architectural complex in the traditional architectural style of Vietnamese village communal houses, including a side gate, brick yard, ornamental pillars, a five-bay worship hall, and a two-bay rear sanctuary, all grand and majestic, made entirely of lim wood, roofed with boat-shaped tiles, with soaring upturned roof corners, and a Dinh-shaped layout. In the innermost sanctuary, the most solemn place, are placed the dragon throne and memorial tablet of Saint King Trieu Tong Binh, solemn ceremonial paraphernalia, and brilliant couplets and horizontal plaques. The entire architecture of Ha Communal House sits east and faces west, with Mount Tan Vien standing as a front screen, the White Tiger and seven stars sacred and wondrous, and scenery like Penglai, an eternal object of worship.

Ha Communal House was ranked as a city-level historical and cultural relic in 2012.