La Phu Communal House

La Phu Communal House is located in La Phu village, An Khanh commune, Hanoi city. The communal house was built in the 'Tam' (three-part) architectural style, including the following structures: Tam Quan (three-entrance gate), Dai Dinh (main hall), and Hau Cung (rear shrine).

Tam Quan: La Phu Communal House has two layers of Tam Quan, including the outer Tam Quan and the inner Tam Quan. The outer Tam Quan is adjacent to the main axis road of the village, consisting of 4 brick-built pillars, with the two central pillars higher; on top are 4 phoenix figures made of mortar facing the 4 corners, forming a gourd-like shape. Below are four tiger-face (ho phu) motifs; under the tiger faces is a lantern shape; inside is a bas-relief of the four sacred creatures: dragon, ly, turtle, and phoenix. The bodies of the pillars bear bas-relief couplets in Chinese characters. The two side pillars are smaller, with nghe (mythical lion) figures on top facing each other. The sections connecting the central and side pillars are brick walls. In the middle of each wall section is a small arched door with a roof above.

Passing through the outer Tam Quan is a small brick yard, followed by the inner Tam Quan, which has three wooden doors; the two ends of the building are brick walls in the style of closed gable walls. The roof truss system of the Tam Quan consists of 3 rows of columns: the central columns are wooden and tall, and the two side columns are built of square Bat Trang bricks. The frame of the Tam Quan is made in the chong ruong style. The beams and purlins are carved mainly with themes of the four sacred creatures, fish transforming into dragons, and flowers and leaves; the lines are soft and refined, strongly bearing the artistic style of the Nguyen dynasty - 19th century.

Dai Dinh: 5 bays, built in the style of a house with closed gables. Inside Dai Dinh there are 6 rows of transverse columns and 6 rows of longitudinal columns. The roof trusses are elaborately carved. All 08 dau du (beam ends) are carved with dragon heads with large protruding eyes, mouths holding pearls, and intertwined whiskers. The artisans of the past used openwork and raised carving techniques, making the dragon heads very vivid. The carving themes are diverse and rich: the panels of the two roof trusses in the central bay have bas-reliefs of the four sacred creatures, cloud patterns, waves, and carp transforming into dragons. The panels in the side bays are carved with coiling dragons and flowers and leaves. The ke bars of the trusses in the central bay are carved with coiling dragons and flowers and leaves; the side bays are carved with stylized flowers and leaves. The ends of the eave brackets of Dai Dinh are carved with stylized dragons and flowers and leaves. The ruong bars are carved and decorated with themes of coiling dragons and refined geometric patterns in the artistic style of the late Le and early Nguyen dynasties. The central bay of Dai Dinh is paved with square Bat Trang bricks. On both sides are two wooden floor systems about 60 cm higher than the ground, with wooden folding-door systems.

Hau Cung: 7 bays in the closed-gable style; the roof trusses are made in the chong ruong gia chieng and bay hien styles. Only the two roof trusses next to the central bay are made in the chong ruong ke chuyen style; the 4 dau du of the central bay are carved with dragon heads. The two outer panels are carved with water-coiling dragons and coiling dragons; the other side of the panels has bas-relief phoenix figures. The two inner panels are carved with flowers and leaves; the ruong bars are carved with geometric patterns and flowers and leaves. The decorative art in Hau Cung is concentrated mainly and densely on the two roof trusses of the central bay. The other trusses are more simply decorated.

The two gable-end bays of Hau Cung are partitioned separately. The partitions are wooden, made in the van do lua style. Hau Cung opens only on one side facing Dai Dinh. The other side is a closed brick rear wall; the doors of Hau Cung are folding doors made of lim wood.

La Phu Communal House is one of the communal houses that still preserves a large number of relics, rich in types and materials, including many artifacts of high historical and artistic value. Most notable and valuable are the written documents of the communal house:

Divine genealogy: The communal house's divine genealogy is titled: 'Hung Due Vuong Trieu cong than nhat vi dai vuong quoc trieu pha lac' (recording the genealogy of one great king - a deity with meritorious service in the reign of King Hung Due Vuong). The content records the origin and achievements of the deity worshipped at the village communal house. According to tradition, it was compiled in the first year of the Hong Phuc era (1572) and copied in the Dinh Ty year, the second year of the Khai Dinh era (1917).

Royal edicts: The communal house still preserves royal edicts from various dynasties conferring titles on the tutelary deity Tinh Quoc Dai Vuong. Of these 14 edicts, 6 are from the Le dynasty, 3 from the Tay Son dynasty, and 5 from the Nguyen dynasty. The earliest edict is dated the 10th day of the twelfth month of the second year of the Vinh Khanh era (1730). The latest edict is dated the 15th day of the seventh month of the ninth year of Khai Dinh (1924). The most valuable are 3 edicts from the Tay Son period, 01 edict dated 1802.

La Phu Communal House has 04 horizontal plaques and 13 pairs of couplets. Most of these are made of wood carved with dragons, clouds, flowers and leaves, and are splendidly lacquered and gilded. Their content praises the achievements of Tinh Quoc Dai Vuong and the local scenery.

On the upper part of the gable-end eave wall on the right of Hau Cung, there are still 02 stone stelae, smooth and greenish, with shallowly engraved characters. The first stele was erected in 1783 and concerns repairs and a list of people who contributed money for the repairs. The second stele was erected in 1816 and records the communal house's regulations, some customs, and religious activities at the communal house. In addition, the communal house still preserves many valuable ritual objects.