Ngoc Phuc Communal House

Ngoc Phuc Communal House in Kieu Phu Commune was built at the end of the Le dynasty and was an important center of belief and community activities for Ngoc Phuc village. From the time the communal house was established, the village's traditional festival also took shape, closely linked to the worship and honoring of the village tutelary deity, the Three Great Kings – deities revered by the people for their merit in protecting the villagers, safeguarding their lives, and preserving the peace of the community.

Through historical periods with many upheavals, Ngoc Phuc Communal House and its traditional festival were at times affected by social circumstances, but with an awareness of preserving their roots, the community of Ngoc Phuc village residents still maintained the practice of the festival, ensuring the continuity of the intangible cultural heritage.

A special feature of the Ngoc Phuc Communal House festival is that it is not confined to one or two days but is organized in a cycle extending from the end of the old year to the beginning of the new year, beginning with the village's Sap An day (from the 25th to the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month) and ending on the 7th day of the first lunar month. Among these, the 7th day of the first lunar month is the main festival day, gathering all the most important rituals and clearly expressing the identity of the beliefs and community cultural life of Ngoc Phuc village.

The 7th day of the first lunar month: main ceremony, morning: Organization of the ceremony to worship the village tutelary deity at the communal house. The male ritual team includes: one chief celebrant, one Eastern chanter, one Western respondent, and ritual officials, with a total of about 8 to 12 elderly men. The ceremony is conducted according to traditional rites, including ritual stages, incense offering, reading of the oration, and performance of rituals to the rhythm of drums and gongs. Throughout the ceremony, the communal house space is kept solemn and quiet, expressing absolute reverence for the Three Great Kings. The ceremony to worship the tutelary deity is an occasion for the community to express deep gratitude for the merits of the Three Great Kings – the deities who protect the village; to pray for a peaceful new year, favorable crops, and household well-being; and to affirm the enduring bond between tutelary deity worship and community life.

Ngoc Phuc Communal House was ranked under Decision No. 2890-VH/QD dated September 27, 1997 of the Ministry of Culture and Information, now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism