Noi Communal House

Lying peacefully beside the Chuc Son residential group, Chuong My Ward, Hanoi, Dinh Noi appears as a silent witness, carrying more than three centuries of time. Dinh Noi is a sacred place worshipping all three village tutelary gods whom the people reverently call Duc Thanh Ca, Thanh Hai, and Thanh Ba. The 1572 deity genealogy records that when 300,000 troops of the An invaders poured into the South, Cuong Chinh Cong and the two water deities Oai Linh Cong and Tam Te Cong led 100,000 soldiers into battle and routed the enemy completely. Returning in total victory, they were conferred the title Dai Vuong, then stayed in Chuc Son land to teach the people rice cultivation and silkworm rearing, and thereafter were forever worshipped with incense. Dinh Noi has scenery and architecture following Northern traditions, with a semi-circular lake and a water pavilion; entering from the gate, the communal house has a Dinh shape including the majestic Dai Bai and Hau Cung. Twenty-four rows of ironwood columns stand firmly on blue stone bases, colored by the years, supporting the frame that embodies 17th-century architectural spirit; the carvings of floral patterns and curling clouds display the artistic brilliance of the late 18th century - most brilliant are the two carved panels at the Ung Cung and Truc Mieu gates, with Dragon - Ly - Turtle - Phoenix images in raised relief so vivid they seem real. Dinh Noi is not only outstanding for its Northern-style architecture but also preserves 13 royal edicts from feudal dynasties recognizing the communal house's merits; here too are kept the deity genealogy, covenant, and ancient stone steles from the Vinh Khanh and Minh Menh eras; carrying immense historical value that the people are preserving.

Not only rich in legend, Dinh Noi also holds a red address of the revolution. During the arduous resistance against the French, the communal house sheltered leaders of the Provisional Government such as Huynh Thuc Khang and Nguyen Van To; during the resistance against the Americans, it quietly served as a place to hide food for the troops. Today, the communal house is still a place for community activities, where village young men are seen off to enlist.

To remember the merits of the Saints, every spring the people of Chuc Son hold a traditional festival once every three years, from the 11th to the 13th day of the first lunar month. Many rituals in the festival have been preserved intact through the years and passed down by Chuc Son people from generation to generation, such as the custom of carrying water from the river to the communal house to pray for peace, favorable rain and wind, and a peaceful, prosperous life for the people. This is one of many typical festivals of the entire Chuong Duc region that still retains cultural and historical values in religious activities. With its cultural, spiritual, and historical values, on January 18, 1988, the Ministry of Culture solemnly inscribed this place as a National Historical - Architectural and Artistic Relic.