Phu Xa Doai Communal House

Phu Xa Doai village, Noi Bai commune, Hanoi City

Phu Xa Doai Communal House is located on a plot in the west of Phu Xa Doai village, facing south-southwest, with the Ca Lo River in front. The name 'Phu Xa' appeared in the 15th century: according to steles and historical books, Mr. Phu Thuc Hoanh, a villager who held the position of Hanlin Academician and Rector of the Imperial Academy under King Le Thanh Tong (1460–1497), asked the king to change the name of the old Nom village (also called Nam village) to Phu Xa for greater elegance; his wife, Ngo Chi Lan, a famous contemporary female scholar known for her literary talent, also contributed to building the homeland.

The communal house worships the village tutelary deity, Marshal Quoc Ta Vuong Le Phung Hieu – a loyal military mandarin to the country, a famous general at the beginning of the Ly dynasty, and two later deities Le Huy Dang and Le Khac Hy. Marshal Quoc Ta Vuong Le Phung Hieu was from Bang Son village (now in Hoang Hoa commune, Thanh Hoa province); he had extraordinary strength and was recruited into the palace guard from the beginning of King Ly Thai To's reign, promoted to the rank of Vu Ve General, commanding the court's soldiers. In 1028, when the three princes Duc Thanh, Vu Duc, and Dong Chinh rebelled to compete for the throne of King Ly Thai Tong, Le Phung Hieu was given full authority by the king to suppress the rebellion and protect the throne; the king conferred on him the title of Do thong thuong tuong quan – the highest military official and supreme commander of the Ly army – together with the title of Marquis. In 1044, under Ly Thai Tong, he served as vanguard general in the campaign against Champa, securing the southern border. Later Tran kings continued to confer on him the titles Do thong khuong quoc vuong and Do thong khuong quoc ta thanh vuong. Because of his great merits in stabilizing the court and securing the nation's borders, he was rewarded by the court and king with many titles and lands, and the legend of 'thac dao dien' is still passed down today. He became a deity on the 4th day of the 4th lunar month, at the age of 77. To remember his great contributions to the court and the country, the court allowed many places to worship him. Phu Xa Doai village is one of very few places in Hanoi that still worships Le Phung Hieu as its tutelary deity.

Not only an ancient relic, Phu Xa Doai Communal House also bears traces of many revolutionary events: in the early years of the revolutionary government (from August 1945), the communal house was regularly a place for meetings and activities of the government and mass organizations; in 1954–1955 it was used as an agricultural tax grain warehouse for Phuc Yen province, and later as a school; from 1958–1962 it hosted cultural and agricultural technical supplementary classes for the whole province; in 1965–1967 it was a convalescent camp for wounded and sick soldiers, an army surgical station, and a weapons depot for Noi Bai combat airfield; in 1967 a Soviet expert delegation came to help and was accommodated at the communal house. In particular, exactly on the first day of the Dinh Mui Lunar New Year (09/02/1967), President Ho Chi Minh visited, greeted, and wished a Happy New Year to the Soviet experts and cadres and soldiers on duty at the communal house.

At present, the construction date of the communal house has not been clearly determined, but the largest restoration and repair in its history took place in the 37th year of Canh Hung (1776). Due to war destruction and natural disasters and fires, especially the flood in the 7th year of Duy Tan (1913), many architectural parts of the communal house were damaged. Afterwards, the people restored and expanded the scale and architecture of the communal house. The most recent restoration was completed in 2025. The communal house still preserves many precious artifacts, such as five sets of long thrones and memorial tablets, three sets of eight-carried palanquins, four stone steles, and one bronze bell. In particular, the communal house has a large blue-stone scroll with finely carved motifs.

With its great historical and cultural values, Phu Xa Doai Communal House was ranked as a National-level Relic under Decision No. 2009/QD dated 15/11/1991 of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Sports.

The communal house gate is built in the familiar pillar style (bronze pillar) of Northern village communal house architecture, consisting of two large brick pillars with square cross-sections; the pillar bodies are painted blue-gray and rise high to frame the main entrance. The top of each pillar narrows gradually into a multi-tiered lantern shape, topped with a pair of nghê (mythical lions) facing each other in symmetry; the lantern section and pillar neck are decorated with relief patterns, below which are panels and couplets in Han characters running along the pillar body, praising the deity's merits and the village's traditions. Between the two pillars is a two-leaf iron gate, with frames and bars bent into stylized patterns, both protecting and keeping the view from outside open. Through the gate frame, the sacred axis opens straight: first a wide brick-paved yard, then the stone scroll placed in the middle of the yard, then the Tien Te building and the Dai Dinh inside, creating depth and solemnity for the whole. On both sides, the gate connects with a surrounding wall and lower auxiliary pillars, enclosing the relic site. Located at the start of the main axis, the communal house gate is both the boundary between sacred and everyday space and the opening architectural highlight, orienting the entire layout of the relic site toward the south, looking out to the Ca Lo River.

From the gate inward is the wide communal house courtyard; the yard surface is paved with large square bricks (stones), laid in even straight joints, interspersed with darker slabs that create rhythm for the ground; this is the space for gathering, ritual ceremonies, and village community festivals on festive occasions. In the center of the yard, on the sacred axis connecting the gate with the Dai Bai building, stands a scroll (screen), a precious and representative artifact of the relic, made in 1914 to replace the old scroll damaged by the flood in the Quy Ty year (1893). The scroll is assembled from large blocks of blue stone; on both sides are square pillars topped with fully carved lions; the right face has two flaps carved in relief with a pair of tigers flanking and the four seasons motif with miniature landscapes; in the center is a scroll shape with folded sides, carved in relief with a vivid, elaborate set of four sacred creatures: dragon, ly, turtle, and phoenix; the two folded sides of the scroll are carved in relief with the four seasons motif interspersed with raised 'Longevity' characters. Below is a wooden platform style with kneeled legs, a frieze carved with dragon transformations, and above is a relief carving of a dragon in full body adoring the moon. Placed in the middle of the yard, the stone scroll both serves as a screen to shield and retain energy for the main building according to feng shui beliefs, and is a distinctive stone sculpture that forms the central focal point of the whole yard. Surrounding the yard are trees and a lighting pole system; across the yard, steps lead up to the Tien Te building, closing the opening spatial layer before entering the main worship area.

Tien Te is the horizontal building in front, standing before the Dai Dinh; it is where ritual offerings are prepared and arranged and where the village's incense-offering ceremonies are held. The building is made in an open-house style: the front is left airy, without a solid wall, with only a row of wooden veranda columns, smooth round shafts set on stone bases, so that worshippers from the yard can see straight inside. The roof is covered with red-brown Vietnamese tiles, with a gentle slope; the ridge and two ends are neatly built, and the roof corners form slightly projecting dao according to traditional communal house roof style, imposing yet graceful. Before the Tien Te threshold, on the main axis, is placed a large carved stone incense burner (ding), flanked by a pair of stone lamps and ornamental plants, with a pair of stone elephants kneeling at the steps, creating a solemn atmosphere for the entrance. The Tien Te floor is raised above the yard, with stone steps leading up; the interior connects with the central bay of the Dai Dinh behind, forming a continuous ritual axis from outside to inside. With its position and function, Tien Te in the layout of a Northern Delta communal house plays the role of the 'offering house' — a transitional space between the open yard and the enclosed Dai Dinh, where most ritual activities take place before worshipping the tutelary deity in the inner building.

The Dai Dinh has 7 bays and 2 side wings, surrounded by a wide veranda, with four roofs and four moderately curved corners; the bays are arranged unevenly. The entire Dai Dinh frame consists of 60 columns, mainly of lim wood, of unequal sizes — the central main columns are the largest, up to 50 cm in diameter; the military columns are smaller, and the veranda columns are about 35–45 cm; all column bases are set on blue stone blocks buried under the brick floor. The three middle bays are fitted with doors; the central bay has a large old door with wheels, while the side bays and wings have old brick walls with ventilation bars above, and the surrounding walls are built with bricks to create ventilation. The Dai Dinh floor is moderately high, entirely paved with bricks, and the roof is covered with fish-scale tiles.

It is designed with 6 rows of columns and 10 roof trusses, each truss with 6 columns, very sturdy, strong, and balanced. The trusses follow a unified design: upper beam frame, middle stacked beams, lower veranda brackets; some rear trusses have belly tie-beams. Two trusses are similarly designed with a combination of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal beams creating sturdy right-triangle systems; the horizontal and vertical beams support the curved roofs resting on four stone columns at the four corners of the communal house. In two bays of the Dai Dinh, recessed walls form two small shrines.

Most of the dau du (beam-end carvings) of the communal house are decorated with dragon heads using openwork, raised, pierced, relief, and half-round carving techniques — vivid, diverse, and clearly bearing the imprint of 18th-century art. A characteristic feature of the dau du is the spreading hair tail, folded in an S shape extending backward; the dragon body is made in the 'saddle dragon' style, with the body coiling both inside and outside, surrounded by a mane, beard, and spreading hair. The dau du have different appearances and ways of description: some have scales and smooth bodies, some have neck rings; dragon feet are made fierce with toes extending around to hold the mane and hair or embracing bodhi-leaf shapes; the upper jaw is spread thin, eyes upturned, mouth holding a jewel.

The carved panels on the stacked beams are mainly dragon reliefs combined with the four sacred creatures (dragon, ly, turtle, phoenix) and the four seasons; in some places there are also carvings of natural birds and animals such as deer, stag, and rat in a simple stylized manner — possibly a survival of the previous century's art that the artisans still loved to carve on the communal house. In particular, the two main columns of the central truss are carved with two tiger symbols bearing distinctive features of the Later Le period: high relief of spreading mane and hair, bulging eyes, lion nose, wide mouth with bared teeth holding the character 'Longevity' hidden, below the seal is a three-lobed bodhi leaf — elaborate and attached to the column body, rarely seen in other communal houses. At the rear of the communal house, there are also wooden panels enclosing two side tie-beams, carved with stacked beams and images mainly of the four sacred creatures; in some places are carvings of phoenixes playing in clouds, dragons rolling in water combined with carp transforming into dragons; at the two rear gable ends of the Hau Cung are two tiger symbols, thickly applied with paint, adding beauty to the exterior of the communal house.

The Thieu Huong house connects the Dai Dinh with the Hau Cung; it has 3 bays and 3 trusses: the middle truss has two separate columns, and the two side trusses rest on the Dai Dinh and the columns of the Hau Cung, with a structure of the 'upper beam, lower bracket' type — columns sit on round pillars so that the side beams rest on the wall, and the large side beams rest on the Dai Dinh veranda columns and the auxiliary columns of the Hau Cung. The truss adjoining the Thieu Huong and Hau Cung is enclosed with a curved panel, with small folding doors above and below on the wall before the Hau Cung altar niche.

In the middle of the Thieu Huong house, from inside to the outer main column of the Dai Dinh, a high altar platform 80 cm above the Dai Dinh floor is built and paved with bricks as the communal house's common altar; on both sides are two low walkways at the same level as the Dai Dinh floor, and steps lead up to the Hau Cung. In the communal house architecture of the Northern Delta, the Thieu Huong house (also called the tube house or bridge house) is usually an item connecting the Dai Dinh with the Hau Cung, functioning as a buffer space for burning incense and placing ritual objects during important ceremonies; due to its small scale and simpler structure than the Dai Dinh, it is the transition between the community activity space outside and the solemn worship space inside.

The Hau Cung has a floor as high as the brick platform of the Thieu Huong house; it consists of 3 bays and 4 trusses with 16 columns, the columns being small like the veranda columns of the Dai Dinh. The structure has 4 rows of columns in the style of a closed gable with side arms; the trusses follow the style of a narrow upper beam, long middle bracket, and lower veranda bracket resting on the wall. At the 4 central columns and extending to the column adjoining the Thieu Huong house, wooden panels enclose a sealed altar niche; below, boards are laid tightly, up to 1.55 m above the floor, with two steps outside, the outer step 20 cm lower than the inner step. With its floor raised clearly above other items and the system of wooden panels enclosing the middle bay into an altar niche, the Hau Cung clearly expresses its sacred, isolated character — only elders or those responsible for rituals may enter to perform ceremonies directly on ordinary days.

The Thieu Huong house and Hau Cung spaces of Phu Xa Doai Communal House still preserve quite fully a system of ancient worship objects: 4 royal edicts from the Nguyen dynasty; 2 horizontal plaques, 3 stone steles, 4 pairs of wooden couplets; 5 beautifully lacquered and gilded wooden worship thrones, still complete with throne arms, intentions, and trays — of which 3 thrones are earlier and 2 were made in the 19th century; 2 memorial tablets and two ancient hats; two sets of eight-carried palanquins including full poles and long dinh roofs made of lacquered and gilded wood, carved very elaborately, a distinctive 19th-century art; two wooden ritual objects of 19th-century art; two incense tables placed at the middle and lower altars, carved with beautiful decorative motifs around them, especially on the front and back, 19th-century art; one bronze bell cast in 1927, one musical stone (khanh) cast in 1924; one worship platform of the kneeled-leg and fish-scale style; together with a pair of stone elephants with brick cores covered with lime and molasses placed in the yard, and some blue stone column bases carved with bodhi-leaf motifs of 18th-century art.

The Martyrs' Stele House is a memorial work located within the relic site, built to honor the local heroes and martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the Fatherland. The stele house is a small one-bay building with a square plan, open on four sides; the frame consists of four round white-painted columns, with bases shaped like lotus platforms, and column tops and moldings painted gray. The roof is covered with red tiles, the ridge is neatly built and bears the national flag; the front roof fascia bears a red plaque with yellow characters 'TỔ QUỐC GHI CÔNG' (The Fatherland Records the Merit), flanked by stylized cloud motifs in relief. In the center of the house, on a granite base, stands a large black stone stele: the top of the stele is carved with the national emblem, and the body is engraved in sunk relief and gilded with the list of the village's martyrs and a solemn heading. In front of the stele are an incense bowl, a flower vase, and an offering tray for people to offer incense in remembrance. The floor is raised, with a three-step stone stair leading up, surrounded by red brick paving and a low flower wall, with shady trees, creating a solemn yet warm space. Placing the Martyrs' Stele House within the communal house grounds expresses the continuation of the tradition of 'remembering the source when drinking water', linking the space of worship of the tutelary deity with the moral duty of gratitude to the children of the homeland who fell in the cause of protecting the country.

The statue of President Ho Chi Minh is placed in a separate, solemn, and tree-shaded area, associated with the memorial significance of the leader in this land. On the main axis, a red-brick ceremonial yard stretches to the statue area; at the end of the yard, stone steps lead up to the statue pedestal. The pedestal forms a solid rectangular block of dark granite, with a nameplate on the front; on the pedestal is a statue of Uncle Ho standing, one hand raised in greeting — a close and beloved figure that radiates an optimistic and confident spirit. In front of the pedestal is a large stone incense burner (ding) for offering incense; on both sides are a pair of stone lamps, ornamental plants, and a lighting pole system with round globe-shaped lamps, making the statue area both solemn and harmonious with the landscape. Surrounding the area are canopies of ancient trees and a light-colored enclosing wall, creating a cool, quiet green backdrop that enhances the majesty of the statue. This area recalls the special historical mark of Phu Xa Doai Communal House — where, exactly on the first day of the Dinh Mui Lunar New Year (09/02/1967), President Ho Chi Minh visited, greeted, and wished a Happy New Year to the Soviet expert delegation and our cadres and soldiers on duty at the communal house; therefore, his statue within the relic site is not only a memorial work but also a symbol reminding of the precious memorial event associated with Uncle Ho.

With a system of ancient relics preserved along with a grand architectural scale, Phu Xa Doai Communal House is regarded as one of the communal houses with large and beautiful architecture in Noi Bai Commune and one of the valuable and beautiful architectural relics of Hanoi, associated with the worship of the famous general Le Phung Hieu.

The Phu Xa Doai Communal House Festival is held on the 12th day of the 10th lunar month every year to celebrate a successful harvest. The festival usually lasts 3 days (the afternoon of the 11th is the moc duc ceremony, the 12th is the main festival, and the 13th is the te gia ceremony). Under the feudal regime, the palanquin procession was only taken to the Tam Tong communal festival according to the regulations of the three cantons (Phu Xa Canton, Phu Lo Canton and Xuan Non Canton). Today, according to the village convention, a palanquin procession around the village is organized once every 5 years to create the atmosphere of a traditional festival and to pray for peace for the people and prosperity. Before the festival, the communal house is swept and the altar objects are solemnly cleaned; on the main festival day, elders and representatives of clans in the village gather at the communal house to perform the ceremony to the Saint, offer incense and offerings, and review His merits to the people and the country. The festival part usually takes place vibrantly with palanquin processions, ceremonies, and traditional folk games and cultural activities, attracting a large number of local people and children who have moved away to return. The village festival is both an occasion to strengthen community bonds and an expression of the moral principle of 'when drinking water, remember its source', preserving and passing on the beautiful cultural features of the homeland.