Phuc Tho Communal House

Based on the deity genealogy, royal edicts, and surviving relics, Phuc Tho Communal House was built during the Le Trung Hung period. In the Nguyen period, it was renovated and repaired several times; after each repair, the villagers erected steles recording the events and praising those with merit. In 1996, the communal house was extensively repaired on the old foundation. In 2007, Dao Ky's tomb was restored on a scale that remains intact today. Phuc Tho Communal House is located on a large, open plot of land. In front is a large pond leading to the ceremonial gate, courtyard and garden, and the main architectural area comprising the main communal house, tao mac, and auxiliary works. The communal house's ceremonial gate is built in the traditional four-pillar style with three entrances to the relic. Behind the ceremonial gate is a large courtyard paved with brick; on the right is the front hall and a stele house with overlapping-eave roofing, two tiers and eight roofs. Running along the left in front of the front hall is a four-bay tao soan range with traditional tiled roof. The main communal house is built on a foundation 50 cm higher than the surroundings. The ground plan is in the form of the character "đinh" including the front hall and rear sanctuary. The front hall of Phuc Tho Communal House is a three-bay, two-wing horizontal building with a traditional tiled roof; in the middle of the roof ridge is molded decoration with the theme "Two dragons flanking the moon". In front, three doors open in the three central bays. On the trusses are decorations of overlapping-leaf patterns; the tie beams are carved with themes of the four sacred creatures, four precious plants, and seal-script motifs... The rear sanctuary is a two-bay building running lengthwise and connected to the central bay of the front hall; it is built with gable walls with closed ends and a traditional tiled roof. The innermost central bay of the rear sanctuary contains the throne and memorial tablet of General Dao Ky and Princess Phuong Dung. In front is an ancient stone incense bowl; below the throne is a set of bronze ding, incense bowl, candlestick, and other ritual objects. In front of the rear sanctuary is also arranged a system of relics such as: a scroll-shaped plaque, incense table, ceremonial stand, eight treasures, and some ritual objects used in daily ceremonies, with openwork and high-relief carving of the four sacred creatures and four precious plants in the artistic style of the 19th and 20th centuries. On the communal house's relics such as the incense table, dragon throne, memorial tablet, scroll-shaped plaque, curtain door, y mon... the main decorative themes are dragons facing the sun, lime flowers, lotus petals, and interlaced floral vine and cloud patterns in the artistic style of the 19th-20th centuries. The stone steles and incense burners are mostly artifacts in the artistic style of the 19th-20th centuries.

In 1945, Phuc Tho Communal House was the place where the commune's provisional revolutionary government was established. During the nine-year resistance war against the French colonialists, the communal house was a meeting and activity place for hamlet and commune guerrillas. During the resistance war against the Americans, many agencies and units from Hanoi evacuated to Phuc Tho Communal House.