PHUONG QUE COMMUNAL HOUSE

Phuong Que Communal House is located in Phuong Que Village, Hong Van Commune, Hanoi City; it previously belonged to Lien Phuong Commune, Thuong Tin District. The communal house stands in the central area of the village and is an important religious structure, closely tied to the cultural and spiritual life of local people over many generations. Phuong Que is also one of the ancient place names preserved by Hong Van Commune during the current rearrangement of villages and hamlets.

Phuong Que Communal House worships Cao Son Quoc Chu Dai Vuong, the tutelary deity revered by the local people. According to the legend handed down, Cao Son Dai Vuong was named Hien, with the courtesy name Cuu Truong. After traveling to many places, he came to the land of Phuong Que, found the soil fertile and the scenery lush, and stopped there, guiding the people in transplanting and agricultural production. After he passed away, the king, remembering his merits, conferred on him the title Cao Son Quoc Chua Dai Vuong and the posthumous title Trung Trinh. Therefore, the image of Cao Son Dai Vuong in local beliefs is associated with land reclamation, guidance in production, and support for the people's lives.

The communal house has the typical traditional architecture of a Northern Vietnamese village communal house, comprising the Nghi Mon (ceremonial gate), Dai Bai (main hall), left and right corridors, Trung Cung (central chamber), and Hau Cung (rear chamber). The Nghi Mon was built on a large scale with three passageways and a system of pillars. The Dai Bai hall consists of five bays and two side bays, with a roof covered in ri tiles, and inside there is a system of columns and wooden roof trusses carved elaborately. In particular, the communal house still has a door curtain dating from the 17th century and many panels of woodcarving in artistic styles from the Le to the Nguyen dynasties.

The communal house currently preserves many valuable artifacts, such as two sets of palanquins from the Le dynasty, two sets of dragon thrones and spirit tablets from the Le dynasty, a horizontal plaque from the Nguyen dynasty, a stone stele “Hau than bi ky” erected in the first year of Gia Long (1802), a bronze bell cast in the second year of Duy Tan (1902), and a system of royal edicts dating from the 17th century to the early 20th century. These relics help demonstrate the long history and the cultural and artistic value of the site. Phuong Que Communal House was ranked as a historical-cultural relic in 2008.

Every year, the Phuong Que Village Festival is held from the 12th to the 16th day of the third lunar month, with the 15th day of the third lunar month being the main festival day, associated with the birthday of the tutelary deity Cao Son Dai Vuong. The ceremonial part includes palanquin procession and offering rituals; the festive part includes cultural, artistic, and sports activities and folk games.

In particular, Phuong Que is also associated with the Tutelary Deity Procession Festival of Ha Hoi Canton – a large-scale religious activity of the former Ha Hoi region. On the 16th day of the third lunar month, the villages in the canton organize a palanquin procession to the canton temple in Phuong Que to perform the grand sacrifice. The procession includes dragon palanquins, ceremonial umbrellas, drums, an eight-tone band, and the participation of many villages in the area. After the ceremony are joyful festival activities, performances, and folk games. This is a distinctive cultural feature expressing community cohesion among villages that together worship the tutelary deity Cao Son.

With its values in history, architecture, art, and folk beliefs, Phuong Que Communal House is an important relic of Hong Van Commune, contributing to preserving traces of the history of village formation and the traditional cultural life of the local community.