Quang Nguyen Communal House

Quang Nguyen Communal House is a relatively large and imposing architectural work from the late Le and early Nguyen periods. The main communal house is built in the 'nhi' character layout, comprising the Dai Bai (main worship hall) and Hau Cung (rear sanctuary). The Dai Bai is a large three-bay, two-wing side building; this structure dates from the Nguyen period. The upper ridge beam still clearly records the first year of the Thieu Tri era (1841). The roof trusses are mainly made in the 'chong ruong con nhi' style. The hidden columns are high so that the short roof beams, mortised at one end and extending at the other to support the upper and lower purlins, comprise all 10 purlin rows. Noteworthy here are the rather large dau dau (beam ends), proportioned with a square capital tapering at the base, which few Nguyen-period communal houses retain. From the main column to the military column there are 5 purlin rows; the central bay has a panel made in the 'chong ruong' style without a capital, decorated with leaf patterns. Also, the central bay and the gable-end trusses have bay arms, while the two side-bay trusses use axial ties. On the gable-end panel, a tiger-tally motif holding the character 'tho' (longevity) is carved with strong, decisive strokes that impress the viewer. On the panel of the central bay, the four sacred creatures are carved in high relief. These carved areas seem to emphasize strength; behind the panels, the carvings depict the four noble plants, elegant and interspersed with elephants, banana trees, and a toad with the moon facing the wind, with gentle, refined carving that still carries a rustic quality.

The Hau Cung is a separate one-bay, two-wing building; its trusses are made in the 'chong ruong' style, decorated with patterns and four sacred creature motifs. Through the folding-door system into the Hau Cung, above hangs a horizontal plaque bearing four Chinese characters: 'Thanh cung van tue' and 'My tuc kha phong'. Noteworthy is the scroll placed on the regular beam bearing the ninth year of Thieu Tri (1850). In fact, Thieu Tri reigned for six years (1841-1847), followed by Tu Duc (1848-1883); therefore this era name remains an unclear point. In the Hau Cung are worshipped five dragon thrones and three spirit tablets for three tutelary deities: Dong Cu Dai Vuong, a general of Dinh Tien Hoang; Khong Dong Ton Than Dai Tuong Quan; and Vinh Thai Kieu Trung Dang Than, a general of the Mac dynasty. In addition, the communal house also worships Lady Le Thi My Thai, who was the wife of My Anh.

Quang Nguyen Communal House was ranked as an architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1988