Thac Qua Communal House

Thac Qua Communal House is in Thac Qua Hamlet, Duc Tu Commune, now Phuc Hau Hamlet, Dong Anh Commune, Hanoi City. Thac Qua Hamlet has land shaped like a crouching elephant. According to legend, the village lies on the elephant's body, the communal house is the elephant's head, and the well near the communal house is the elephant's eye. The road from the communal house to the Ngu Huyen Khe River is the elephant's trunk. Thac Qua formerly lay between two rivers, Co Giang and Hoang Giang (that is, the Ngu Huyen Khe River). In June 1961, the present Duc Tu Commune was officially established under Dong Anh District, Hanoi. Duc Tu Commune consists of seven hamlets: Duc Tu, Dinh Trang, Dong Dau, Ly Nhan, Nghia Vu, Ngoc Loi, and Thac Qua. Based on the divine records, edicts, architecture, and artifacts still preserved at the relic, it can be inferred that Thac Qua Communal House was built during the Le dynasty (17th-18th centuries), and during the Nguyen dynasty it was restored and repaired while retaining its architecture to this day. Thac Qua Communal House worships the village tutelary deities Zhao Wu Emperor (Zhao Tuo), Linh Quang Great King, and Cu Luong and Cu Tuong Great Kings.

Zhao Wu Emperor (Zhao Tuo) was born on the 1st day of the 4th month of the Yisi year; his parents were Zhao De and Dao Thi Hoan in Zhending, Binh Son District, China. When young, he was intelligent and studied military books and martial arts very well; when grown, he served as an official under the Qin dynasty. In the Yihai year (the 33rd year of Qin Shi Huang), Zhao Tuo was appointed by Qin as Long Xuyen Magistrate in Guilin, Nanhai, and Xiang Commandery. Legend says that there he married Ms. Trinh Thi Lan. In the Xinmao year, the 48th year of Thuc Vuong, Zhao Tuo invaded Au Lac and founded Nam Viet, ascended the throne, and established the capital at Panyu (Guangdong, China), calling himself Zhao Wu Emperor and contending for power with the Han dynasty (which had then replaced Qin). Zhao Tuo reigned as ruler of Nam Viet until he died on the 6th day of the 8th month of the Jiachen year, passing the throne to his son; after a time it was invaded by Han, ending the existence of Nam Viet. The reigns of Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh

(980); Emperor Ly Thai To (1010), Emperor Ly Anh Tong (1159); Emperor Tran Thai Ton (1225) all issued edicts permitting Thac Qua villagers to worship him because of his merit in spiritually assisting in defeating invaders. King Le Thanh Tong in 1470, when going to fight Champa, personally came to the communal house to secretly pray and request the divine flag to bolster military prestige. After defeating Champa, he returned to the communal house to offer thanksgiving and granted additional worship fields. Thac Qua - Duc Tu Commune has maintained the custom of worshipping Zhao Wu Emperor from ancient times to today.

Linh Quang, Cu Luong, and Cu Tuong Great Kings. According to the divine records, they are all celestial spirits who secretly helped the country and people and were very efficacious, and were granted beautiful titles by various dynasties. Linh Quang was granted by Emperor Dong Khanh in the 2nd year, 1887, the title Quang Hau Chinh Truc Huu Thien Don Ngung Ban Canh Thanh Hoang Linh Quang Chi Than. The gods Cu Luong and Cu Tuong Great Kings were granted the title Linh Phu Duc Bao Trung Hung Ton Than. Permission was granted for Thac Qua Commune, Tu Son Prefecture, Bac Ninh Province to worship them.

The communal house was built around the 17th-18th centuries and restored under the Nguyen dynasty. It is located on the central land of the village, facing southeast, with a large pond in front; behind the nghi mon gate is a yard paved with Bat Trang bricks. The communal house has an architectural layout in the shape of the character “đinh” comprising: the nghi mon gate, the tao mac house, the dai dinh, and the hau cung.

The nghi mon is a three-entrance, four-pillar gate comprising three doors: one large central door symmetrically placed in the middle and two small doors on either side. The large central door is formed by two large pillars with lantern panels; the pillar tops are decorated with phoenixes facing inward, with the four sacred creatures motif (dragon, unicorn, turtle, phoenix); the pillar bodies bear raised Chinese-character couplets praising the beautiful scenery and sacredness of the relic. Connected to the large door are two small pillars on either side forming arched small doors, built in two tiers with curved eaves; the lantern panels are decorated with the four sacred creatures. Continuing on both sides are walls and two small pillars forming a screen decorated with the four seasons motif both outside and inside, with unicorns facing inward on top of the pillars.

Through the nghi mon gate is a large brick-paved yard; on both sides are two rows of tao mac houses with three compartments and two wings, with closed gable walls, roofed with local tiles; the roof-supporting framework is in the chong ruong style, decorated with leaf patterns and beaded edges, and the floor is paved with Bat Trang bricks.

The dai bai building has three compartments and two wings, with curved, blade-shaped roofs. The three central compartments have folding panel doors; the two side compartments have brick walls with openings in the shape of the character “tho”, and a brick floor. In the middle of the ridge is a pair of dragons facing the moon. The communal house has eight dau du carved with dragons in the artistic style of the 18th century. The con panels are decorated with the four sacred creatures and four seasons. The central compartment of the dai dinh is lavishly arranged, with a wooden curtain door lacquered red and gilded; the top is decorated with a dragon facing the moon, the middle is a horizontal plaque “Long live the sacred palace”, with dragons rolling in water on both sides; below the curtain door are decorations of a tiger emblem and the four sacred creatures in vivid poses along with dragons facing, phoenixes dancing, and a turtle carrying a book. Below the curtain door is an altar decorated with the motif of two dragons facing the moon, four seasons, and tiger emblem; on the altar are a five-piece ritual set including a censer, crane, bronze lamp, and vase. Inside the altar is a set of wooden weapons lacquered red and gilded. On both sides of the altar are stands for the eight treasures, flag stands…

The hau cung has three compartments and one duoc, built protruding with the central compartment of the dai bai extending backward to form the shape of the character “đinh”, with closed gable walls, roofed with local tiles, and the ridge built in the communal-house ridge style. Decoration on the architecture is simple, mainly smooth planing and close-fitting joints.

The hau cung is arranged on a brick altar with a dragon throne and the deity's tablet, and a ritual set including a five-piece set, flower vases, incense bowls, and water vessels, all made of bronze. The ritual objects are arranged in front of and on both sides of the throne. The communal house still preserves a book of divine records. In particular, there are 12 copies of divine edicts from the Nguyen dynasty reproducing the content of the divine records; a palanquin pole carved with dragons; 5 horizontal plaques, eight treasures, worship thrones, tablets, and many couplets; the long dinh palanquin set, all lacquered red and gilded exquisitely, along with carved panels in folk art style such as a fairy riding a dragon, a person playing the flute, Buddha statues, and dancer statues made in the 17th-18th centuries.

Thac Qua Village holds its festival on the 11th-12th days of the first lunar month to commemorate Zhao Wu Emperor, Linh Quang, Cu Luong, and Cu Tuong Great Kings. The village festival is organized very solemnly with all traditional rituals. In some years the festival lasts from the 12th to the 15th day of the first lunar month. The ritual part includes solemn offerings. Since ancient times, buffaloes have been slaughtered to sacrifice to the gods. Nowadays the offering ritual to the Saints is performed with offerings of sticky rice and chicken or a pig's head. When the village enters the festival, from early morning on the 12th day of the first lunar month the communal house doors are wide open, and the festival committee has prepared incense and candles fully on the altars and thrones. On this day, villagers working far away, no matter how busy, make time to return to their homeland to offer rituals to the Saints, attend the village festival, and join the festival activities with folk games and artistic performances.

Before the August Revolution of 1945, Thac Qua Communal House witnessed comrades Do Van Sam and Nguyen Van Vinh propagandizing the policies of the Viet Minh Front, laying the foundation for the struggle to seize power for the people. After the success of the August Revolution, the communal house was the place where the provisional revolutionary government was introduced. During the resistance war against the French colonialists, the communal house was also a base for the commune's guerrilla team; during the years of resistance against the destructive war of the American imperialists, Thac Qua Communal House was an evacuation site for agencies in the inner city and a station for military units.

With its historical, cultural, and architectural-artistic values, Thac Qua Communal House was ranked at national level under Decision No. 3526/QD-BVHTTDL dated November 1, 2011.