Thanh Sam Communal House

Based on the Ngoc pha copied by the Quan giam bach than tri dien, Hung linh thieu khanh, along with collected Han-Nom field documents and survey findings, Thanh Sam Communal House worships two superior-rank deities. At the beginning of the Ly dynasty, in Qua Village, Quoc Oai Prefecture, Tu Liem District, there was a Tran family named Minh Thien. Minh Thien married Nguyen Thi Xuong, a woman from the same district. They had two children: a son named Quang Oai and a daughter named Lieu Nuong. When they grew up, Quang Oai distinguished himself by defeating the Cham army that invaded the south of our country. Lieu Nuong was conferred the title of princess by the King. With a compassionate heart, she helped many poor and suffering people.

After the two deities passed away, the villagers worshipped them as the village tutelary god.

The communal house faces southwest and has a Dinh-shaped architectural structure; in addition to the main structures, the Dai bai great worship hall and Hau cung rear sanctuary, there are other auxiliary structures such as the nghi mon ceremonial gate, the left and right vu rows, and a spacious courtyard and garden.

On both sides are the left and right vu rows with six bays. The front is left open, while the rear is enclosed with a simple tie-beam structure. This is where officials prepared their ceremonial robes before entering the sacrifice, and also where villagers prepared offerings to the tutelary god. The Dai bai is the place for rituals, cultural and religious activities, etc. This communal house has three main bays and two side bays, with brick gable walls and four sloping roofs covered with ri tiles. This great hall has a fairly large area and space; behind it is connected to the Hau cung with an altar and ritual objects in front, creating a sacred atmosphere, while the side bays are spacious, creating an imposing and solemn appearance. In addition, the great hall is an open structure, extending out to the spacious outdoor communal courtyard.

Thanh Sam Communal House still preserves many rare artifacts made of various materials, and through research on these artifacts, together with the village communal house, we gain more understanding of ancient carving art and the long-standing cultural tradition of the Thanh Sam villagers. Currently, Thanh Sam Communal House still keeps artifacts such as: a set of bat buu eight treasures, a wooden altar, a wooden crane, a large drum, a bronze bell, a white horse, parallel sentences, horizontal plaques, a palanquin, a bronze ding, Tho Ha ceramic incense bowls, a chest for the tutelary god's robes and hats, royal edicts, jade genealogies, etc.

Thanh Sam Communal House was ranked as a historical-cultural relic by the People's Committee of Ha Tay Province in 2008.