Thuan Nghe Communal House, Son Tay Ward, Hanoi City

Thuan Nghe Communal House, also known by its Sino-Vietnamese name as Duc Chi Thuan, is a folk belief relic with a long history, closely associated with the cultural and spiritual life of the people of ancient Thuan Nghe village, now belonging to Thuan Nghe residential group, Son Tay Ward, Hanoi City. With an area of more than 1,100 m², the communal house is not only a place to worship the village tutelary deity but also a space for spiritual cultural activities, contributing to preserving and promoting the fine traditional values of the homeland.

Thuan Nghe Communal House is located on high, beautiful ground, in the central position of ancient Thuan Nghe village and faces west. In front of the communal house is Phung Khac Khoan Street, behind it is the pagoda
Thuan Nghe. This location creates a distinctive spiritual cultural space, linking the communal house and pagoda with the daily life of the local residential community.

Thuan Nghe Communal House is a folk belief relic of the village communal house type, where the village tutelary deity is worshipped. The main object of worship at the communal house is the Three Holy Tan Vien Son deities – deities associated with the legend of Saint Tan Vien, one of the typical deities in Vietnamese folk belief. He is honored as a hero who had merits in fighting enemies to defend the country, controlling floods, helping the people stabilize their lives and develop production. The belief in worshipping Saint Tan Vien deeply expresses the moral principle of remembering the source when drinking water, gratitude to predecessors who contributed to the country, and also reflects the aspiration for a peaceful, prosperous life of the agricultural community.

Regarding architecture, the communal house was built according to a traditional layout, including main items: Dai Bai (main hall), Hau Cung (rear shrine), left and right corridors, and the communal house gate in front. In addition, the relic still preserves 01 ancient well, contributing to its ancient appearance and reflecting the cultural life imprint of traditional Vietnamese villages. The architectural works and items of the communal house are evidence of the formation, existence, and development of the Thuan Nghe village community over many generations.

One of the outstanding values of Thuan Nghe Communal House is its system of artifacts and antiquities of historical and cultural significance. In particular, the communal house still preserves 5 royal edicts from the reigns of Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Dong Khanh, and Khai Dinh. These are valuable documents, contributing to understanding the history of formation and development of the relic, the belief in worshipping the village tutelary deity, as well as the concern of feudal dynasties for the religious life of the people. The artifacts preserved at the communal house also express the reverence, respect, and awareness of preserving heritage of generations of local people.

With typical historical, cultural, and religious values, on February 4, 2003, Thuan Nghe Communal House was ranked as a provincial-level relic by the People's Committee of Ha Tay Province. The ranking
is a recognition of the values of the relic, and at the same time places responsibility on the authorities and community in preserving, restoring, and promoting the traditional cultural heritage.

Every year, the traditional festival of the communal house is held on the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month, attracting the attention and participation of local people. This is an occasion for the community to remember the merits of the tutelary deities, express gratitude to predecessors, pray for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, and a warm, happy life; at the same time, it strengthens solidarity and cohesion within the residential community.

The Thuan Nghe Communal House festival also has important significance in educating historical traditions, nurturing hometown pride and the sense of responsibility of generations, especially the
younger generation, in preserving the national cultural identity. Through ceremonies and traditional activities, cultural values, the moral principle of remembering the source when drinking water, and the beauty in the spiritual life of the people are continued and passed down from generation to generation.