Xuan Do Thuong Communal House

The village communal house, as one of the components constituting cultural heritage, over time has become one of the cultural symbols of Vietnamese villages. Xuan Do Thuong Communal House, a relic in Cu Khoi Ward (former), now Long Bien Ward, Hanoi City, carries many typical values and is also a place for spiritual and cultural activities of the community.

The communal house is located in the middle of a residential area, facing southeast, with a fairly spacious and airy grounds; especially to the right of the communal house is an ecological water well, dotted with rows of trees whose reflections glitter on the water surface, creating a poetic, fresh, and open landscape that enhances the beauty of the relic. The communal house includes the main items: Ceremonial Gate, Main Worship Hall, and Rear Sanctuary, on a ground plan with the front in the shape of the character Nhat and the rear in the shape of the character Dinh. The Ceremonial Gate is built in pillar style with three passages. The Main Hall is a imposing horizontal building with a structure of three bays and two wings, with four curved flying eaves; in the center of the roof ridge is the image of two dragons flanking the moon, built with mortar and tile material with vivid lines; the communal house roof is covered with shoe-nose tiles, and from the tile noses incised patterns radiate like sunrays. The Rear Sanctuary is a separate item when viewed from outside, with a two-roof structure, closed gables, and covered with local tiles. In addition, the communal house also has an ancient well on the right side; legend has it that in ancient times the well had clear blue water all year round and was the place providing domestic water for the people of Xuan Do Thuong.

Xuan Do Thuong Communal House is classified as a historical-artistic relic; based on existing documents and artifacts, it was founded during the Nguyen dynasty. The current communal house still preserves a system of typical relics and worship objects such as steles, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, and worship objects bearing strong historical imprints, which are materials evidencing the existence of the communal house.

Like many communal houses in Vietnam, Xuan Do Thuong Communal House currently worships the village tutelary gods, the two doctors Do Nhan, a native of Lai Oc (Loi Oc) village – Long Hung - Van Giang - Hung Yen (legend has it that he was posthumously conferred by King Le Chieu Tong the titles of Junior Guardian Minister – Chief Censor, Censorate Chief Censor, title Van Trinh Ba – posthumous name Van Tiet) and Doctor Nguyen Du, a native of Hai Trieu – Hung Ha – Thai Binh (legend has it that he was posthumously conferred by King Le Chieu Tong the title of Junior Chief Censor). Every year, the villagers here organize a festival in the middle of the second lunar month, from the 9th to the 11th day of the second lunar month to commemorate the merits of the village tutelary gods and to entrust beliefs and wishes for a warm and happy life. Although it can no longer fully maintain the rituals as in the past, the Xuan Do Thuong festival is still one of the festivals with solemn rituals of worshipping the village tutelary gods, rich in Vietnamese cultural identity. During the village festival, local people, whether far or near, try to arrange their work to return and attend.

With its distinctive meanings and cultural values, Xuan Do Thuong Communal House was ranked as a Historical-Artistic relic by the Hanoi City People's Committee in 2016 and has become a center for cultural and religious activities for a large number of people.