Xuan Mai Communal House, Xuan Mai Commune, Hanoi City

Over thousands of years of living and struggling against foreign invaders, our predecessors left on the land of Thang Long – Hanoi thousands of historical and cultural relics. At communal houses and temples, people worship those who had merit in reclaiming land and establishing villages, cultural heroes, national heroes, and patron saints of trades... whose achievements and fame are tied to the cause of protecting the country and bringing peace to the people.

Based on the relics still preserved at the site and folk legends, Xuan Mai Communal House is a place to worship two tutelary deities: Ninh Vu Dai Vuong and Nga Lang Cong Chua. Their legends can be summarized as follows:

In the past, in Ninh Hai district there was a man of the Duong family, named Thuong Duong, whose wife was Quynh Thi Luyen. She was gentle and kind by nature, accumulated virtuous deeds, burned incense morning and evening, and respectfully offered three kinds of offerings and incense to the Heavenly Emperor; they were wealthy and refined. On the 10th day of the first lunar month, Mrs. Quynh dreamed that red light filled the house. After a while, a person walking came to her, claiming to be an envoy of the Heavenly King, holding a lotus flower that had borne seeds and giving it to Mrs. Quynh. She clasped her hands, bowed, and received the flower, then the envoy flew up into the sky. Mrs. Quynh woke up and told the story; Mr. Duong knew it was a deity’s dream revelation.

From then on she became pregnant. After more than a year, on the 5th day of the third month of the Mui year, the fetus moved, and on the 6th day she gave birth to a son. He had a handsome, dignified face, different from ordinary people, and everyone came to congratulate them. When he was one month old, he was named Viet Dien; on ordinary days he sat quietly in the study room learning letters and writing books without

a teacher, and he was even more skilled at flute and pipe, thoroughly versed in music theory. When he grew up, there was nothing in military books, bows and crossbows that he did not know.

At that time there was Thuc Phan, titled An Duong Vuong, who intended to avenge his father; he forged fighting spirit and recruited brave soldiers. On the 15th day of the fourth month, the King dreamed of a person in a blue robe holding a long tablet and an order reading 'Ninh Hai Duong Viet Dien' kneeling in the courtyard saying: The Hung state is at the end of its fate, Heaven wishes to save the King; I come to tell the great army that you should recruit a man named Duong Viet Dien and you can remain intact. Having said this, he flew up into the sky. King Thuc woke up, gathered his ministers, and sent people to the Ninh Hai region to find the Ninh Vu village to recruit troops. At that time Ninh Vu Vuong was 27 years old, had no wife or children, and lived by bow and crossbow; seeing the envoy arrive, he said: For a long time I too have been recruiting troops as a means of livelihood; fortunately there is a lord recruiting, and I promise after 3 days to come and pay my respects. The envoy returned and reported to King Thuc, who was very glad. After 3 days the King sent soldiers and horses to set up banners to welcome him. Viet Dien came as promised to present himself. King Thuc received him and asked his name and native place. He answered exactly as King Thuc had dreamed. The King held a banquet and asked about his family circumstances; he truthfully replied: I have no wife or children and have not yet achieved fame. King Thuc then called the daughter of his cousin, named Nga Lang, and gave her to him as wife. As for rank, King Thuc appointed him Great Commander-in-Chief.

After marrying Princess Nga Lang, he planned to send troops. On the 15th day of the eighth month he had banners raised and a signal gun fired. On the 16th he set out with the army. At that time, urgent letters arrived from the border; King Due ordered a meeting of all court officials. Hearing that the marshal (that is, Viet Dien) was setting out to fight the enemy, everyone was wholeheartedly impressed. Only Tan Vien Son Thanh advised: I have heard that the country's fortune has ended and Heaven's new course has opened; to cause war would make me ashamed. But to act contrary to Heaven's timing and send people to suppress the enemy, I do not dare. Moreover, that official has immortal powers; it would be better for us to hand over the country to them so that our souls may be joyful and unstained by dust; on the path to nirvana, that is very high wisdom. Hearing this, King Due made peace and yielded his country to King Thuc, and then together with Son Thanh flew into the sky.

King Thuc was very moved and had a temple built to worship King Due on the side of Hung Mountain, sending all officials to offer sacrifices so that the country's fortune might last long.

After obtaining the country, King Thuc moved to Co Loa Citadel in Phong Khe district and bestowed on Viet Dien the title Ninh Vu Hau. King Thuc began building the citadel, but it kept collapsing whenever built. Thanks to the Thanh Giang envoy bringing a golden turtle, the citadel became firm. Before leaving, the divine envoy gave the King a claw to make a magic crossbow (Linh No); if enemies came, one shot could kill a thousand men. Thanks to this, the country was very peaceful.

Legend says that Princess Nga Lang was the daughter of Thuc Kinh (Duong Vuong), and her mother was Ma Thi. The princess was born on the 10th day of the second month of the Tan Dau year; her face was fresh as a flower, her skin white as powder, smooth and radiant, her eyes deep as autumn waves, her beauty enough to make birds fall and fish sink, flowers ashamed and the moon dim, jade inferior—truly how beautiful she was. On the day she was happily married to the general, she gave birth to 3 boys and 6 girls and lived to 83 years old. She died on the 14th day of the eighth month. Ninh Vu Dai Vuong served as an official for 47 years, lived to 79 years old, died in the capital, and was buried according to state ritual. King Thuc sent officials to offer sacrifices, ordered officials to write a royal edict of divine title, granted the people permission to build a temple, provided the village with land for worship, and recorded it in the register to remember the Great King's merit. The Ministry of Rites official went to Quoc Oai district, summoned the elders of Nhuan Trach village to receive 2 royal edicts and granted 15 taels of silver to build a temple to worship the Great King and the Princess, along with the royal titles:

Tutelary deity of the realm, Defender of the Restoration, Ninh Vu Dai Vuong. Tutelary deity of the realm, Canh Thi Uy Linh Nga Lang Princess.

Later, the people of Nhuan Trach village all honored and conferred the tutelary deities to make clear their miraculous protection and assistance to the villagers. In the stele inscription 'Chu Hau Bi Ky' erected in the first month of the Ky Mao year, Duy Tan 9 (1914), currently preserved at the communal house, it is still recorded: