Hậu Ái Communal House

COMMUNAL HOUSE HẬU ÁI

Hậu Ái Communal House is in Hậu Ái village, Sơn Đồng commune, Hà Nội city.

The communal house is located in the middle of the village, has a 'đinh'-shaped structure, and was rebuilt in 1914. In front of the communal house there is a large pond and ancient trees; the entrance gate is built with pillar structures decorated with four phoenixes and a tiger-face motif, connected to an arched rolling door with a stacked-eave roof.

Past the gate is the Đại bái courtyard with two rows of Left and Right Vu halls, six compartments on each side. The main Đại bái hall has five compartments; its roof ridge is decorated with dragons flanking a moon; inside, the truss system uses 'thượng chồng rường hạ kẻ' on five rows of columns and is carved with motifs of the four sacred creatures, dragons, and tiger faces, strongly bearing the artistic style of the Nguyễn dynasty.

The Hậu cung connects with the Đại bái to form a 'chuỗi vồ' shape, separated by a paneled door lacquered red and gilded with four sacred creatures. The truss system here follows the 'thượng chồng rường hạ bẩy' style, with dragon-and-cloud carvings matching the Đại bái hall. Inside are placed the altar cabinet and the statue of the tutelary deity Đỗ Kính Tu.

According to the genealogy of 1859, Đỗ Kính Tu was born during the Lý dynasty in Hậu Ái village, passed the Thái học sinh examination, and served as an official up to the position of Nhập nội hành khiển, renowned as a loyal minister. In old age, he organized the digging of canals for water management in his homeland but was falsely accused by a treacherous courtier; he threw himself into the water to prove his sincerity. The people buried and worshipped him right on the foundation of his old house. Currently, the communal house still preserves many precious ancient artifacts such as a dragon throne, memorial tablets, a royal palanquin, bát bửu, incense bowls, bronze cauldrons, 6 horizontal plaques, and 8 pairs of couplets, among which is the couplet:

Transliteration of Hán characters:

Chính khí ngật giang sơn, ẩn ước trung ba nhân mã ảnh Anh thanh tồn sử lý thanh cao di tượng tử phần gian

Translated meaning:

His mettle rises over mountains and rivers; men and horses enter the waves of countless waterways. His good name is recorded in history books; his noble image is precious in the mortal world. It is still passed down here that Mả Am mound is the tomb of his ancestors and Mả Nàng mound is where his concubines sacrificed themselves to follow him.

The communal house was ranked as an architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1989.