Bang Mon – Phu Khe: Two communal houses mark the “land of learning” Co Dang

The most typical are Bang Mon communal house and Phu Khe communal house, two heritages more than 400 - 500 years old that still persist in modern life, as a reminder of the proud origin of Thanh people.

Traces of the famous general who helped King Ly defeat the enemy

Considered one of the most beautiful communal houses in Thanh Hoa, Bang Mon communal house (Hoang Loc commune) has an ancient look with a banyan tree, a well, a communal house yard and a tiled roof covered with moss over the years.

This is not only a place for community cultural activities, but also preserves the story of the village's tutelary god, famous general Nguyen Tuyen, who helped King Ly defeat the Champa invaders.

The genealogy records that Nguyen Tuyen was born in 1017, famous for his intelligence, virtue, and talent in both literature and martial arts since his youth. When the Champa invaders invaded the South, he showed his military talent, was appointed by King Ly as the vanguard General, led the army to victory, and captured the Champa leader Xa Dau. Returning in triumph, the king granted him the title of Thanh Hoang and built a temple on three sides of the village to commemorate his achievements.

According to legend, when returning to his hometown to pay respect to his ancestors, Nguyen Tuyen encountered a storm and transformed into a deity right at the village entrance on December 21, 1037. Mourning the talented young general, the king bestowed the title "Supreme Great King Spirit God" and built a temple in the style of "Surrounding the bed, under the tomb", with the altar above and the resting place below.

Bang Mon – Phu Khe: Two communal houses mark the “land of learning” Co Dang - photo 2 — The elaborate carvings and ancient interior space of Bang Mon communal house (Hoang Loc commune, Thanh Hoa province). Photo: Dinh Minh

Every year, villagers solemnly hold festivals on the birthday (March 10) and death day (December 21 of the lunar calendar), becoming a unique cultural feature of the land of learning Co Dang.

Bang Mon Communal House was built in the Later Le Dynasty (15th century), when the village did not have a written document, so in addition to being a meeting place, the communal house was also an institution to honor the tradition of mandarin examinations. Therefore, the people named it “Bang Mon”, the door leading to the path of success and glory.

The communal house architecture stands out with carvings of dragons, unicorns, turtles, and phoenixes and many daily life themes such as elephant riding, horse riding, lion dances, etc. Despite many restorations, the communal house still retains artistic traces from the late 16th - 17th centuries, a rare sight in Vietnamese communal houses today.

Legend of two Chu gods at Phu Khe communal house

Not far from Bang Mon communal house, Phu Khe communal house (Hoang Phu commune) is associated with the sacred story of two Chu brothers: Chu Minh and Chu Tuan.

According to legend, Chu's parents were infertile so they made a pilgrimage to Bao Phuc Pagoda to pray for children and gave birth to two handsome sons. When they returned to give thanks, the whole family encountered a great flood and died. The villagers saw two bodies floating ashore in a meditative posture, so they built a tomb and worshiped them.

Bang Mon – Phu Khe: Two communal houses mark the “land of learning” of Co Dang - photo 3 — Phu Khe Communal House (Hoang Phu Commune, Thanh Hoa Province) with its majestic architecture, preserves the legend of the two Thanh Hoang of the Chu family.

During the Ly Dynasty, when the king went to fight the enemy from the South, the two gods appeared and asked for help from the underworld. In the following battle, a storm from Phu Trung Trang caused a great defeat for the enemy. The king conferred the title of god and restored the tomb. The communal house built later honored the two gods as the village's tutelary gods.

Phu Khe Communal House stands out for its grand scale, especially the main hall with 5 compartments, nearly 20m long and more than 14m wide. The wood carvings are strong but delicate, in harmony with the large architectural block.

The current appearance is mainly from the major restoration in 1855 under the Tu Duc dynasty. Many valuable artifacts such as the altar, memorial tablets... are still carefully preserved.

Scholar Le Quy Don, when passing by here, once praised in the village's charter: "Our communal house today: famous in Thanh land, famous in Phu land...", enough to see that the communal house once had an important position in the cultural life of the region.

Amidst the modern pace of life, the two communal houses are still places to preserve community memories, a spiritual support and cultural and historical symbol of the people of Co Dang.

Ancient architectural features, sacred legends and glorious traditions of mandarin examinations are preserved and passed down through generations.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/bang-mon-phu-khe-hai-ngoi-dinh-luu-dau-dat-hoc-co-dang-178649.html