Inscriptions of ancient Phan Thiet communal houses

Phan Thiet City has many ancient communal houses built hundreds of years ago, of which four are now ranked as State-level cultural and artistic heritage.

In the past, the village communal house was a place to worship the local god and the ancestors who had contributed to the village. It was also a meeting place to resolve all matters of the people, a space to organize festivals, and a place for villagers to have fun.

Every village communal house has many parallel sentences in Chinese characters. The content of these sentences can help people today to understand a little about the appearance of ancient Phan Thiet and the spiritual, cultural and social life of the community of residents in the land opening period.

To have a criterion to compare the messages of the communal houses, we chose to introduce each communal house with a parallel sentence bearing the name of the communal house. That is the main declaration of each communal house to the villagers, which can reflect the feelings, thoughts and outlook of the community.

Because we want to accurately reflect the content and meaning of our ancestors' words, we will not introduce any parallel sentences of the communal house that have not been clearly looked up in this article.

Parallel sentences of Tu Luong communal house

Tu Luong communal house was built in the early 19th century, completely restored in 1871, now located in Duc Long ward, Phan Thiet city. The name of the communal house in Chinese characters is Tu Long (鏽龍), but perhaps because of avoiding the sound Long having the same name as King Gia Long (嘉隆), it had to be called Luong. A parallel sentence with the name Tu Long is placed in the altar of the ancestors:

鏽嶺社宏規月評迓得耆英會

龍崗鍾瑞氣世代薰成遜讓鄉

Transliteration: The Xiu Ling Society, the horizontal and vertical moonlit sky, gently reaching its summit

The dragon bell rings with great momentum, the city is filled with fragrance.

Rough translation: The beautiful Tu Peak has a large pavilion, where every month elite elders are welcomed to the council.

Long Hill (dragon) gathers good energy, has a good reputation for helping others while being humble with his homeland.

Elite refers to people who have knowledge through studying and passing exams. Elder refers to people over 60 who are still clear-minded. Good energy refers to people with talent and virtue.

The parallel sentences introduce the beauty of the Tu Long land with high hills and large communal houses, state the function of the communal house as a meeting place for the village, and show the community's respect for the ancestors and descendants among the elite elders who have contributed to the village. Only with contributions and modesty can one have a good reputation and be respected and admired by everyone.

Parallel sentences of Duc Nghia communal house

Duc Nghia communal house was built in 1846, now located in Duc Nghia ward, Phan Thiet city. The parallel sentences of Duc Nghia communal house are placed at the gate:

德發荣华四季具祿財

義宗禮節春秋同拜仰

Transliteration: The four seasons of prosperity and wealth bring good fortune and prosperity.

Spring and autumn festivals of the same sect and worship.

Translation: Four seasons of abundant resources, enjoy glory thanks to virtue

Spring and autumn festivals, together worship ancestors.

The above parallel sentences show that the life of the people of Duc Nghia village in the past was very prosperous thanks to the village's prime location, both on the riverside and near Phan Thiet market. First, near the market, second, near the river, fishing and trading were both favorable. Enjoying blessings and glory was thanks to the ancestors' opening up and the people had developed moral traditions from their ancestors, so they must be grateful and respectful to their ancestors.

Parallel sentences of Lac Dao communal house

Lac Dao communal house was built in the first half of the 19th century, now located in Lac Dao ward, Phan Thiet city. The parallel sentences of Lac Dao communal house are placed right in front of the communal house door:

樂觀界境亭前江下水源流

道味淳風殿後神坻地靈頭

Transliteration: The optimistic view of the pavilion in front of the river and the source of the water

The pure wind temple behind the spirit and the earth spirit head.

Rough translation: In front of the temple, there is a peaceful scene, below the river, the source water is flowing.

After the temple of pure morality, the mound of the gods is the head of the sacred land.

Lac Dao communal house is next to Duc Nghia communal house, overlooking Ca Ty river. The parallel sentences show that in front of the communal house is a flowing river, a scene of boats on the wharf and under the boat, an open space for organizing festivals, a place for villagers to play. It is said that in the past, in front of the communal house there was a large piece of land used as a football field for both Lac Dao and Duc Nghia villages.

Under the river, the source water is flowing, a reminder that when drinking water, one must remember its source, and if one is to live a peaceful life, one must not forget the kindness of those who came before. Behind the communal house is a residential area, and because of the moral and ethical lifestyle, the high mound of land has a god to protect it. This is probably a way of expressing the law of human-heaven interaction that is consistent with the concept of the community at that time.

Parallel sentences of Hung Long communal house

Hung Long communal house is now located in Hung Long ward, Phan Thiet city. The parallel sentences of Hung Long communal house are placed right in front of the communal house door:

興盛順千秋乃長福田先祖種

隆安和百世所從心地後人耕

Prosperity and longevity are the seeds of our ancestors.

Long An is a place of peace and harmony for generations to come.

Translation: Prosperity and peace for thousands of years, thanks to ancestors who have long sown fields of blessings.

Prosperity and peace for a hundred generations, remind future generations to follow this to nourish their hearts.

Hung Long village on the left bank of Ca Ty river, formerly had Khoai hamlet, Dam hamlet, Dua hamlet... forming a village. Due to the characteristics of the villagers' farming, the parallel sentences of the village communal house also have images of plowing and cultivating close to life. However, the planting object is not rice and potatoes... but virtue, ancestors have sown good seeds in the community so that life can be prosperous for a long time. When eating the fruit, remember the person who planted the tree, future generations should follow that and cultivate the soil of the heart to have prosperity and harmony for a hundred generations.

Parallel sentences of An Hai communal house

(Phu Hai)

An Hai communal house is one of the earliest communal houses built, in the first half of the 18th century. However, during the French resistance war, it was destroyed and in 1955 it was temporarily rebuilt on the old ground, now in Phu Hai ward, Phan Thiet city. The parallel sentences of An Hai communal house are placed in the shrine room:

安居樂業崇修千載新曾

海景清平古肇萬代世興

Transcription: Settling down and making a living, cultivating diligently for thousands of years will bring new things.

The ancient peaceful seascape has flourished for millions of generations.

Rough translation: Peace of mind and happiness come from cultivating and cultivating for a thousand years.

The peaceful seascape since ancient times has opened up prosperity for all generations.

An Hai village has long been a fishing village, and still maintains the tradition of holding a Thanh Minh ceremony every four years, singing "Ba Trao" (a boat song) and releasing boats at sea to pray for peace and prosperity for the country and the people, and for the land and people to be safe and prosperous. The parallel sentences of An Hai village have a peaceful sea scene, but the content is the same as other communal houses. People who live a good life and remember the merits of their ancestors will have long-lasting peace.

Conclusion

The above village communal house parallel sentences are all in the form of a fu. The words in the second, fourth, sixth positions… in the sentence and the last word of each clause are opposite each other according to the law of even and odd tones, that is, they meet the strict requirements of the parallel rules.

In terms of content and meaning, in general, the parallel sentences describe the beautiful scenery of the mountains and rivers, clearly stating that the current peaceful life of the villagers is due to the merits of their ancestors and predecessors. People today must be grateful and preserve the moral lifestyle and good customs of the ancients so that life can be harmonious and prosperous for a long time.

The above philosophy of life from the parallel sentences of Phan Thiet ancient communal houses is philosophical and consistent with the long-standing cultural identity of the Vietnamese people, so it should be respected and introduced to everyone.

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