Preserving the beauty of village communal houses in modern life.

Preserving the beauty of village communal houses in modern life.

Village communal houses – cultural entities within villages – play a crucial role in the spiritual life of the people. In modern society, these communal houses no longer serve the same open function as before, but they still maintain their role in uniting the community and are a symbol of spiritual culture for a segment of the population.

Village communal house - a cultural entity

An Cuu village communal house (An Cuu hamlet, Phuoc Hung commune, Tuy Phuoc district) is one of the rare communal houses in Binh Dinh province that still retains its ancient architecture, with two uniquely carved and inlaid ceremonial gate pillars. It also preserves five royal decrees from the Nguyen dynasty, including: Thanh Thai (2 decrees), Duy Tan (2 decrees), and Khai Dinh (1 decree).

Mr. Le Van Chau (83 years old, residing in An Cuu village) shared: In 2004, the villagers themselves contributed funds to restore and renovate the communal house and the western gate pillars that were damaged by war. Every year during the Thanh Minh festival, the villagers organize a village festival to worship the village guardian deity, praying for peace and good fortune. According to tradition, a traditional opera performance is held once every three years. The An Cuu communal house is considered by the villagers as a symbol of historical and cultural tradition, a place where many cultural and spiritual events take place, fostering community solidarity in today's life.

The An Cuu village communal house (Phuoc Hung commune, Tuy Phuoc district) still preserves the ancient architecture of its two ceremonial gate pillars and five royal decrees conferring divine status from the Nguyen dynasty kings. Photo: NGOC NHUAN

The old Hung Luong village communal house (Nhon Ly commune, Quy Nhon city) was reduced to ruins. In 2004, at the request of the people, the government planned a new plot of land for the people to restore the communal house. Mr. Nguyen Van Manh (74 years old, residing in Ly Hung village, Nhon Ly commune), treasurer of the Hung Luong village communal house's religious committee, said: "We, the people, discussed and agreed to contribute money and labor to rebuild the communal house to worship the village guardian deity, our ancestors, and to hold the Thanh Minh ceremony at the communal house on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month, the Hung Vuong Ancestor Commemoration Day, to educate about patriotic traditions and strengthen community bonds." Along with other historical sites and scenic spots in Nhon Ly commune, in recent years, the Hung Luong village communal house has become a popular destination for visitors to the area.

At Ngoc Thanh village communal house (Ngoc Thanh 2 hamlet, Phuoc An commune, Tuy Phuoc district) - ranked as a provincial-level historical site in 2022 - along with worshipping the village's guardian deity, the people also worship the national hero Tran Hung Dao (Saint Tran) and brought a copy of the royal decree from Emperor Tu Duc granting the title of Saint Tran from Saint Tran's hometown (Nam Dinh province) to be worshipped in the communal house.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Du (85 years old, residing in Ngoc Thanh 2 village), every year, the people maintain the tradition of organizing the Upper Nguyên (15th day of the first lunar month), Middle Nguyên (15th day of the seventh lunar month), and Lower Nguyên (15th day of the tenth lunar month) festivals; the Thanh Minh festival; the spring and autumn sacrifices at the communal house; and the commemoration of Saint Tran on the 20th day of the eighth lunar month to express gratitude to their ancestors and educate present and future generations about the patriotic traditions of the nation.

Vinh Thanh Village Temple (Vinh Thanh 1 Hamlet, Phuoc Loc Commune, Tuy Phuoc District) was classified as a provincial-level historical site in 2000. It is a unique historical site, dedicated to the village's tutelary deity, Dao Tien Ong (whose given name was Dao Duc Phu), who was instrumental in establishing Vinh Thanh village. In addition, the local community also worships the cultural figure Dao Tan, who contributed significantly to the construction of the temple.

Preserving the cultural characteristics of the village.

To promote the value of local village communal houses, Mr. Huynh Thanh Trang, Head of the Culture and Tourism Department of Tuy Phuoc district, said: The district has allocated more than 5 billion VND to invest in the restoration of Vinh Thanh village communal house this year. For Ngoc Thanh village communal house, the district also plans to invest in its restoration next year, aiming to promote the significance and value of these communal houses in conjunction with other cultural and historical relics in Tuy Phuoc district to develop tourism .

According to researcher Nguyen Thanh Quang, the village communal house (đình làng) in the past served as the workplace of the local government, a place of worship for the village guardian deity, a place for resolving social issues, and a center for cultural activities in the village. Therefore, the communal house was a public building connected to the village; most village affairs and festivals took place there. Today, the function of the communal house as a government office and meeting place has gradually shifted to cultural centers and village/commune cultural houses, while the communal house remains a place for religious worship of the village guardian deity and those who have contributed to the nation and the locality, associated with folk festivals held there. In particular, the communal house serves as a place to unite the community and promote national solidarity.

Researcher Nguyen Thanh Quang stated: Many village communal houses in Binh Dinh province are being preserved, restored, and renovated by the local people to promote their folk cultural values. Preserving village communal houses doesn't just mean preserving the structure itself, but also maintaining and promoting the cultural space of the village. Therefore, village communal houses in rural areas, when preserved, are more likely to have their cultural value promoted, while those in cities, when preserved, are primarily focused on maintaining their origins, making it much more difficult to promote their cultural value.

DOAN NGOC NHUAN

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