Preserving the traditional communal house in the heart of Hanoi

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern urban life, the communal house in the grounds of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has become a highlight bearing the mark of the great forest. Inaugurated in 2003, the high-roofed communal house of the Ba Na people is a rare original work that retains its traditional structure.

Discussion on preserving communal houses in contemporary life at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

For more than 20 years, the Ba Na people have persistently cared for and periodically repaired it as a way to preserve the soul and cultural memory of the nation.

In the context of many traditional residential architectures of ethnic minority areas gradually disappearing, the journey to rebuild the communal house of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a practical step in heritage conservation. The project also opens up a space for learning and experience, helping the public to understand and appreciate cultural values.

Entrusting heritage to the capital

Last October, 20 Ba Na artisans from Kon Ro Bang village, Ngok Bay commune, Quang Ngai province directly repaired and restored the communal house at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. From choosing wood, carving columns, assembling floors to tying and decorating patterns, everything was done according to traditional rituals and techniques.

Sharing about the journey of building the high-roofed communal house of the Ba Na people at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology more than two decades ago, Dr. Luu Anh Hung, former Deputy Director of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, who directly researched and selected the model of the high-roofed communal house of Kon Ro Bang village, said: In 1999, after the museum's scientific council agreed to display the model of the high-roofed communal house of the Ba Na people, the working group went on a field trip, did ethnological research and decided to choose the model of the high-roofed communal house of Kon Ro Bang village. This is an ancient village of the Ba Na people, formed in the Kon Tum region about 150 years ago.

At that time, many communal houses in the Central Highlands had replaced their corrugated iron roofs, and the long front yards were concreted. Through a meticulous research process, the team of experts found the house frame and two decorative wooden pillars erected at the two corners of the concrete yard, and determined that only the communal house in Kon Ro Bang village retained the original structure of the first half of the 20th century. Combining the search for documents from France, the US, Switzerland... the research team found three photos published in 1929, 1933, 1951 to help determine the original shape of the communal house before modernization.

After many discussions with village elders and artisans, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology agreed to rebuild it according to the old model, preserving the spirit, technique and original beauty of Ba Na architecture. For museum workers, the communal house of Kon Ro Bang village is a priceless “unique heritage” because of its originality and special symbolic value.

Having been together since the early days of building the communal house, many of the artisans in the group have passed away, but some have returned to the museum three or four times to restore the structure. Now, in addition to the elderly artisans, there is a new generation of Gen Z artisans following their ancestors in the journey of preserving heritage.

For the Ba Na people, the communal house is of utmost importance. This is where festivals are held, village affairs are discussed, and where the community is brought together, traditions are nurtured, and solidarity is fostered.

Artisan and village elder A Ngêh shared: For the Ba Na people, the communal house has an extremely important meaning. This is the place to hold festivals, discuss village affairs, and also the place to unite the community, nurture traditions and solidarity. More than 20 years since the communal house was built, through the rain and sun of time, the symbol of the strength of the Central Highlands ethnic community is still standing firmly in the heart of Hanoi . The priceless gift that the Ba Na people sent to the capital is also a message of belief that the national cultural heritage will always be respected and promoted.

As affirmed by village elder A Pho on the inauguration day of the communal house at the museum (June 4, 2003): This communal house retains the original structure of the communal house of Kon Ro Bang village. This is the achievement of the people of Kon Ro Bang village. We return to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, return to the people of the Capital this communal house along with the drops of sweat that have soaked into each pillar, beam, and thatched roof panel... in the past months.

Sowing the seeds of love for national culture

In the life of the Central Highlands people, the typical architectural structure with a high roof, solid wooden floor, delicate decorative patterns... is the "heart" of the village. Every detail contains indigenous knowledge, experience of living in harmony with nature and reflects the philosophy of life of the Ba Na people. In the face of modern life, the preservation and promotion of the value of the communal house faces many challenges.

According to researchers, it is very difficult to find an original Ede longhouse or communal house in the Central Highlands. Therefore, the restoration of festivals, cultural institutions, housing projects... becomes more meaningful. Deputy Director in charge of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Bui Ngoc Quang said: The museum always attaches importance to preserving heritage according to its original form.

For over 20 years, we have periodically invited Ba Na artisans to inspect and repair the house to ensure that it is preserved in its traditional spirit and techniques. Over time, natural materials have become increasingly scarce, and the space of the ancient village has shrunk. Preserving the communal house at the museum has become a way of preserving it in a targeted manner, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge and national cultural identity.

Along with the field reconstruction, the museum has applied video recording technology to preserve documents, technical parameters and folk knowledge about the entire house building process. These digital documents serve both research and teaching purposes, and help the public gain a deeper understanding of architecture, life and cultural changes through each historical period.

Therefore, every time artisans and village elders from the Central Highlands participate in the restoration of a project, the space of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology becomes a lively practical classroom, attracting a large number of tourists, pupils and students. For the Ba Na ethnic community, this is an opportunity to restore traditional house-building techniques and train the next generation of artisans.

For tourists, this is an opportunity to learn about the process of building a house and listen to stories about customs and practices. Universities of culture, architecture and tourism have coordinated with the museum to organize seminars and exchanges to help students have more research materials and practice writing theses on the topic of communal houses.

From the museum space, the communal house roof continuously spreads the cultural values ​​of the Central Highlands. The companionship of researchers, artisans and museum workers has contributed to concretizing the policy of heritage conservation associated with education and sustainable development. Heritage is awakened through educational activities, tourism, creativity... becoming a resource for long-term development.

Through the restoration process, the roofs of communal houses, long houses, Vietnamese houses... are carefully cared for, becoming meeting places, where memories and national identity are continued, so that every visitor can feel the cultural source in today's life.

NGOC LIEN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/giu-nep-nha-rong-trong-long-ha-noi-post919752.html