Artistic architecture of Kieng Phuoc communal house

According to the history of the relic, Kieng Phuoc communal house was established in the early 19th century under King Minh Mang (1820 - 1840), on 4 hectares of land donated by two prestigious dignitaries in the village at that time, Mr. Ly Cao Cuong and Mr. Huynh Van Dong. After 200 years of change with many names, the communal house is now located in Xom Dinh hamlet, Kieng Phuoc commune, Go Cong Dong district, Tien Giang province.

According to the remaining documents, the communal house was built in the shape of the letter tam, including: Vo ca, vo quy and the main hall on the East-West axis; the communal house door faces East. The communal house was built with traditional materials such as: bricks, stones, wood, yin-yang tiles; columns, rafters, beams, and trusses are connected by a tight and sturdy mortise and tenon system. In addition, the system of panels, horizontal lacquered boards, and parallel sentences are elaborately carved and inlaid, gilded with brilliant gold.

The procession of the divine decree.

Despite being affected by the devastating war and the Westernization of architectural works in the late 19th century and undergoing many restorations in 1900, 1958, 1975, 2009, Kieng Phuoc communal house still retains its traditional national architecture with a system of beams and columns, as well as the materials and construction materials of the nation that have existed since ancient times. In particular, with the themes of carvings, mother-of-pearl inlays, and decorative patterns of the communal house, which have been symbolized through the four sacred animals, the four seasons, symbols implying abundance, wealth and prosperity, expressing the people's desire to have a peaceful, prosperous and happy life.

Mr. Pham Van Huong, Head of the Kieng Phuoc Communal House Festival Committee, said: “Every year, Kieng Phuoc Communal House has 4 worshiping ceremonies according to the lunar calendar, including: Ky Yen worshiping ceremony (on February 15 and 16); Ha Dien (May 15); Cau Bong (October 15) and Thuong Dien (December 15). Every year, Ky Yen worshiping ceremony is the biggest, taking place for 2 days, people in the surrounding area work far away, many people bring their whole family and friends to attend the ceremony, burn incense and pray.

It can be said that Kieng Phuoc communal house is a testament to the formation and development of culture, society and economy of the ancient Kieng Phuoc land and the present-day Go Cong land. With the elaborately carved panels, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences and altars still preserved in the communal house, the ancient artisans breathed life into the decorative themes to add to the majesty and splendor of the communal house while still maintaining the solemnity of the sacred place of worship; at the same time, it also reflected the prosperous life of the local people at that time.

Ms. Dao Thi Mong Huong, a civil servant of Culture - Society of Kieng Phuoc commune, is passionate about repairing and requesting "recognition of relics" of the communal house, said: "With about 50% of the remaining status of the communal house, I see many unique patterns and architecture, so I discussed with the Kieng Phuoc Communal House Festival Committee to invite the elders to the communal house so they can provide more information. After the survey, in addition to the 3 damaged royal decrees, the documents in Nom script are still preserved, we asked Meritorious Teacher Phan Thanh Sac to translate them into Vietnamese.

While waiting for the completion of the communal house's history, I and the Organizing Committee mobilized to repair the tile roof, rebuild the communal house yard, entrance and kitchen with a budget of about 1 billion VND. The people of Kieng Phuoc commune were very happy to support the human and financial resources to repair the local shrine, so the mobilization was enthusiastically responded to."
We visited Kieng Phuoc communal house right at the Ky Yen ceremony, where traditional rituals took place such as: Inviting the royal decree, placing the gods, offering the ancestors and descendants for 2 days, interspersed with other activities such as: Performing arts, amateur music, lion dance, folk games...

Presently, Kieng Phuoc communal house has been renovated quite completely by the people with a large and majestic entrance gate; a relatively complete set of statues; a spacious and clean yard. Every year, the Ky Yen worship ceremony at the communal house takes place in a bustling atmosphere; many people who work far away return to attend on the Ky Yen worship day. Among them is the family of Mr. Tran Cong Nghia (79 years old) and Mrs. Huynh Thi Ha (78 years old), who in 2008 contributed 50 million VND to renovate the communal house. Every year, on the occasion of the Ky Yen worship ceremony, the couple's family from Ho Chi Minh City brings fruits and flowers to burn incense.

A corner of the communal house yard.

Mr. Nghia shared: “Every year, the small offerings at Kieng Phuoc communal house, the family may be absent, but especially on the Ky Yen ceremony, they always come back to burn incense and have a warm meal with the villagers. On this occasion, I also see my fellow countrymen return in large numbers, many local people are present, the altar is full of offerings... I am very happy because the villagers are doing well, are safe and healthy, so the communal house is prosperous like this”. Also a child of Vam Lang town who works far away, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hoa confided: “In addition to the Ky Yen ceremony, every day when I have the opportunity to visit my hometown, I always stop by the communal house to burn incense”. It is known that she is also one of the people who enthusiastically contributed funds to renovate the communal house with the thought that this place is like a common home for the clan.

Mr. Luu Van Sang, a local resident, said: “I have lived in Dinh hamlet for nearly 60 years. Since I was little, my mother took me to worship the communal house and watch Tuong and Hat Boi performances. In the past, the Ky Yen Festival had a big year, lasting 3-4 days. In the yard, people covered many stalls to sell things and play games, and in the communal house, they sang Tuong... It's the same now. Although I'm not eager to eat, play games or watch performances, I still feel excited because these days, relatives, brothers and friends from far away gather, we get to meet each other, talk about business, children and grandchildren, and health, so we're very happy."

Ms. Mong Huong took us around the inside and outside of the communal house and proudly shared: “The Kieng Phuoc Communal House's Organizing Committee is very organized and enthusiastic. Every day, there are people cleaning, tidying, burning incense, and taking care of the surrounding ornamental plants. The communal house is always open, so local people, or those from far away, can stop by the communal house to burn incense at any time. Looking forward, the Communal House's Organizing Committee will continue to call for contributions to complete some of the communal house's projects.”

NGOC LE

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