“Sacred Chem Temple - Flow of Essence”, heritage value system along the Red River bank

For thousands of years, Chem communal house has been covered with moss of history, a sacred place of worship for the people of three villages: Hoang village, Mac village and Chem village. Chem communal house is the place to worship Duc Thanh Chem (also known as Duc Hy Khang Thien Vuong Ly Ong Trong). Located on the Red River, the river symbolizing the rice civilization, the river carrying the quintessence of the residents on both sides of the river, Chem communal house has witnessed the ups and downs of history, preserving the layers of alluvial deposits accumulated over thousands of years, the convergence of the quintessence flowing from everywhere.

Chem Communal House (Thuy Phuong Commune, Bac Tu Liem District, Hanoi), located on the banks of the Red River, is known as the oldest communal house in Vietnam, dating back more than 2,000 years. The communal house not only carries historical and cultural values, but also has unique architecture. In the vibrant flow of this year's Hanoi Creative Design Festival (November 17-26), Chem Communal House, where the art program "Sacred Chem Communal House - The Flow of Essence" takes place, is an attractive tourist destination, contributing to awakening the heritage values ​​along the banks of the Red River.

Chem Temple. Photo: Internet.

The 2023 Hanoi Creative Design Festival with the theme "Flow" aims to connect, exploit resources, honor values, converge, spread and promote historical and cultural traditions, towards developing the capital's cultural industry along both banks of the Red River. The art program "Sacred Chem Communal House - The Flow of Essence" held in mid-November, at the special national relic of Chem Communal House, is a highlight in that flow.

With 3 chapters, including: "The source of culture", "A thousand-year masterpiece - the soul of the nation" and "The quintessence shines", the art program brought the audience back to the thousand-year-old traditional values ​​of the ancient land. The program took place on the stage in the communal house yard and a live stage was staged for the first time on the Red River, an important witness to the ups and downs of the capital's history.

Art program "Sacred Chem Temple - Flow of quintessence". Photo:   hanoimoi.vn

Continuing the flow of quintessence, the program is a harmony of traditional art forms, such as: Hanoi Xam singing, Thai xoe, Bac Ninh quan ho folk songs, Muong folk songs... In the space of the thousand-year-old ancient communal house and the windy Red River, "Sacred Chem communal house - The flow of quintessence" has contributed to deepening the cultural identity of Thang Long - Hanoi with sublime art performances.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Huong, Vice Chairwoman of Bac Tu Liem District People's Committee, Head of the Program Steering Committee, said that "Linh linh dinh Chem - Dong chuyen tinh hoa" is a way for artists to introduce the sacred communal house on the Red River, honoring traditional art forms and the quintessence of the nation. Thereby, arousing pride and love for the homeland in the hearts of every Thuy Phuong resident. The program is organized on a grand scale. The State and the people work together to preserve this heritage and further develop it.

Joining the "Flow" of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023, the art program "Linh Thieng Dinh Chem - The Flow of Essence" is a creative design product that brings new emotions to people and visitors from all over the world, with impressions, experiences, and awakens the heritage values ​​along the banks of the Red River to become a unique creative art space.

The program also aims to contribute to connecting and promoting historical and cultural values ​​in the districts along the Red River axis in the process of urban reconstruction associated with the development of creative spaces, serving the development of cultural industry.

Bac Tu Liem District has 136 relics and 35 intangible cultural heritages. Of which, 63 relics are ranked by the State as historical and cultural relics, including 1 special national relic of Chem communal house, 48 national relics, and 14 city-level relics. Along with that, the district also has 29 traditional festivals, of which 3 festivals have been included in the list of national intangible cultural heritages: Chem communal house festival, Thuy Phuong ward; Dam swimming festival, Tay Tuu ward; Kieu Mai - Phu My matchmaking festival, Phuc Dien ward. In addition, the district has 26 revolutionary resistance relics.

Promoting that potential and strength, every year, the district organizes scientific seminars on the value of typical relics and festivals such as: the special national relic of Chem communal house, the ancient village of Dong Ngac, the tangible cultural heritage of Boi Dam festival, the intangible cultural heritage of the Kieu Mai - Phu My matchmaking festival, attracting domestic and international tourists and visitors to serve scientific research on the relics. In particular, Chem communal house is located along the Red River dike for nearly 1km, and is an ancient communal house recognized as a special national relic. This is also the strength of Bac Tu Liem and the district has an orientation to exploit this potential./.

Yanjiang