Visiting Com Thi communal house to commemorate Grand Marshal To Hien Thanh

The Com Thi communal house is dedicated to Thái úy Tô Hiến Thành.

The Com Thi communal house is dedicated to Grand Marshal To Hien Thanh, who made significant contributions to the establishment and development of the Ly Dynasty and the Hoat Giang region. According to documents kept at the Culture and Social Affairs Department of the Hoat Giang Commune People's Committee, in 1161, Grand Marshal To Hien Thanh led troops to defend the coastal areas of Vietnam. Upon reaching Thanh Don, now Thanh Noi village, Hoat Giang commune, he ordered his soldiers to stop and establish a military camp. Once the military situation stabilized, he helped the people reclaim land and implemented many effective agricultural policies, earning the love and respect of the villagers. As a result, people from neighboring areas migrated to Thanh Noi to settle and live, making the area increasingly prosperous. Upon hearing of To Hien Thanh's death, the villagers collectively built a communal house, venerated him as the village's guardian deity, and chose an auspicious day to hold a memorial ceremony. Since then, every year on the 12th day of the first lunar month, the people of Hoat Giang commune solemnly organize the traditional Com Thi communal house festival to commemorate and pay tribute to To Hien Thanh.

The Com Thi Temple Festival is held solemnly with a procession of palanquins from Thanh Don Ngoai Temple to Com Thi Temple, featuring a dignified procession with palanquins for the male and female deities, parasols, and ceremonial flags. After the procession, the village associations offer gifts, respectfully light incense, and pray for blessings and peace. This is followed by the Tam Sanh ceremony, commemorating the merits of the village's tutelary deity and praying for peace, happiness, and a bountiful harvest for all families. Besides the ceremonial part, there is also a festive part with folk games and performances such as lion dance, tug-of-war, fire-pulling rice cooking competition, card games, swing games, chess, and cockfighting. Among these, the rice cooking competition is the most popular, attracting a large audience. To participate, each village selects two unmarried young men and women. The teams are tasked with pounding rice, washing rice, and lighting a fire to cook rice. The team that cooks the rice fastest and best in the shortest time wins first prize.

According to Nguyen The Phuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoat Giang commune: "The Com Thi communal house festival has been passed down and promoted by the people here through many generations. The festival aims to commemorate the contributions of our ancestors in the early days of establishing, building, and protecting the country; and to educate the younger generation about revolutionary traditions."

Having endured many ups and downs throughout history, Com Thi communal house had fallen into serious disrepair. In 2021, the communal house was renovated to become more spacious and beautiful, meeting the cultural and spiritual needs of the people in and outside the commune.

Mr. Do Van Dai, the caretaker of Com Thi communal house, said: "Recognizing my responsibility in preserving and promoting the value of the relic, I have actively contributed labor and resources with the villagers to repair and renovate the relic. In addition, I also voluntarily look after and protect the communal house, light incense on full moon days, holidays, and festivals; and tidy up the grounds and clean the surrounding environment to make the communal house more spacious, clean, and beautiful."

Comment (0)