The beauty of Phong Coc village communal house.

Amidst the ever-changing rhythm of rural life, some villages quietly maintain their own unique pace, slow, tranquil, and full of memories. Phong Coc village (Xuan Lap commune) is one such place. There, the village communal house is not only an ancient architectural structure but also the "heart of memory," preserving the cultural beauty, way of life, and layers of historical sediment of Thanh Hoa province's countryside.

The space of Phong Coc village communal house.

Nestled peacefully on the left bank of the Chu River, Phong Coc village offers a quintessential rural setting with its rustic and welcoming beauty. Small winding paths meander through verdant bamboo groves, glimpses of old tiled roofs interspersed with newly built houses, and in the distance, rice paddies stretch out in rhythm with the seasons... All these elements blend together, evoking a familiar scene of a North Central Vietnamese countryside.

Walking around the village, it's easy to see how the landscape has changed, but the communal way of life in Phong Coc remains naturally preserved. People still greet each other every morning and gather whenever there's a village event. Children still play in the spacious courtyards under the familiar trees. In these gatherings, the village communal house is always a familiar meeting place, where all distances seem to disappear.

Phong Coc Temple is centrally located, facing an open space. Ancient trees stand silently around it, like guardians of memories. In front of the temple is a large courtyard where community activities once took place. The temple's roof is weathered by time, and its sturdy wooden columns, though not ornate, exude a solemn and ancient atmosphere.

As they guided us through the temple, the village elders explained that Phong Coc Temple is not only a place of worship for the village's guardian deity and those who contributed to the village, but also a "historical witness," a proud destination for the people. It was once a site associated with many important events, marking a glorious period of the local revolutionary movement.

From the early 20th century, this place was the site of secret meetings, bringing together patriots. On the night of May 4, 1930, under the roof of this communal house, a secret meeting of 10 comrades who had transitioned from the Tan Viet movement to communist activities marked a significant turning point in the revolutionary activities of the region. During the period 1936-1939, the communal house served as a center for mobilizing and propagating revolutionary ideas among the masses during the democratic movement. In July 1941, the communal house was the meeting place for establishing the armed cadre committee and the place where soldiers were stationed. During the period 1944-1945, the communal house was where the Viet Minh Front was established and preparations for the uprising to seize power were carried out; it also served as the headquarters of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee of Minh Nghia commune. In 1946, the communal house housed the government 's money printing press. From 1947-1952, it served as a military supply factory for the army...

The physical traces may have faded, but those stories are still preserved and retold as an inseparable part of the spiritual life. Sitting quietly under the village communal house, Mr. Trinh Van An, an elderly villager, said: “The communal house is not only a sacred space but also a place that holds profound memories. Village meetings under the oil lamp, days when the whole village shared difficulties, or stories that cannot be written down but are still remembered by the villagers. The village communal house has witnessed countless changes and ups and downs of the land and people here.”

These memories are what give the Phong Coc village communal house its "soul" and the strong bond it creates among the local people. In modern life, preserving the communal house is not just about preserving a structure, but also about preserving cultural identity. Ms. Mai Thi Anh, Party Secretary and head of Phong Coc village, shared: "The communal house is the pride of the villagers, so everyone is conscious of protecting and promoting its role. Every year, the villagers organize a village festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month to commemorate the village's guardian deity and hold a memorial service for the guardian deity on the 10th day of the 12th lunar month. At the same time, the village still organizes cultural activities at the communal house to create connections between generations and keep the communal house connected to the lives of the people."

Phong Coc Temple belongs to the Xuan Minh National Revolutionary Relic Complex – a historical space of special significance to the locality. Currently, the temple is undergoing restoration and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. This is not just an investment in a structure, but an effort to preserve a part of the memory, a "red address" associated with the revolutionary struggle of the homeland.

Preserving Phong Coc communal house is not just about safeguarding a historical site, but also about promoting its value in conjunction with community tourism development. Xuan Lap commune currently has 12 historical sites, including one special national monument (Le Hoan Temple), two national-level sites, and eight provincial-level sites. In addition, the Le Hoan Temple festival has been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage, along with many other traditional festivals that are still preserved and practiced by the local people.

With its rich heritage, the locality is gradually orienting and implementing conservation efforts in conjunction with tourism development. Within this overall picture, Phong Coc communal house, with its historical depth and distinctive cultural space, can become a highlight, connecting with other historical sites to form a unique and attractive cultural experience of the countryside.

Text and photos: Thùy Linh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ve-dep-dinh-lang-phong-coc-282848.htm