KHAM DUC COMMUNAL HOUSE

Kham Duc Communal House is located at No. 80, Cho Kham Thien alley, Trung Phung ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi city. In the middle of 19th Century, this land area belonged to My Duc village, Tien Nghiem sub-district, Tho Xuong district, Hoai Duc sub-province, Hanoi province.

Available architectural remaining in the communal house shows that the vestige started to be build from about the middle of 19th Century and then was restored many times in 20th Century. The current architectural scale resulted from restorations in 2009, which still remains until now.

Kham Duc Communal House is the place for worshiping the Tutelary God of the village who is General Pham Cu Luong. He was a well-known general of King Dinh Tien Hoang and was later nominated by King Le Dai Hanh as the Highest-ranking Military Mandarin. Pham Cu Luong held a critical role in putting Le Hoan to the throne and in the victory against the Song Dynasty enemy in 981.

Pham Cu Luong was born on 20th November of Giap Dan year of lunar calendar (i.e. 8th December 944) in a military traditional family in Tra Huong village, Khuc Giang (now a part of Nam Sach district, Hai Duong province). Right when he was still small, Pham Cu Luong showed his smartness, great ambition and good knowledge of both literature and military.

When Dinh Bo Linh raise the troops to put down the Anarchy of the 12 Warlords, Pham Cu Luong and his elder brother Pham Hap brought more than 2000 soldiers and horse from his hometown to Hoa Lu to assist Dinh Bo Linh. He was nominated as Phong Ngu Su Vanguard General and sent to defend Dai Ac habour.

In Mau Thin year (968), after putting down the Anarchy of the 12 Warlords, Dinh Bo Linh came to the throne, named the country Dai Co Viet and set up the capital in Hoa Lu. Pham Cu Luong was nominated as Trustworthy General in charge of imperial guard management.

In 979, King Dinh Bo Linh and Nam Viet Vuong (meaning King of the Viet country in the South, son of Dinh Bo Linh) Dinh Lien were assassinated, the 6 year-old Dinh Toan (titled Ve Vuong) was put to the throne. At that time, seeing that the Viceroy Le Hoan’s power was too great, high-ranking mandarins including Dinh Dien, Nguyen Bac, Pham Cu Luong and Pham Hap raised an army against Le Hoan, but was defeated by him. After that, Pham Hap was sentenced to death. However, Pham Cu Luong was still confided by Le Hoan and appointed as a general under him.

In the next year, in the occasion when Dai Co Viet was in disorder, the Song Dynasty ordered the Ung Chau defending mandarin named Hau Nhat Bao, together with generals Ton Toan Hung, Vuong Soan, Trieu Phung Huan, to bring the army to invade our country in water and land directions.

Under the dangerous and pressing situation, in July of the year, the Emperor’s Mother Duong Van Nga nominated Pham Cu Luong as the Vanguard Top-ranking General to fight against the enemy. Before going into the battle, Pham Cu Luong gathered the soldiers at Dao Lam harbour (now Dao Lam village, Gia Thang commune, Gia Vien district) to elect Thap Dao Tuong Quan (General of the Ten Army branches) Le Hoan as the King. Pham Cu Luong was nominated as the Highest-ranking Military Mandarin.

In the end of Tan Ty year (981), all the attacking troops of the enemy were defeated by the Dai Co Viet army. The Song dynasty General Hau Nhan Bao was killed in the battle; over half of the Song army were killed, which caused the Song King to issue an edict to retreat.

In Nham Ngo year (982), Pham Cu Luong was appointed to take the army to fight against the Champa to send a warning to the King of Champa for arresting the Dai Co Viet messenger without reasons.

In the autumn of Quy Mui year (983), Pham Cu Luong was assigned by the King to dig a new river from Dong Co to Ban Hoa (i.e. from Dan Ne, Yen Dinh to Dong Hoa, Tinh Gia district, Thanh Hoa province nowadays). The banks were embarked into big road, the river bed was deepened for good water traffics. In the same year, Pham Cu Luong also directed digging Da Cai port in Hoan Chau (now Huong Cai, Hung Nguyen, Nghe An province).

On 12th September of Giap Than year (9th October 984), Pham Cu Luong died at the age of 40 in Dong Co while working. In deep regret, the King ordered to bring his body back to the capital and bury in the South of Bo Son.

Afterwards, temples for worshiping him were set up in many areas in the country to commemorate the national hero who deserved the merits for protecting the country in 10th Century.

Kham Duc Communal House is located in a humble land area in Cho Kham Thien hamlet. Architectural works are arranged in Dinh (丁) character, with the Front worshiping hall and the Back palace.

The Front worshiping hall consists of 3 compartments with close brick walls and extending frames at the sides, 2 roofs covered with traditional tiles. The roof top is embarked with a pair of dragon flanking to the sun; the two ends of roof center line are also embarked with ornamental objects. The veranda ends have embarked statues of Vu Dinh and Thien At (2 military generals) guarding; the floor of the house is covered with Bat Trang tiles.

The frame system consists of two side-frames linked in form of “Two side columns, short middle column sitting on traverse beam”. In the middle compartment, there are two horizontal lacquered boards saying: “Nghia hoa duc hop” (meaning harmonic affection and morality) and “Van co anh linh” (meaning Long-lasting hallowed memory). Under it, there is a wooden altar ornamented with tiger figure, ornamental ancient scrolled paper book, sealed characters, and flowers in Nguyen dynasty artistic style. On the altar, there are censer, thurible, large wooden compote, lamp holder, worshiping crane statue. On the two sides, there are parallel sentences in manger bed shape.

The Back palace of the House consists of 2 compartments with close wall at the sides. Structure of the frame system is the same as that of the Front worshiping hall. The altar is built close to the back wall. On the altar, there are Throne – Ancestral tablet of the Tutelary God of the village, and other worshiping objects, making the Saint palace secluded and solemn.

Located in the former Directorate of Imperial Observatory Tower, Kham Duc communal house is the trace of the existence of an old village in the area in the middle of 19th Century which is still remained until now.