THANH MIEN COMMUNAL HOUSE

Thanh Mien Communal House is located at no. 20, Thanh Mien alley, Van Mieu ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi city. This site originally belonged to former Thuc Mien village, Huu Nghiem sub-district, Tho Xuong district. In the middle of 19th Century, this village merged with Thanh Ngo village to form Thanh Mien village of Yen Hoa sub-district, Tho Xuong district, Hoai Duc sub-province, Hanoi province.

Thanh Mien Communal House is the place for worshiping the Tutelary God of the village – the ultimate god protecting the peaceful life of the villagers. Through different Dynasties, the God was granted with a number of title conferring edicts, showing his miracles.

Legend has it that the communal house was built from very early days. Based on some currently available title conferring edicts in the communal house and architectural traces, Thanh Mien communal house was built somehow in the beginning of the Nguyen Dynasty and was afterwards restored and repaired many times. The current architectural scale resulted from the restoration in 2010. The architectural works of the house include Entrance Gate, Main Hall, Back Palace.

The Entrance gate is built in form of 4 giant symbolic pillars. The tops of the two main pillars are embarked with phoenix figure with grouping tails, symbolizing a stylized Cape jasmine fruit; the two side pillars are embarked with flanking “Nghe” (a lion-like supernatural creature) to supervise the spirit of the visitors before they enter to kowtow the saint; the lamp cells are ornamented with Dragon, Qilin, Turtle, and Phoenix figures; the pillars bodies have parallel sentences in Chinese characters. Two main pillars are connected to each other with pseudo-roof. The top of the roof is ornamented with a pair of dragons flanking to the flaming sun; below the roof is an arch, with 3 Chinese characters “Thanh Mien Tu” (meaning Thanh Mien communal house).

The Communal house yard is covered with red-colored brick; on the left hand side, there is a small shrine. Thanh Mien communal house has the layout of Dinh (丁) character, consisting of the Main Hall with 3 main compartments and 2 auxiliary side compartments; the Back Palace consists of 1 compartment, close brick walls and extending frames at the sides and roof covered with traditional tiles. At the middle of the roof centerline, there is an embarked flaming sun; at two end of the centerline, there are embarked Makara (an imaginary supernatural creature having the a dragon-like head). In front of the veranda, there are two symbolic pillars which are almost high up to the roof top; the tops of the pillars have embarked stylized Cape jasmine fruit; the bodies of the pillars have parallel sentences in Chinese characters.

The frame system is link in form of “Gong hanging frame in upper and diagonal beam combined with wooden boards in lower” for good strength and durability. In the middle compartment, there is a big altar inscribed with a pair of dragons flanking to the tiger face figure and with ornamental flowers, ancient scrolled paper book, and stylized lotus petals on the sides. On the altar, there is a wooden worshiping throne with Throne – Ancestral tablet inside of the Tutelary God of the village; on the two sides, there are sets of eight weapons for ornament. In upper area of the compartments, there are horizontal lacquered boards, and in lower area there are door paintings in fresco and parallel sentences.

The house currently preserves some relics, contributing to enriching the traditional cultural heritage treasure. The relics are 06 Title conferring edicts (dated to Nguyen Dynasty), 01 incense-table, 01 set of eight weapons for ornament, 01 Worshiping throne, 01 set of Throne-Ancestral tablet, together with thurible, ornamental ancient scrolled paper book, horizontal lacquered board, door paintings in fresco, parallel sentences, which are luxuriously red-lacquered and trimmed with gold, showing typical artistic style in Nguyen Dynasty.

For many generations until now, the vestige is the place for cultural and religious activities of Thanh Mien villagers to pray for a life with propitious weather, security and good health for human, and flourishing everything. The Communal House is the trace of changes in administrative boundary on the basis of merging some villages in the middle of 19th Century to form Thanh Mien village – the name that remains until now.