Explore the Doai region's rich and unique cultural tourism

These days, the people of Dai Phung Hamlet in Dan Phuong Commune, Dan Phuong District are busy decorating their streets and alleys, rehearsing for the ritual procession, and preparing to welcome visitors to the village festival and receive the certificate designating Dai Phung Communal House as a Special National Relic.

Bird's eye view of the Dai Phung Communal House. Photo: Tran Trung Hieu/ Dan Phuong Department of Culture and Information

Unique architecture

Dai Phung Communal House Keeper Bui Vinh Thuy explained: "The ancient building dates back to the 17th century and is dedicated to both Lightning Flame Light or the God of Lightning, who was worshipped by the entire Phung Canton as their tutelary god, and General Vu Hung (deified man), who helped defeat invaders during the reign of Emperor Tran Nghe Tong. In gratitude to the general, the villagers built a temple and designated the 18th day of the first lunar month as the "death anniversary" of the village's patron deity.

The elaborate wooden decoration of the Dai Phung Communal House.

The Dai Phung Communal House is a unique work of art filled with precious relics - both tangible and intangible. Covering an area of 2,542 square meters, the relic site is right in the center of Dai Phung Village. Its architecture consists of three main parts: the front hall, the main worship hall, and the sanctuary. It is noteworthy that the right end of the house is next to an ancient laterite well that provides drinking water throughout the year.

According to Nguyen Thi Quynh Lam, head of the Dan Phuong Department of Culture and Information, the Dai Phung Communal House is a particularly unique relic in that all the original components are made of xoan or sapele wood, with a large, low roof that fits the space, climate and circumstances, showing that it is a creation of the local people. The structure is in the style of "stacked beams - gong stand - lower rafter", with six rows of roof feet and a total of 64 columns, the largest of which is over 0.6 meters in diameter.

The "Elephant and Soldier" carving at the Dai Phung Communal House

The greatest value of Dai Phung Communal House is the preservation of dense carvings with nearly 1,000 motifs, reaching a very high level of art rarely seen in the country in general and in the 17th century in particular. Here, artisans skillfully displayed their techniques through multi-layered carvings with many vivid themes and compositions reflecting the social life of the time. Typical images include "Glorious Return to Prostration before Ancestors", "Dragon's Jaw Tomb", "Fairies Bathing in Lotus Pond", or "Wrestling".

No two details in this building are alike; the bracing, beams, and rafters all have unique themes that are works of art.

Among the carvings preserved in the Dai Phung Communal House today are scenes of the mortal world and the immortal world, reflecting that man and nature are one. There are also countless carvings of animals, from sacred ones like the dragon, unicorn, turtle, and phoenix, to those associated with warriors such as the war horse and elephant, to those close to humans including the buffalo, cat, bird, fish, and gecko. They are all vividly engraved throughout the interior of the house.

A close-up of a delicate wood carving at the legendary Cummunal House.

One of the most popular pieces is called "Cat Biting Fish," which features intricate whiskers and ears of the cat and scales and fins of the fish. Meanwhile, the playful "Dragon and Lizard" carving is said to express the ancient concept of lizards (geckos) as fire-keeping animals similar to dragons.

"It can be said that the delicate carvings express ideas of high artistic value, are rich in genre, and focus on the themes of folk cultural and spiritual activities, conveying the aspirations of the people. The carvings of Dai Phung Communal House were arranged by the hands of folk artisans and integrated into the architectural components, creating a vivid artistic whole," said Lam.

On top of that, Dai Phung Communal House is also a museum that houses a rich collection of artifacts such as ancestral tablet thrones, incense bowls, incense tables, altar curtains, decorative door frames,  palanquins, and a number of valuable religious artifacts from the 17th to 19th centuries.

 Promoting heritage values

The vibrant Dai Phung Village Festival

In the past, Dan Phuong Commune was once a prosperous land bustling with merchant ships when the Hat River still communicated with the Day River to the Red River through the Hat Mon estuary (this area is now filled with alluvium). The spacious, majestic and age-old Dai Phung Communal House sits at the beginning of the village, overlooking the ancient Day River and Tan Vien Mountain to the northwest.

The convenient trade with Thang Long allowed this rural area to have access to the high level of culture, architecture and art at that time, and produced numerous talented people in both study and business.

Bui Xuan Sach, former vice chairman of the Dan Phuong People's Committee, told The Hanoitimes that the Dai Phung Communal House not only has unique, artistic architecture, but is also a rare place with a carving of the dan day - a musical instrument used in ca tru singing. This shows that the art form appeared relatively early in Dan Phuong.

Weeks before the upcoming 18th of the first lunar month, the entire village of Dai Phung has been eagerly anticipating the main festival. Since before Tet, households here have joined hands to decorate the streets and alleys with lantern clusters, Party and national flags, and colorful bunting. Locals also take part in cleaning up the village to celebrate the big event.

The communal house holds unique cultural and architectural values.

According to Dai Phung Hamlet Chief Cu Dinh Lich, the land has 815 households and more than 3,400 residents. "Although Dai Phung Communal House was declared a special national relic in 2019 for many reasons, it's only this year that the locality is holding [a ceremony] to receive the certificate." 

Because 2025 is the year of the big festival, which is held every five years and has many wonderful activities and rituals, people are very excited," Lich said.

In the years of the Grand Festival, Dai Phung invites other villages in the commune, such as Dong Khe, Doai Khe or Phuong Tri, to participate in a joint parade.

The palanquin procession of the villages is magnificent, with flags and banners overshadowing the sky, and drums and gongs resounding through the venue with the participation of men, women, elderly and children. The epic atmosphere of the procession recreates the historical scene when General Vu Hung defeated the Gao barbarians and restored peace to the country. 

Sculptural details depict the intense battles fought by Vietnamese soldiers under General Vu Hung against the Chinese Gao barbarians.

The festivities are a harmonious blend: while solemn, reverent rituals are performed according to traditional customs inside the communal house, various exciting activities take place outside. The Dai Phung Communal House Festival is an occasion to thank the ancestors for their service to the village and the country, to pray for "human health and material abundance," and to enrich the cultural life of the local community.

On February 15, Dan Phuong District will hold a ceremony to receive the Special National Relic Certificate for Dai Phung Communal House. The program consists of two parts: the ceremony to receive the certificate and the festival with many amazing activities such as photo exhibition, traditional costume show, Dan Phuong cultural specialty market, banh te (non-glutinous rice dumpling) making contest, rice cooking contest and folk games.