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Gửi bình luận
Located in Thien Huong Ward, Kien Bai Communal House emerges as ‘an oasis of memory” with over 300 years of existence amid the modern life.
Sacred Ancient Traces
According to ancient legends, the communal house was built at the end of the 17th century to worship two tutelary gods, Ngoc and Bich - twin brothers revered by the people for their sacred powers that protected the village. Legend ties the site to the Great Viet army and people's resistance against the Mongol invaders, when General Tran Hung Dao came to pray and received divine assistance from the two tutelary gods. From then on, the communal house served not only as a workship place but also as a spiritual symbol linked to the nation's history of defending the homeland.
Kien Bai communal house features the traditional architecture, constructed entirely of wood with handcrafted mortise-and-tenon joints. Its fish-scale tiled roof has four upward-curving eaves resembling a boat's prow cutting through waves, evoking the maritime environment and resilient spirit of coastal residents. The communal house faces south, creating a harmonious layout that balances nature and humanity.
For tourists, this is not just a worship space but a place that "tells stories," where every architectural detail holds layers of history and community memories.
Wooden Folk Art Museum
The communal house’s unique attraction is its rich, exquisite system of wood carvings that hold profound artistic and symbolic value. The entire structure resembles a wooden folk art museum.
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In addition, the Communal House preserves numerous rustic carvings: chickens, pigs, goats, elephants, horses, fish; and works depicting ‘romantic encounters between men and women' that express concepts of balance, fertility, and harmony. These images create a rich world of symbolism where faith and daily life intertwine, and people live not apart from nature but in harmonious coexistence.
From an ancient communal house, Kien Bai is gradually becoming a highlight of Hai Phong's cultural-spiritual tourism, where history does not reside in books but manifests in every roof tile, every carved works, and everyday story of the local people.
Hai Phong News
