Hiệp Ninh Communal House

Hiệp Ninh Communal House (đình Hiệp Ninh) is an ancient architectural structure built over 100 years ago, featuring many works of exquisite sculptural art. On 12 October 1990, the Ministry of Culture and Information issued Decision No. 1330/QĐ–BT, classifying Hiệp Ninh Communal House as a national historical site. This is an ancient communal house imbued with East Asian character. Currently, the đình is located in Quarter 4, Tân Ninh Ward, Tây Ninh Province.

The communal house lies along National Highway 22 (now 30 April Street). In front of the entrance to the đình, a gateway has been constructed in the traditional style, similar to the mausoleum and temple gates in Huế. From the gate to the communal house stretches approximately 100 thước (traditional Vietnamese unit of length).

Hiệp Ninh Communal House was built in the 1880s, and here the tutelary deity of the locality is worshipped—a person who contributed to the migration, land reclamation, village founding, land preservation, and border protection. On 18 March 1917, King Khải Định conferred a royal decree to the tutelary deity of the locality, along with a sacred hat made of precious silk, embroidered with gold thread and adorned with pearls.

During the August Revolution of 1945, Hiệp Ninh Communal House was the gathering and training place for the Vanguard Youth forces preparing to seize power in Tây Ninh. From 1957 to 1959, this place served as a secret contact point for the Tây Ninh Provincial Party Committee and the Town Party Committee.

On 12 October 1990, Hiệp Ninh Communal House was officially classified as a national historical site by Decision No. 1330/QĐ–BT of the Ministry of Culture and Information. The communal house has been restored and repaired many times. By 2010, this monument underwent another major restoration and embellishment.

The communal house is situated on an area of 8,000 m2, built in the 'Tam' (three-section) architectural style with three connected buildings: the front hall (tiền đình), the main hall (chính đình), and the rear hall (hậu đình). The main façade has five bays, a bell tower, and a drum tower. The interior architecture includes 16 round wooden columns with a diameter of 30 cm and 8 brick columns attached to the walls, along with a system of trusses, beams, and purlins supporting the yin-yang tiled roof.

Hiệp Ninh Communal House is one of the places that still preserves many artefacts such as dozens of large horizontal lacquered boards with inscriptions, the altar for the local tutelary deity, the altar for the regional tutelary deity, the altar for the reigning emperor, the celestial throne, the palanquin for carrying royal decrees, ritual objects, the Eight Treasures, administrative paraphernalia; left and right side altars, altars for guardian deities, for the village founders (tiền hiền, hậu hiền), and for elders who contributed to the building of the village, along with 15 pairs of parallel sentences, gongs, drums, a set of turtles, and a pair of cranes. Notably, there are the royal decree and the sacred hat bestowed by King Khải Định on 18 March 1917.