So Communal House

So Communal House is an architectural work that has been classified as a special national relic of Vietnam. It is the communal house (đình – a traditional Vietnamese village hall) of So village, which encompasses the entire Cộng Hòa and Tân Hòa communes (except for An Ninh and Thổ Ngoã hamlets) of the former Quốc Oai district, Hanoi city, Vietnam. This is one of the most beautiful communal houses in the Đoài region, with a folk saying: "Beautiful So Communal House – Grand Cấn Communal House." The đình was built in 1673 to worship the Three Great Lords, generals of the Đinh dynasty who contributed to helping King Đinh Tiên Hoàng – Đinh Bộ Lĩnh quell the rebellion of the Twelve Warlords.

Located about 20 km from the centre of Hanoi, So village, also known as Sơn Lộ village, Cộng Hòa commune, Quốc Oai, is famous for two "specialties": its communal house and its vermicelli. Situated by the Đáy River, So village's đình features architecture that is harmonious with the natural landscape, fully embodying the characteristics of an ancient Vietnamese communal house while also displaying the sophistication, intricacy, and artistic essence of the cultured Đoài region.

The architecture of So Communal House is evaluated and recognised by researchers as one of the most exemplary ancient communal house designs. Initially, the communal house was a small miếu (shrine) built during the Đinh dynasty (968–980) to worship the Three Marshal Great Lords. In 1673, during the Lê Trung Hưng period (1533–1788), the shrine was renovated and expanded into a communal house, with the construction completed in 1674. In 1953, when So village was divided into two communes, Tân Hòa and Cộng Hòa, both communes continued to share one So Communal House, which is a unique feature of this relic. The current scale of the communal house follows the "nội công ngoại quốc" (inner I-shaped, outer square) architectural style, covering an area of 1,100 m². In total, all the cross and longitudinal buildings of the communal house comprise 55 compartments, with 64 large and small columns.

Over the years, the communal house has retained its exquisite and ancient beauty. The communal house rests against Rùa Mountain, with the Đáy River dyke in front, which has been redirected to form a semicircular lake. The tam quan (three-entrance gate) has a two-storey, three-compartment, four-roofed structure, with two small side doors for entry and exit. The decorative motifs and carvings on the roof of the tam quan remain intact, beautiful, and sophisticated.

Beyond the tam quan is the tam môn (main gate) of the communal house. The tam môn covers 54 m², with curved blade-shaped corners at all four edges, creating a graceful appearance. The communal house has a total of seven compartments, two wings, and four wide, tiled roofs. Inside the communal house are 32 large and small ironwood columns arranged in six horizontal rows. Behind the main sanctuary is the "cung" (inner sanctum), which is only opened during the đình's festival occasions. The floor inside the communal house is made of ironwood.

Currently, the communal house still preserves 40 imperial decrees conferring titles to the tutelary gods, dating from the 2nd year of Hoằng Định (1601) under the Lê dynasty to the 9th year of Khải Định (1924) under the Nguyễn dynasty, along with many ancient horizontal lacquered boards and parallel sentences. Therefore, in 1980, So Communal House was classified by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Relic in need of preservation.

The thần tích (sacred history) of So Communal House records: In the spring of the year Canh Dần (930), there was Mr. Cao Công and Mrs. Lã Thị from Vạn Kỳ hamlet, Gia Định district, Thuận An prefecture, Kinh Bắc region. Their family was very poor and made a living by fishing on the river. The couple greatly enjoyed doing good deeds, no matter how small. One day, while casting nets on the Như Nguyệt River, they caught 15 taels of gold. From then on, their business prospered, and their life became well-off. However, the couple were over 50 years old and still had no son. Mr. Cao often said: 'With forests of money and seas of rice but no child, life is not joyful,' and discussed with his wife about seeking a place to pray for a child. They heard that at Hữu Linh Temple in Sơn Lộ hamlet, prayers were always answered, so they prepared offerings and went there to pray for a child. Early the next morning, they performed a thanksgiving ceremony, then boarded a boat with two fishermen, heading downstream on the Đáy River. As the boat was moving, the sky suddenly darkened as if it were night, and a great wind arose. At this moment, the boat reached the territory of Sơn Lộ hamlet. The couple looked up and saw a golden cloud descending towards Mrs. Lã. She was frightened and fell into a trance. Afterwards, she became pregnant. In the second lunar month of the year Quý Tỵ (933), she gave birth to three sons. The three children grew up to be strong young men and joined Đinh Tiên Hoàng in quelling the rebellion of the Twelve Warlords. Their greatest recorded feat was the battle against warlord Đỗ Cảnh Thạc in the Đỗ Động region. When crossing the Thanh Quyết River, they attacked Thường Vệ citadel, besieged Bảo Đà citadel, attacked Quèn citadel (Liêm Tuyết commune, Quốc Oai), and set up camp at Sơn Lộ hamlet. When Đinh Bộ Lĩnh was besieged at Bối Khê and the situation was extremely critical, the three brothers immediately led troops to break the siege. The people of Sơn Lộ hamlet brought rice vermicelli and cakes to support them and selected 300 strong men to follow the brothers as retainers. In battle, the three brothers fought valiantly, slaying the main general Đỗ Thanh Long and tens of thousands of soldiers, rescuing Đinh Bộ Lĩnh. When Đinh Tiên Hoàng ascended the throne, he conferred upon the three brothers the title of Three Manifested Marshal Great Lords (Tam vị Thông Hiện Nguyên soái Đại Vương). Through successive dynasties, the Three Saints were granted honorific titles and Sơn Lộ hamlet was allowed to worship them for generations.

There is another legend about the three village tutelary deities, named Hiện Hồ, Thiên Gia, and Mệnh Gia, who helped King Đinh Tiên Hoàng quell the rebellion of the Twelve Warlords. According to folk legend, the three were sons of the water god, born into the human world on the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month. They were highly skilled in watercraft and martial arts, and King Đinh valued them, entrusting them with many important responsibilities. General Hiện Hồ was appointed Commander-in-chief (Chỉ huy sứ), General Thiên Gia was made Chief Captain (Đô úy), and General Mệnh Gia was made Captain (Hiệu úy) in charge of suppressing the rebellion, repeatedly saving the king. When the enemy was defeated and peace restored, the three deities all fell ill and ascended to heaven on the 10th day of the 12th lunar month. King Đinh Tiên Hoàng, deeply grieved, conferred upon Hiện Hồ the title "Đống Linh Thông Hiệu Marshal Great Lord" (Đống Linh Thông hiệu Nguyên Súy Đại Vương), and upon Thiên Gia and Mệnh Gia the title "Marshal Great Lord" (Nguyên Súy Đại Vương).

So village communal house has three major annual festivals: the main festival from the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month, the military commemoration festival on the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, and the Saint's Ascension festival on the 10th day of the 12th lunar month. The So village festival takes place over three days, from the 8th to the 10th day of the 2nd lunar month, with many activities such as rituals, palanquin processions, blindfolded goat catching, singing, sports, and more.

So village has a sacred flag measuring up to 24 square metres. Whenever the flag flies against the blue sky, reflected in the shimmering lake, accompanied by the sound of thunder drums, it signals that the village is holding a festival. The So Communal House festival is held twice a year, in spring and autumn.

The spring festival celebrates the Saint's birthday on the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month. On this day, villagers organise a procession of ancestral tablets from Miếu Ông (Mr. Shrine) and Miếu Bà (Mrs. Shrine), the parents of the Saints, to the communal house to jointly receive the villagers' reverence.

The autumn festival, held on the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, commemorates the day the Saints broke the siege and won the battle, offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and rewarding the soldiers. The military commemoration is a joyful celebration for the people. On this day, a sacrificial buffalo is offered. The village has 28 giáp (sub-village divisions); each year, one giáp is responsible for preparing the offerings. Thus, if one giáp prepares the offering this year, it will be 28 years before it is their turn again. The buffalo must be carefully singed, with yellow, rough skin, kneeling on a wooden frame, its snout raised, and its horns wrapped in red paper. The buffalo's internal organs are removed and cleaned, so the sacrificial buffalo is called the "inner buffalo" by the villagers. The scene of offering the inner buffalo is solemn and dignified. After the offering, all villagers share the sacrificial meat, and in the afternoon and evening, they gather to watch performances at the communal house or other shrines and communal halls in the village. Sometimes, performers would finish singing at one shrine and then carry their instruments to another.

The Saint's Ascension Day is on the 10th day of the twelfth lunar month. This is now a vegetarian offering ceremony. Preparations for the vegetarian ceremony begin a month in advance. Those preparing for the ceremony are always young men around 18 or 19 years old. They must bathe and cleanse themselves before gathering at someone's house to select rice for making cakes.