Tân Hưng Communal House

Cà Mau(formerly Bạc Liêu)(Đình Tân Hưng)

Overview & history

Tân Hưng Đình is located in Tân Hưng hamlet, Lý Văn Lâm ward, Cà Mau province, 4 km south of the centre of Tân Thành ward, along the Rạch Rập canal route towards Cái Nước district. The đình (communal house) was recognised and classified as a heritage site by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1992.

History

Tân Hưng Đình was built in 1907. Over the course of wartime, the đình was completely damaged. On the old foundation, local people erected another, smaller đình consisting of one main chamber and two wings, with a yin-yang tiled roof and two dragons cast on the rooftop. In front of the đình is a brick screen wall decorated with a tiger relief; on either side are two square brick pillars, each topped with a lotus flower sculpture. On both sides of the courtyard are two small miếu (shrines).

As the first place where the flag of the Indochinese Communist Party was raised in Cà Mau (in 1930), and also the headquarters of the Tân Hưng Front Command, the anti-French resistance front in Cà Mau, Tân Hưng Đình holds great cultural and historical significance, and is also a symbol of the preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of Cà Mau province, the southernmost land of Vietnam.

Restoration

After being classified, the heritage site was planned for development with the courtyard turned into a flower garden and a commemorative stele constructed. The main building itself was to be repaired and restored to host cultural activities and traditional storytelling. According to the restoration and anti-degradation programme for historical sites by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam and the Department of Culture and Information of Cà Mau province, nearly 300 million VND was provided to rebuild the đình, create relief carvings, level the ground, and construct embankments to prevent erosion.

Architecture

The đình consists of one main chamber and two wings, with a yin-yang tiled roof and two dragons on the rooftop. In front of the đình is a brick screen wall decorated with a tiger relief; on both sides of the courtyard are small miếu (shrines) dedicated to Thần Nông (the God of Agriculture) and Thổ Thần (the God of the Land).

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Visiting tips

Dress modestly; remove hats and keep quiet inside the main hall.
Incense, flowers and offerings are usually sold right outside the gate; light an odd number of sticks (1 or 3).
Most pagodas open from early morning to evening and are free to enter (some major sites charge a small scenic fee).
Full-moon days, the 1st of the lunar month and Tet are very crowded; visit on weekday mornings for a quiet experience.
Ask permission before photographing inside shrines; do not touch statues or altar objects.