Hưng Long Communal House

Hưng Long Communal House is located in Quarter 4, Chơn Thành Ward, Đồng Nai City. With a history of more than 150 years of formation and development, Hưng Long Communal House marks the period of 'clearing mountains and breaking rocks' and plays an important role in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people in the Bình Phước region.

The land of Chơn Thành, Bình Phước Province, in the past under the reign of Emperor Gia Long of the Nguyễn Dynasty, belonged to the vast Biên Hòa district. It was originally a wild, mountainous forest, rarely accessible, and to reach it one had to cross forests, wade through streams, and push through reeds along the paths of woodcutters or hunters. The landscape was nothing but deep forests and green mountains, shrouded in mist and smoke, with wild animals roaming freely. From the early 17th century to the mid-19th century, residents from the Thanh – Nghệ – Tĩnh region began to settle here, building new lives with many hardships. In the years after 1975, people from the northern mountainous provinces migrated here to establish villages. Due to the unfavourable natural conditions, the first settlers had to work harder than elsewhere to establish their livelihoods. Nevertheless, with a tradition of industrious and resilient labour, working shoulder to shoulder, the Vietnamese inhabitants who settled this land gradually built up a prosperous and vast Chơn Thành as it is today.

Along with the process of reclaiming land and founding villages, đình (communal houses), chùa (pagodas), and miếu (shrines) were built throughout Chơn Thành district to honour and worship the sages who helped the people make a living, as well as to venerate supernatural forces in each person's spiritual beliefs. The system of đình, temples, pagodas, and shrines in Chơn Thành is quite ancient, all bearing traditional national values and recording historical traces through the ages. Hưng Long Communal House is one of these traditional structures.

According to oral tradition from elders and based on imperial edicts granted by the Nguyễn Dynasty, Hưng Long Communal House was established in 1850 by people who migrated from Phú Lợi (Bình Dương) to Chơn Thành to start a new life. They brought with them the belief in worshipping the Tutelary Deity of the local area. Over the years, the communal house has accompanied and witnessed the ups and downs of the locality, playing an important role in the spiritual life of Chơn Thành's people and enriching the spiritual life of the local residents. Initially, the communal house was built near Bến Đình Bridge (now Quarter 4, Hưng Long Ward). Later, it was moved to another location (now Quarter 3, Hưng Long Ward). In 1946, the French army destroyed the communal house, which the villagers considered a grave taboo, unfavourable for the lives and development of the local people. Therefore, in 1963, the communal house was rebuilt at a site near Bến Đình Bridge. As it is located in Hưng Long Commune, it was named Hưng Long Communal House, a name that has remained to this day.

The communal house covers an area of 4,055 m² and faces south. According to Eastern philosophy, the south is associated with the 'Ly' hexagram in the I Ching, the hexagram of brilliant fire; the south is also considered the direction of sages: 'The sage sits facing south to listen to the world.' At the same time, the south takes advantage of favourable weather conditions in the south, avoiding northern winds and eastern storms.

The communal house is built in the style of three main halls and two wings, consisting of a separate rear sanctuary and a main ceremonial hall. In the middle of the courtyard is a screen wall, requiring visitors to walk around to either side to enter. The screen wall is placed according to feng shui principles, both to shield against misfortune and to create privacy for the inner structure. Inside the communal house, right at the entrance, are statues of two cranes in a kneeling posture, symbolising the solemnity of the place where deities are worshipped. In the rear sanctuary, on the left (tả vu) is the altar to Thổ Địa Bát Gia (the Eight Earth Deities), and on the right (hữu vu) is the altar to Trí Mạng Đế Quân. Two cubits in front of the Trí Mạng Đế Quân altar is the Hậu Hiền altar – dedicated to those who contributed to the founding of the settlement. Two cubits from the Thổ Địa Bát Gia altar is the Tiền Hiền altar – dedicated to those who pioneered the reclamation. The second hall is the Giàng House (also called võ ca), used to receive guests; it also houses the long ngai (royal seats), incense tables for worshipping the tutelary deity, and a full set of ritual objects: the ngũ sự (five-piece altar set), bát cửu (eight or nine-piece set) in splendid gold and vermilion, ceremonial objects, halberds, parasols, and flag palanquins, all exuding majesty. In the centre of the main hall are two horizontal lacquered boards with silver inlay. The interior of the communal house is divided into two parts. The first part is a spacious ceremonial hall with three wooden incense tables, intricately carved and lacquered. This is also where people stand to offer incense and bow during ceremonial rites.

The three-bay main ceremonial hall is constructed from tứ thiết wood (a durable hardwood), built in the bít đốc style, with curved-tile roofs spreading wide to embrace the land. The double-moulded roof edges are carved with chrysanthemum motifs, giving a light and graceful appearance. The main load-bearing structure consists of main columns and secondary columns, all made from whole tree trunks, connected in the thượng rường-hạ kèo style, a creative combination of two types of beam and rafter joints.

On the trusses, all the beam ends, brackets, crossbeams, tie beams, and panels are places where folk artisans have carved scenes depicting human labour, natural landscapes rich in folk character, extremely diverse and lively. The roof is decorated with the motif of 'two dragons flanking the moon', solemn and vivid. The rear sanctuary has three altars: the central altar is for the tutelary deity and earth god; the right altar is for the early land clearers and later settlers; the left altar is for those who contributed to building the communal house.

Every year, as customary, Hưng Long Communal House organises the Khai Sơn Festival (7th day of the 1st lunar month), the Kỳ Yên Festival (15th to 16th of the 2nd lunar month), the Cầu Bông Festival (16th day of the 6th lunar month), and the Rước Thần Festival (25th to 30th of the 12th lunar month). The purpose of these festivals is to pray for national peace and prosperity, for the villagers to live in peace and increase production, for good health in the new year, for every household to be happy, and for favourable weather. Before the festival days, descendants of the local families gather at the communal house to clean, decorate, arrange, and assign people to go to the market and cook. Besides the ritual part, there is also a festive part, usually involving communal feasting. This is an occasion for people to congratulate each other, meet and share wishes for a healthy, prosperous, and successful year. Any surplus is kept for other festivals or for the restoration and embellishment of the communal house in subsequent years.

Hưng Long Communal House is a cultural institution imbued with spiritual colour in the polytheistic beliefs and deity worship of the Vietnamese people in general and the people of Chơn Thành, Bình Phước Province in particular, serving as a symbol of reverence, worship, and the hope for divine assistance from the tutelary deity. Entering the communal house, the cool and gentle atmosphere seems to help one shed all life's worries, immersing oneself in the spiritual space to find peace and contemplate the architectural and sculptural arts. One realises that the communal house, opening outwards, silently preserves an invaluable artistic heritage, which to this day still reflects the social life of centuries past and leaves great cultural, historical, and artistic values. Thanks to this, the bonds of neighbourhood and community solidarity are preserved in the tradition of the Vietnamese people.

With its great historical and cultural value, Hưng Long Communal House was classified and recognised as a provincial-level historical and cultural heritage site by the People's Committee of Bình Phước Province on 15 December 2004.