(BNP) - Yen Viet communal house (Yen Viet village, Dong Cuu commune, Bac Ninh province) was built during the Le dynasty on a large scale with exquisitely carved art. The communal house worships the first-rank scholar (Trang nguyen) Grand Tutor (Thai su) Le Van Thinh and General Doan Cong, who made many great contributions to the people and the country.
Yen Viet communal house was built during the Le dynasty.
Yen Viet communal house was originally built during the Le dynasty on a large scale with exquisitely carved art. By the Nguyen dynasty, under the 2nd year of King Tu Duc's reign (1849), the Great Ceremonial Hall (Dai bai) continued to be restored and renovated. During the resistance war against the French colonialists, the communal house lost three compartments of the Back Sanctuary (Hau cung). In 1992, the villagers rebuilt the Back Sanctuary of the communal house. In 2016, with state financial support along with socialized resources, the people proceeded to repair the pillars, elevate the pillar bases, and replace all new purlins and rafters.
The main gate into the communal house.
The communal house is currently located in the middle of the village, facing Southeast, with the front and right sides adjacent to traffic roads, and the remaining sides adjacent to a densely populated residential area. The communal house has a Dinh-letter-shaped architectural style consisting of the Great Ceremonial Hall and the Back Sanctuary.
In which, the Great Ceremonial Hall has an architectural style of 3 main compartments and 2 lean-tos with 4 curved roof corners. The ironwood frame is large, strong, and solid, with the roof beam structure designed in the "con chong - gia chieng" (stacked blocks and gabled frame) style connected to 4 rows of longitudinal pillars and 6 rows of transverse pillars. Currently, on the main beam of the Great Ceremonial Hall, there is a line of Chinese characters recording the year of restoration during the Nguyen dynasty "Tu Duc nhi nien" (1849).
On top of the roof is an embossed image of two dragons bowing to the sun.
Architectural components such as the beam ends (dau du), support structures (con), and eaves beams (bay) are all carved and decorated with classical motifs (dragons, fairies, dragon nests); especially, the support structures (con) are skillfully carved in high relief, bearing the artistic imprint of the Le dynasty. The middle compartment also features a splendid and sophisticated door hammock (cua vong) carved with the four mythical creatures (tu linh) and the four seasonal plants (tu quy). The Back Sanctuary has 2 compartments, the frame is planed smooth and tightly joined, with the roof beam structure in the "con chong - gia chieng" style.
The support structure (con) is carved in relief with the motifs of dragons and dragon nests.
The support structure (con) is carved in relief, bearing the artistic imprint of the Le dynasty.
Currently, the communal house still preserves many ancient artifacts such as: 12 royal honorific decrees; 05 ancient stone steles; a divine genealogy from the Nguyen dynasty; funeral orations from the Nguyen dynasty; a worship altar chair from the Nguyen dynasty, etc.
The main altar.
Yen Viet is one of the 5 villages belonging to the "Ngu dinh noi" (Five Inner Communal Houses) that participate in the "Thap dinh" (Ten Communal Houses) festival on the 6th day of the second lunar month in the years of the Monkey, Rat, and Dragon. The village's traditional custom is organized on the 11th day of the third lunar month every year.
The splendid door hammock (cua vong) is carved with the four mythical creatures and four seasonal plants.
Nowadays, the communal house festival has been moved to the 7th day of the first lunar month, the rituals are organized in a simpler and more compact manner, and the people only conduct offerings and ceremonies at the communal house.
To the left of the Great Ceremonial Hall is the Fatherland Merit Stele for heroic martyrs.
Yen Viet communal house was classified as a Provincial Historical - Cultural Relic under Decision No. 955/QD-UBND dated July 18, 2010 of the Provincial People's Committee./.
