Dinh Bang Communal House

Location: Situated in Dinh Bang Village, Tu Son District, Bac Ninh Province, 15km from Hanoi.
Characteristics: Dinh Bang together with Dong Khang and Diem Communal Houses were the most beautiful ones in Vietnam.
If visitors ride on highway 1A from Hanoi towards Bac Ninh Province and turn right at the Km 15 milestone, they will reach Dinh Bang Village in Tu Son District. The village was the native place of Ly Cong Uan (or King Ly Thai To) - founder of the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) and Thang Long Capital (present - day Hanoi) (1010). The village comprises a group of historical and cultural relics, especially those of the Ly Dynasty, which are diverse, unique and national historical significance, including temples, pagodas, tombs, and monuments. They are typical of the Vietnamese village culture.
Dinh Bang Communal House was built in the early 18th century and construction was completed in 1736. The first effort was attributed to Nguyen Thac Luong, a mandarin and native of Dinh Bang Village, and his wife Nguyen Thi Nguyen, a native of Thanh Hoa Province (Central Vietnam), who bought hard wood and donated it to the villagers to erect the communal house. There are folk verses from time immemorial like this:
First ranks the Dong Khang Communal House.
Second, the Dinh Bang, and third, the Diem.
Up to now, the Dong Khang Communal House no longer exits, and only remain the Dinh Bang Communal House. Located in the centre of the village, it is an architectural site full of national identify with unique carving and decoration.
The house faces south, with a lake at its front where duet singing of boats used to be organized, attracting innumerable visitors during the village festivals. The central gate was built with bricks in the shape of a lantern. At its two sides there are vaulted gates with fake roofs.
On the two pillars of the communal house parallel sentences are carved which remind every villager to follow the teachings:
The village conventions are painstakingly established by the ancestors. Traditional fine customs and habits are seriously implemented by their descendants. Behind the gate is a large yard paved with stones. On its left and right sides, colorful flowers and luxuriant bushes grow harmoniously. Although having the experience of the ups and downs of war and the passage of time, the worshiping pavilion retains its extreme beauty. Also called the" great palace", it was built on high ground and is circled by two green stone stairs that gives the palace an imposing look. The four roofs stretch in four directions and cover the verandas, with rising dragon shaped ends. The tiles are large and deep green with moss. This image reminds the visitor of an old folk verse: Passing the communal house, I take off my conical hat and look at it, I feel I love you as much as there are tiles on its roof...
The pavilion floor was made of hard timber, and its pillars are as big as two men’s hand embraces. Each carving at Dinh Bang Communal House is like a masterpiece and is reputed for its uniqueness, which impresses any visitor. The carving is eight horses happily playing on a meadow; awaiting lion couple, each in its own posture: dragons in festivals; five dragons fighting for a gem; etc. The topic for these carving comes from traditional legends, and the images are of the four sacred animals (dragon, lion, tortoise and phoenix), or four valuable plants (pine, apricot, chrysanthemum, and little bamboo). Three genies are worshipped at Dinh Bang Communal House, including Earth, Water and Cultivation. Memorial statues of six family patron saints, who made great contributions to re-building it after a big fire took place in the 15th century, include the Nguyen, Tran, Le, Ngo, Do and Dang erected at the back of the palace. Every year, Dinh Bang spring festival is organized, luring a great number of visitors, who come to enjoy traditional entertainments and relaxation after hard working days