Phong Cốc Communal House is situated in the
centre of Phong Cốc Commune, on the
island of Hà Nam, Yên Hưng District; 5 km from Chanh Ferry Station.
It was built at the end of the 17th
century to honour the village’s tutelary genie and four Lady Saints. Phong
Cốc Communal House is built in the shape of the letter J ("dinh").
Its Front Ceremonial Hall has seven compartments and two lean-tos;
meanwhile its Back Ceremonial Hall comprises five compartments and
two lean-tos. Its Back Sanctuary also includes two compartments. The
Communal House is 35 m long and 15 m wide. Its main pillars measure
over 1 meter in perimeter. Eight lines of main pillars and two lines
of supportive ones hold a 600-square meter ancient tiled roof. The
barge-board curves in tune with the scimitar edges, shaping the
elegant structure of the Communal House. On the two main ironwood
doors are carved with dragons and phoenixes flying in cloud. The
exquisite carvings, especially those depicting the activities in
daily life in the roof beams reveal that this construction is a
treasure of Vietnamese architecture. The
building is not only an attractive stop for thousands of domestic
and foreign tourists, but it has also aided researchers in achieving
a deeper insight of the architecture and culture of ancient
Vietnamese villages.
