During the Nam Tien (Southward expansion) journey of our ancestors, generations of migrants from Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces have successively set foot to reclaim and establish villages and communes in the northwestern side of Da Nang’s Hoa Vang District, including Van Duong Village.

Though undergoing some historical changes, the Van Duong Village Communal House still retains its traditional architecture. Photo: DOAN GIA HUY

The formation of Van Duong Village Communal House is also closely linked to the development history of the village when this place still preserves traditional spiritual and cultural values ​​and becomes the centre of beliefs and culture of the village community.

Like many other lands, Van Duong Village was initially a wild place, with barren land and harsh weather. Due to a newly developed border area, the number of residents coming here was very modest.

The natural and social conditions were far different from the original land, making the "newcomers always have a cautious mentality. This land nurtured the spiritual and religious life of the new residents to settle down. With the desire to build a communal house for worship, Van Duong villagers together built the communal house and other traditional cultural and spiritual institutions.

The Van Duong Village Communal House was first built during the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Tru (1725-1738) at the location of the "communal garden" in Lang hamlet. At that time, the communal house was built with simple materials such as lime, stone blocks, and a yin-yang tiled roof. After several relocations, the communal house was finally moved to its current location in the early years of King Khai Dinh's reign (1916 - 1919) according to the village’s elders.

At that time, to choose a long-term stable location, the villagers invited a Chinese geomancer residing in Hoi An to choose a location. The communal house was soon inaugurated to the excitement of the villagers.

This communal house was named Thuong (upper), used only for worship. Ha (lower) communal house was located on the right side of Thuong communal house. It was not surrounded by walls and was used as a meeting place to handle village affairs. Due to the effects of the war, the communal house was bombarded and burned down.

The Van Duong villagers joined hands to build a new communal house on the old foundation. The new communal house was inaugurated in late summer 1958, but on a smaller scale and without the Ha communal house and kitchen.

According to the stories of Phan Van Ke and Le Van Tat, the Van Duong Village Communal House was built in 1958 and had the four words "Thien Thu Sung Bai" in the middle. In the middle of the communal house, there was a statue of Amitabha Buddha and a picture of Confucius.

During the resistance war against the US, the communal house was severely damaged. After 1975, the Van Duong Village Communal House became a primary school classroom, then a cooperative rice warehouse. In 1999, it was restored and repaired. In 2006, storm No. 6 (storm Xangsane) destroyed the entire roof of the communal house. In 2009, the roof was repaired.

Having gone through many historical changes, Van Duong Village Communal House is a witness to many historical events north of Hoa Vang District.

Up to now, although the architecture of the communal house no longer retains its original features compared to the early period and has more or less changed and blended with modern architecture, the overall communal house still shows its traditional features.

The place carries within itself outstanding values ​​in terms of culture, history and visual arts. It has entered the memories of Van Duong people as a strong spiritual symbol to convey their beliefs and aspirations. It is also a cultural symbol of the village, and a place where the nuances and traditional cultural values ​​of Van Duong people converge and reflect.

Thanks to its historical significance, in 2021, the Van Duong Village Communal House was recognised by the Da Nang People's Committee as a municipal-level historical relic.

Reporting by DOAN GIA HUY - Translating by M.DUNG