(TITC) - Hong Thai Communal House (Ca Hamlet, Tan Trao Commune, Son Duong District, Tuyen Quang Province) is located in Tan Trao Special National Relic. The communal house entirely built of wood in the 4th year of King Khai Dinh’s reign (1919) according to the style of traditional stilt houses of mountainous ethnic groups includes 3 compartments and 2 lean-tos, palm leaf roof to facilitate cultural activities and beliefs of locals.
Hong Thai Communal House is dedicated village tutelary god, gods of mountains and rivers in the surrounding area and Ngoc Dung Princess. The communal house is decorated with black seal scripts, horizontal lacquered boards and scroll couplets. Six gecko images are sophisticatedly engraved on the 6 columns in the communal house’s central compartment to reproduce agricultural belief of locals.
In addition to cultural values, Hong Thai Communal House contains its historical values. It was the first stop of Uncle Ho from Pac Bo to Tan Trao on 21 May 1945 and was selected as the place to welcome the delegates of National Conference of Party (13 – 15 August 1945) and National People's Congress (16 – 17 August 1945).
During the period of resistance war against French colonial (1946 – 1954), Hong Thai Communal House was the headquarters of ATK Safety Zone Conservancy and was considered as permanent office of central agencies around the region. The communal house was also the office of ATK Provision division. Many military units stationed here to implement training and protection of central agencies.
Every year, the villagers organize various events at the communal house such as festival praying for good fortune (Cau may) on the 3th day of the first lunar month, festival of going to the field (Ha dien) on the 4th day of the fifth lunar month and festival worshipping God of Agriculture (Thuong dien) on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month … Today, Hong Thai Communal House is a place for cultural activities and meetings of locals as well as patriotic tradition education for the young generation.
Hong Nhung