Description

Binh Thanh communal house is located in Ninh Binh commune, Ninh Hoa town, Khanh Hoa province.  The name "Binh Thanh" comes from taking the name of the village to give it to the communal house.  In addition, Binh Thanh communal house is also known as Huong temple - because the communal house is next to Huong temple, it is a shrine to Ba Thien Y A Na and people who seek incense often stop to burn incense and ask her for her blessing before leaving.  When returning, they also burn incense to give thanks, so people call it Huong Temple.

Overview of Binh Thanh communal house

According to the Nguyen dynasty directory established in 1810, Binh Thanh village was called An Thanh commune, consisting of 3 countries:  Trump Thanh, Dong Thanh and Son Truong. An Thanh is located in a "favorable" land, both a rich plain, fertile alluvium, close to the capital of Tan Dinh; There are Ganh wharf, Truong Sap wharf and the confluence of 3 rivers, namely Cai river, Duc river, Lot river, forming Dinh river, which flows into the sea. Based on the documents on the formation of Ninh Binh village and commune and worshiping works such as Pho Hoa pagoda, Thien Buu pagoda was opened around the time of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat, corresponding to the Canh Hung era (1740 - 1786) and The wooden frame structure in the main hall can be relatively identified as Binh Thanh communal house built around the middle of the 18th century.

When it was newly built, Binh Thanh communal house was not in its current position, but changed its location four times. Each time they change places like this because the villagers believe that in those positions, they often suffer from diseases, crops fail, life faces many difficulties... The fourth time the communal house was moved was in 1930, Mr. Nguyen Van (commonly known as Xuan commune) had a meeting with the people and decided to move the communal house near Thien Y A Na temple to form a complex of relics in the Tam Son style including: the temple in the west, the communal house in the middle, and the Tien Hien house in the area. east. In all relocations, the wooden frame system (columns, trusses, beams, lines) was removed and reassembled intact when arriving at the new location. According to oral tradition, when they first came here to work and live, this land was very densely wooded, with many old trees, most notably at the back of the communal house, there was still a hundred-year-old Bodhi tree still existing. . From 1930 to present, Binh Thanh communal house has undergone renovation and restoration in the years: 1985, 1996, 2002.

Altar decoration inside the main hall

Binh Thanh communal house worships the following gods: Thanh Hoang, Tien Hien, Tho Cong, Thien Y, Tien Su, Son Lam, Muc Dong, Am Soul, Ngu Hanh... In the communal house, there are still names of 3 Tiens. The sages of An Thanh commune are: Vo Van Binh, Phan Tat Thanh and Nguyen Dac Ngoc. According to the legends of the old men: in the past, Binh Thanh communal house had 7 ordinations given by the Nguyen kings and sent to Pho Hoa pagoda (Ninh Binh commune) but it was lost and the cause is unknown.

The front of Binh Thanh vestibule faces south. From the outside to the inside, the communal house has an overall floor plan including architectural components: The Phong Court (all three: the main hall, the Thien Y A Na temple and the Tien Hien house), the Son Lam-Muc Dong temple. , Temple of Am Soul - Ngu Hanh, main hall, Temple of Thien Y, Tien Hien house, East house, kitchen.

Every year, people in Binh Thanh village hold a festival in the third lunar month. The festival lasts for 2 days.

During the period 1944-1945, Binh Thanh communal house was the meeting place of Viet Minh cadres, chaired by Mr. Ngo Dong Lanh. With a location far from residential areas, dense trees close to Cai River in Ninh Hoa, so Binh Thanh communal house is a place for the revolutionary armed team to meet, live and operate secretly.

On October 14, 2010, Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2628/QD-UBND ranking Dinh Binh Thanh as a provincial historical - cultural relic.