Description
Van Thien communal house is located in Van Thien residential group, Ninh Da ward, Ninh Hoa town, Khanh Hoa province.
In terms of chronology, Van Thien communal house has been around for a long time, but the exact year of construction is not clear. According to the elders in the village, the communal house had 1 ordination bestowed by the Nguyen Dynasty but was lost in 1955. The most reliable evidence to date the monument is based on the carved patterns on the temple. The wooden structure and the fresco hanging in the main hall have the inscription "Duy Tan three years ... created", which is the basis for determining that the communal house was started in 1909.
Since its construction until now, Van Thien communal house has undergone renovation and restoration in the years: 1936, 1956, 1991.
Van Thien communal house worships the following gods: Thanh Hoang, Hau Tho, and Tien sage.
In terms of architecture, Van Thien Communal House has a facade facing the South, an area of 1,128m2. From the outside to the inside, the communal house has an overall layout as follows: Flag pole, plan room, main hall, Hau Tho temple.
The main hall is the place to gather the most typical architectural features in the architectural units of Van Thien communal house. The entire wooden frame structure of the main hall includes 04 female columns and 12 military columns. Above the door edge of the main hall decorated with geometric patterns and writings. The pedestal of the altars is decorated with pictures of natural landscapes, phoenix birds, conifers, lotus flowers. The poles are decorated with stylized bats, the bottom squares are supported by the bagua poles, the hitchhikers are carved with clouds... All of these patterns are delicately carved and colored very vividly. .
Regarding festivals, in the past, Van Thien communal house worshiped twice a year on the occasion of "Spring and Autumn Two Periods". Spring (January or February of the lunar calendar) and Autumn (September or October of the lunar calendar). After 1975 until now, villagers have changed from autumn to spring and only worshiped once a year, called "Spring and Autumn Unity". In addition, every year on the 12th day of the 8th lunar month, the communal house organizes the worshiping ceremony of the village's Tien Hien.
On November 20, 2009, Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2995/QD-UBND ranking Van Thien Communal House as a provincial historical - cultural relic.