New, spacious appearance of the special national relic Hoanh Son communal house
Huy Thu•August 15, 2025 16:25
After nearly a year and a half of restoration and embellishment, Hoanh Son communal house - a special national monument in Thien Nhan commune has a new, spacious appearance.
Hoanh Son Communal House was built in 1763 to worship Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang (the 8th son of King Ly Thai To). The frame of the communal house is sculpted with unique carvings with rich and dense themes. In 1984, the communal house was ranked as a National Historical Monument, and in 2017 it was recognized as a special National Monument. Photo: Huy Thu Having existed for a long time, the communal house has seriously degraded. In 2022, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Decision No. 4243 approving the investment project to restore and embellish the Hoanh Son communal house relic with a total investment of 24 billion VND, from the provincial budget for medium-term public investment in the period 2021-2025. Photo: Huy ThuThe project to restore and embellish Hoanh Son communal house officially started in March 2024, with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An province as the investor. After nearly 1.5 years of construction, by mid-August 2025, the project has basically completed all items. Photo: Huy Thu Within the 2,500 m2 communal house grounds, there are currently main structures such as the main hall, the sanctuary, the ceremonial gate, the relic stele, the votive paper burning house, the management house and the restroom. Photo: Huy ThuAccording to Mr. Nguyen Thien Chinh, the relic's guardian: To construct the project, contractors mobilized carpenters and masons from many localities: Nam Dinh, Hanoi, Nghe An, Hue... Items such as the gate, the dragon and unicorn details on the tiled roof of the communal house were all done by Hue workers. Photo: Huy ThuMr. Nguyen Thien Chinh, the relic's guardian, said: The main hall has 7 compartments, 8 rafters, and 32 pillars. The rear palace has 1 compartment with 4 pillars. During the restoration process, 4 severely damaged pillars were completely replaced, 6 pillars remained intact, 26 pillars were cut, patched, or partially repaired, below or above. Photo: Huy ThuAccording to the leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An province, Hoanh Son communal house has been repaired many times, but this is the largest restoration since it was ranked. When demoted, the Department invited the Department of Cultural Heritage to evaluate, only some severely damaged structures that could not be restored had to be replaced, the rest were kept intact to ensure the ancient features. Currently, in the main communal house, in the 2 side rooms, 2 additional sets of cabinets and counters have been designed. On the communal house, the lighting system and fire alarm equipment have been fully installed. Photo: Huy ThuMany new sacrificial objects have been purchased and are being placed in the rear sanctuary and the middle of the main hall. The ancient statue system of the communal house has also been painted, repaired, and reinforced. Some typical old wooden structures, tiles, and bricks have been replaced and are still kept in the communal house. Photo: Huy ThuIn addition to the garden, the system of walkways and ornamental plants has been built neatly. Behind, on the right side of the communal house (looking from the inside of the communal house to the gate) is the house for burning votive papers, on the left is the security house and restroom. Some small details are still being completed. Photo: Huy ThuSurrounding the communal house, the surrounding wall system is built in a closed manner. In front, on the right side of the communal house yard is a stone monument with a roof. Next to it, a banyan tree casts a lush shade in a corner of the communal house garden, making the landscape of the relic even more ancient. Photo: Huy ThuConsidered to be the most sophisticatedly architectural communal house in Nghe An and the most beautiful communal house in the Central region, after the completion of the restoration and embellishment project, Hoanh Son communal house will be an attractive destination for sightseeing and worship for tourists from inside and outside the province. Photo: Huy ThuThe new beauty of Hoanh Son communal house. Video: Huy Thu
