Tho Ha Communal House is situated in Tho Ha Village, Viet Yen District, Bac Giang Province, about 50km from downtown Hanoi. It is one of the most ancient communal house in Vietnam.
Tho Ho Communal House was built under the reign of King Le Hy Tong in 17th – 18th century. It was built according to the form of the Chinese character cong, and surrounded by several old trees.
The praise-giving house is 27m long, 16m wide and stands on a raised ground surrounded by three grey stones steps. It is divided into 7 rooms and is supported by 48 ironwood pillars.
The roofs of the Communal House are covered with ancient crescent-shaped tiles curved up like a scimitar sword blade at the four corners and decorated with purple-burned glazed terra-cotta creatures such as lion cubs. There are 22 mighty levers intricately engraved with dragons, clouds, and lion cubs. The ladies in long dresses wearing their hair in buns or turbans, riding phoenixes and dragons or dancing over the floating clouds, are remarkable.
The floor of the temple is laid with polished blue stones. The wooden entrance of the communal house is engraved and painted in gold, conferring it with a solemn and ancient atmosphere.
The inscription on an old stela, relates that Tho Ha Communal House was built through the material contribution of Tho Ha villagers. Even now, it is clearly still honoured and cared for with pride.
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