Tuong Phieu communal house special national relic.
After teaching people how to fish and control the water, Duc Thanh Tan returned to the mountain late at night. The people reluctantly used dry trees as torches to light the way and admire him longer.
After 7 years of being recognized as a special national monument, Tich Loc commune (Phuc Tho, Hanoi) recently solemnly held a ceremony to receive the national intangible cultural heritage of Tuong Phieu communal house traditional festival. At the same time, it opened the most unique traditional festival in the Doai region.
The work of Doai temple
According to the relic records of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), Tuong Phieu communal house, also known as Ca communal house, is an architectural relic that still preserves many typical cultural values in terms of tangible and intangible. Tuong Phieu communal house worships four village tutelary gods: the three Saints Tan Vien and Quan Son.
Tuong Phieu Communal House faces the Southwest - the direction chosen by the ancients to see Ba Vi Mountain, where the Tan Vien Saint Temple is located. The Communal House is a large-scale ancient architectural work, still bearing traces of its long-standing construction, with many unique reliefs in the artistic style of the Later Le Dynasty.
From the yard, the communal house looks like a large stilt house, gracefully stylized by the roof system and curved edges. On the ridge is a relief of the image of “two dragons worshipping the sun”. On the ridge is a relief of a pair of pliers, and on the edge is a pair of crocodiles and a symmetrical unicorn. Through the brick yard is the main worship hall, which is also a place for meetings, because the communal house does not have a sanctuary.
Tuong Phieu communal house was elaborately carved by the ancients, concentrated in the main hall. Each eaves is decorated with rich themes, such as: water waves, clouds mixed with animals such as horses, turtles carrying the letter Lac Thu, unicorns, dragons.
The carving technique is in the style of channel and embossed carving, clearly depicting the details of the lines. The eight statues on the porch are all decorated with the theme of four-clawed dragons, holding pearls in their mouths, one holding hair, one stroking its beard.
The walls of the communal house are also carved with “dragon mother and child”, phoenixes, deer, and unicorns. The remaining heads are transformed into dragon heads with flared mouths, bulging eyes, bat-like ears, and thin, sharp, soft, and delicate hair and beard flying to both sides.
Researchers assess that Tuong Phieu communal house is part of the system of religious and belief relics and is a valuable architectural work of art. Currently, the communal house still preserves many precious relics of different materials and types, such as: 3 palanquins in the artistic style of the 17th - 18th centuries; 3 sets of thrones and tablets dating from the first half of the 18th century; 3 trays of offerings from the 19th century; 6 royal decrees of the Nguyen Dynasty; 3 ancient incense bowls made of Tho Ha pottery; bronze ao phu gia and candle holders.
With its special architectural and artistic value, Tuong Phieu communal house was ranked as a special national monument by the Prime Minister in December 2018. On February 21, 2024, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung signed a decision to include Tuong Phieu communal house festival in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.
Lighting the dragon torch to light the way for the procession in the Tuong Phieu Communal House Festival.
Torchlight to send the Saint back to the mountains
Every year, Tuong Phieu communal house organizes 4 festivals, the main festival commemorating the birthday of Saint Tan Vien Son is the biggest festival, taking place from January 14 to 16, is one of the most unique festivals of the Doai region, attracting a large number of tourists from all over.
The festival retains many traditional activities, the most unique of which is the night procession. Before that, from January 10 to 13, in the villages, after a year of preparing dry firewood and bamboo fences, dragon torches and lanterns are made to light up the procession.
According to traditional customs, on the morning of January 14, people excitedly welcomed the Saint from Tuong Phieu communal house to Ngo Son temple (Ngo temple). That evening, after the ritual of lighting the four communal trees, the night sky was ablaze with fire. People lined up tightly on the Tich river dike, joyfully welcoming Saint Tan back to the communal house.
In the procession from Ngo Son Temple to Tuong Phieu Communal House, wherever the palanquin went, the communal house torches lit up. According to legend, the custom of carrying out the palanquin at night in Tuong Phieu village originated from the legend of Saint Tan, who, while on a royal tour to Ngo Son, was engrossed in teaching people how to fish and find ways to control the water. He and his entourage returned to the mountain late at night. Because of their nostalgia, the villagers used dry trees as torches to light the way and to admire Saint Tan longer.
Fire is a sacred symbol in Tuong Phieu Communal House Festival.
In addition to the four giant torches, the festival also features many small torches called dragon torches. Over time, the Tuong Phieu village festival still retains its original uniqueness. The distance from the communal house to Ngo Son temple is only about 1 kilometer, but on festival night it is always full of people carrying the Saint. Everyone watching the procession wants to squeeze through the palanquin to pray for luck, fortune, and fortune.
According to folklore research documents, in the Ba Vi area there are 5 famous temples worshiping the god Tan Vien, including: Thuong Temple, Trung Temple (on the mountain), Va Temple (Son Tay), Ha Temple (Minh Quang Commune) and Da Den Temple (Tan Linh). In historical relics worshiping Duc Thanh Tan, there are usually 3 tablets or 3 statues - Thanh Tan in the middle, on both sides are his two younger brothers or two generals who followed him to fight the enemy.
This is a cultural exchange influence, both Han culture, Indian Buddhism and indigenous Taoism created the trio Cao Son - Tan Vien - Quy Minh, from the concept of Ba Vi was born the trio, which today is often worshiped according to Tam Vi Duc Thanh Tan in some communal houses in general, Tuong Phieu communal house in particular.
According to folk beliefs, Tan Vien Son Thanh is a god who has made great contributions to the people of Tuong Phieu village, so every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the people solemnly organize a festival week to commemorate that great contribution.
If in many traditional festivals - water is a sacred symbol, then the Tuong Phieu Communal House Festival is fire. The light from the torches in the procession is like a fire dragon heading towards the village. When the palanquin reaches Thon Communal House (Eunuch Communal House), the palanquins start running, the palanquin flies into Tuong Phieu Communal House to recreate the legend of the villagers lighting torches to send the Saint riding a five-colored pink cloud to Tan Mountain.
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/di-san-le-hoi-dinh-tuong-phieu-dot-duoc-soi-duong-dua-duc-thanh-tan-hoi-son-post719445.html
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