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Binh Ba Communal House dates back to the mid-19th century. Over time, due to various factors, the building suffered significant damage; the front ceremony hall and ceremonial gate were restored in 1991, and the roof of the rear sanctuary was restored in 2009.
Binh Ba Communal House
The communal house is situated in the middle of Binh Ba Tay village, facing Southeast, with a total area of 423.6m2. It is dedicated to the Village Guardian Deity and also honors the ancestors (Tien hien, Hau hien) and the Earth God (Tho Cong)…
From the outside in, the complex includes: a ceremonial gate, a screen, a performing stage, a courtyard, the main communal house (front ceremony hall, rear sanctuary), the east wing, and the Thanh Minh shrine.
The front ceremony hall and the rear sanctuary are the two main buildings, designed in the "nhi" (two-character) architectural style. Each building consists of three equal bays constructed with brick and mortar. The load-bearing system here is created by a sturdy wooden frame, with rafters, beams, and purlins connected by mortise and tenon joints to support the roof. The floor is paved with cement. The roof is tiled with western-style tiles. Inside the rear sanctuary, the altars are arranged harmoniously: at the center is the altar of the Village Guardian Deity, in front is the altar of the Council, and on either side are altars for the Left and Right officials, the Earth God, and the ancestors. Inside the communal house, a pair of couplets praises the merits of the deities:
Divine grace provides salvation, bringing prosperity for a thousand years
Holy virtue is wise and brilliant, bringing glory for ten thousand generations
A highlight of the communal house is the art of sculptural decoration on the architectural components, with "Two dragons adoring the moon" embossed on the roof ridge. Painting art adorns the walls with depictions of dragons, pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo, apricot, and the scenery of Chuong beach – a beautiful beach located in the east of the village where villagers often go to bathe and relax in the afternoon, as well as scenes of fishing at dawn on Binh Ba island… A unique feature here is the image of a knife embossed on the roof system, and the mascots are designed to resemble boats, a distinct characteristic not seen elsewhere in Khanh Hoa.
Every year, to commemorate the merits of the deity, the local people organize a festival on the 9th and 10th days of the 3rd lunar month. In addition to the ritual part, there is also a festival segment (Tuong opera) for the villagers to enjoy traditional folk arts. Currently, Binh Ba Communal House still preserves many ancient artifacts, which are quite diverse in type and material, such as: 2 imperial edicts (sac phong), deity altars, spirit tablets, statues of the Earth God, gongs, drums, and ceremonial weapons… Additionally, the communal house preserves values of intangible cultural heritage: rituals, worship ceremonies, prayer texts, Han-Nom documents, and musical scores for ceremonies.
The two imperial edicts of Binh Ba Communal House include:
Edict from the 5th year of Duy Tan (1911) bestowing honors upon the Village Guardian Deity
Edict from the 9th year of Khai Dinh (1924) bestowing honors upon the Village Guardian Deity.
Binh Ba Communal House is an early-established relic of the modern-day Cam Ranh region. The name Binh Ba also becomes familiar when mentioning the famous specialties of Khanh Hoa, as described in folk verses:
Hon Noi bird's nest
Ninh Hoa free-range duck
Binh Ba lobster…
With its typical architectural and artistic values, the communal house was ranked as a provincial-level relic by the Provincial People's Committee under Decision No. 2641/QD-UBND dated October 14, 2010.
Sourcehttps://disanvanhoa.khanhhoa.vn/vi-vn/disan-vanhoa/disanvanhoa/%C4%90%C3%8CNH%20B%C3%8CNH%20BA-173
