Based on the earliest imperial edict from the second year of the Thanh Thai reign (1890) conferring titles upon Thien Y A Na Dien Ngoc Phi, Phuoc Ly Communal House was built around the middle of the 19th century.
Phuoc Ly Communal House worships the Tutelary Deity and also enshrines Thien Y A Na Dien Ngoc Phi, the Son Lam Chua Tuong (Mountain Deity), the Ngu Phuong Tai Than (Gods of Wealth of the Five Directions), Shennong (the Divine Farmer), and local pioneers.
Phuoc Ly Communal House faces West and is situated within a premise covering an area of 870.0m2. The overall layout is as follows: Ceremonial gate, flagpole, screen wall, Son Lam Chua Tuong shrine, Ngu Phuong Tai Than shrine, main hall, east wing, west wing, and kitchen.
The main hall consists of the sanctum and the front ritual hall. The front of the sanctum is the front ritual hall, decorated with scroll patterns bearing Han-Nom characters: (亭 福 履 - Phuoc Ly Communal House); on the pillars are written couplets in Han-Nom, including a pair where the first characters form the name of the communal house:
Transliteration:
Phuoc tien ki tuong phu tho khuong ninh bang thang cuc,
Ly tuy di loc si nong cong co nguong thanh danh.
Translation:
Blessings advance auspicious signs, wealth, longevity, and peace are thanks to the favorable terrain,
Reason (wealth) follows wealth, scholars, farmers, and artisans admire the achieved fame.
Since its initial construction, Phuoc Ly Communal House has undergone the following renovations and restorations: At the end of the 19th century, the communal house was rebuilt with brick and roofed with yin-yang tiles; in 1972, the yin-yang tiles were replaced with Western-style tiles; and in 2000, the ceremonial gate was built.
Currently, Phuoc Ly Communal House still preserves 03 imperial edicts bestowed by the Nguyen Dynasty emperors:
- Edict from the second year of the Thanh Thai reign (1890) conferring titles upon Thien Y A Na Dien Ngoc Phi.
- Edict from the fifth year of the Duy Tan reign (1911) conferring titles upon the Tutelary Deity.
- Edict from the ninth year of the Khai Dinh reign (1924) conferring titles upon the Tutelary Deity.
Every year, Phuoc Ly Communal House organizes a festival on the 16th and 17th of the 2nd lunar month; the event includes a procession to bring the imperial edicts from the pagoda to the communal house, and a return procession to store them back at the pagoda.
During the two wars of resistance against French and American aggression, the communal house was the site of several local historical events, a location for revolutionary activities by the Viet Minh Committee, and a place where young people gathered to form self-defense units to prepare for the uprising to seize power. Notably, the communal house also preserves the wooden bell used as a signal during the local August Revolution in 1945 to seize revolutionary power.
Based on its typical historical, cultural, and architectural values, Phuoc Ly Communal House was ranked as a Provincial Relic by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 2630/QD-CT.UBND, dated October 14, 2010.
Source:https://disanvanhoa.khanhhoa.vn/vi-vn/disan-vanhoa/disanvanhoa/%C4%90%C3%8CNH%20PH%C6%AF%E1%BB%9AC%20L%C3%9D-179
