Located next to Binh Thuy canal, Long Tuyen Co Mieu (Binh Thuy communal house) is one of the typical spiritual cultural works of Can Tho City. Over nearly 2 centuries, the communal house still retains its typical ancient architecture and space imbued with the Southern imprint.
The communal house is located in Binh Thuy ward (Can Tho City), on a campus of more than 4,000m2. The building is built in a Nhat-shaped layout, harmoniously combining traditional Vietnamese architecture and Chinese art with a "top floor to basement" structure, along with many dragon and phoenix motifs, and exquisitely carved flowers and leaves.
Built in 1844, Binh Thuy communal house is currently one of the few ancient communal houses in the South that still retains its original architecture almost intact. In 2011, the project was recognized as a National-level architectural and artistic relic.
Not only is it a place of religious activities for local people, Binh Thuy communal house also preserves the Ky Yen Festival - a national intangible cultural heritage imbued with the identity of the Southern river region.
Ky Yen Festival at Binh Thuy communal house is held annually to commemorate the predecessors and successors who pioneered and preserved the ancient Long Tuyen land, and at the same time show the beauty of "drinking water, remembering the source" of the Southern people.
This year, the Festival takes place in 4 days, from May 28 to 31 (ie, April 12 to 15 of the lunar calendar). The ceremony part includes traditional rituals such as inviting Sac Than to travel, worshiping Than Nong, Chanh Te... Besides, there are many cultural and artistic activities, folk games and culinary spaces serving people and tourists.
According to the Binh Thuy communal house management board, the preparations for the festival have been basically completed, from security and order, landscape sanitation to the script for organizing rituals, ready to welcome people and tourists from all directions to participate.
