Located in the National Special Relic Complex of Bach Dang Victory, Dinh Den Cong is an ancient architectural work and a witness to history and long-standing religious life.
Located in Den Cong 2 area, Uong Bi ward (Quang Ninh), the communal house is closely associated with the Bach Dang River - the place marking the nation's 3 great victories against foreign invaders.
Recognized as a National historical and cultural relic in 2000 and included in the Special National Relic since 2013, Den Cong communal house has long become the pride of local people, and also a place to educate patriotism for many generations.
The history of the communal house originates from the Bach Dang victory in 1288 under the command of Tran Quoc Tuan. According to ancestors, before the decisive battle, he was told a dream by 4 gods, indicating strategic locations to establish observation posts and issue attack orders.
After the great victory, to show gratitude for the "spiritual blessings", he renamed Dien Cong village to Den Cong - meaning "repaying merits". From then on, people built a temple to worship the Four Generals and built a temple to worship Hung Dao Dai Vuong. Later, he was honored as the village tutelary god, holding the supreme role in the spiritual life of the community.
Not existing alone, Den Cong communal house is part of a unique historical religious complex. About 1km from the communal house is Cu Linh Temple - a place dedicated to 4 gods. After the 1954 flood, all worship items were brought back to the communal house for preservation, showing flexibility in preserving heritage. The temple was completely restored in the period 2014 - 2017.
Right next to the communal house is Long Khanh Pagoda - creating a characteristic "Communal House - Pagoda" landscape, reflecting the harmony between Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and folk beliefs.
Having undergone many restorations, especially in the period 2007 - 2010, the communal house has a spacious appearance with a scale of about 3,000m2. The project is built in the traditional Dinh script style, including the Front Hall and the Palace, the entire structure is made of ironwood.
The system of overlapping gong prices and dragon and flower carvings is imbued with Nguyen Dynasty art style, showing the sophisticated skills of ancient artisans.
Not only has architectural value, the communal house also preserves many precious antiques such as Nguyen Dynasty imperial decrees, long dinh palanquins, hammock doors, great horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences... These are important documents that help recreate the history and cultural life of the land of Bach Dang.
Every year, from the 13th to the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Dinh Den Cong festival is solemnly held, with the peak being on the 14th. The ceremony part takes place solemnly with the procession ritual, worshiping the tutelary god... expressing deep gratitude.
The festival part is again lively with many folk games including cockfighting, wrestling, "hat dum" singing..., creating a community-connecting atmosphere.
More than just a relic, Dinh Den Cong is a living cultural space, a convergence of history, beliefs and national spirit. Over the centuries, this place continues to spread the core values of patriotism and the morality of "drinking water, remembering the source" of Vietnamese people.
