Dau Communal House is the center of cultural and religious activities of the people of Dau village, Hop Tien commune, Nam Sach district, Hai Duong province. It was built in the post-Le dynasty to worship Princess Minh Phat of the Tran dynasty. In the second year of Khai Dinh (1917), the communal house was renovated on a large scale.
The architecture of the communal house is created in the shape of the letter T, including the front hall with 5 compartments and the back hall with 3 compartments. The carvings all have the architectural characteristics of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Dinh Dau has a system of seven long roofs, extending to the porch with elaborate carvings such as bamboo transforming into dragons, carp transforming into dragons, chrysanthemums, and apricot blossoms. The overlapping beams form four panels carved with stylized scenes of the four sacred animals and four seasons.
The communal house was also the center of many important historical events in the revolutionary resistance movement in Hop Tien commune. In August 1940, the Ta Xa Party cell held a conference here with the participation of the Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Manh Hoan. The conference decided to establish the Ta Xa Self-Defense Combat Team with more than 40 comrades with the goal of protecting the Party agency - this was the predecessor of the armed forces of Hai Duong province.
During the period of 1941 - 1942, under the suppression of the French colonialists and their henchmen, the Ta Xa base was still maintained. The area under the communal house floor became the place to store weapons of Inter-province B to prepare for the long-term revolution.
On August 22, 1945, under the leadership of the Party, the Ta Xa Self-Defense Force and a large number of revolutionary masses held a large rally at the communal house yard, declaring the dissolution of the colonial feudal government in Ta Xa and establishing a provisional revolutionary committee, taking Dinh Dau as the headquarters of the revolutionary government. Currently, Dinh Dau has a revolutionary tradition house that preserves historical documents about the years of resistance of the army and people of Hop Tien commune.
On January 21, 1992, Dau communal house was ranked as a National Historical and Cultural Relic by Decision No. 97 issued by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Mr. Le Van Hung - Information and Culture Officer of Hop Tien Commune - shared that Dinh Dau is a meaningful place to organize propaganda and historical education activities. This is where extracurricular activities take place for students in the commune as well as other schools in the province. Students not only learn about the cultural value of the communal house but also hear about the tradition of steadfast revolutionary struggle of the people of Hai Duong.
Every year, on the 12th day of the second lunar month, the people of Dau village as well as the people of Hop Tien commune enthusiastically organize a traditional festival at Dau Communal House, attracting many tourists from all over to worship and admire.
