Tru Khe communal house (Kien An ward) is a place to worship Quy Minh Dai Vuong Thuong Dang Than - a general who contributed to helping the country and pacifying the people under King Hung 18th (King Hung Due Vuong).
The historical records stored at Tru Khe communal house clearly state that Mrs. Nguyen Linh married Mrs. Cao Thi Nham, and several years later, on the full moon day of September, she gave birth to 2 sons. One person with a majestic and majestic appearance was named Cao Son, often called Sung. One person with arms longer than knee-length, with seven moles on his hand, resonating like a bronze bell, was named Quy Minh, often called Hien.
Both grew up quickly and were healthy, eager to hunt and hunt, and diligently practiced martial arts. At the age of 12, his parents died. Tan Vien Son Thanh brought the two brothers to live together. All three adults, with outstanding talents, together divided mountains and rivers to manage, and were respected by the people. King Hung Due Vuong saw that Tan Vien Son Thanh was virtuous and talented, so he married Princess My Nuong for him. At the same time, he appointed Cao Son as Ta Do Dai Phu, and Quy Minh as Huu Do Dai Phu.
When Thuc Phan invaded, King Hung Vuong appointed Son Thanh as Dai Nguyen Soai to command the five army lines, appointed Cao Son as Dai Vuong, and appointed Quy Minh as a general to bring 50,000 elite soldiers and 3,000 war horses to fight the enemy.
One day, Duc Quy Minh passed Hoa Khe camp (now Tru Khe), he ordered the establishment of a guard post, recruiting 30 young men into the military camp. The army defeated Thuc Phan in Bo Chinh and Chau Hoan provinces. After defeating the enemy, Duc Quy Minh brought his troops back to Hoa Khe camp. He asked King Hung to let the people of Hoa Khe become gods. The people were exempt from taxes and miscellaneous expenses. Everyone enjoyed gratitude, so they greatly admired his merits.
When the fortune fell into the hands of the Shu family, Duc Cao Son and Duc Quy Minh abandoned their titles and settled in Tung Son mountain, and after a short time, they became famous in heaven. The Shu family appointed their divine titles as Dai Vuong Thuong Dang Than, and ordered the establishment of a main temple in Tung Son mountain, Son Tay province, and issued edicts that all places where he had stationed troops must have temples.
Over time, war devastation, storms, Tru Khe communal house only preserved some worship items and ancient Nguyen Dynasty artifacts such as incense tables, porcelain incense bowls, dragon communal houses, wooden hammock door sets, parallel sentences, great words, wooden throne sets lacquered in gold with votive paper inside, statues worshiping Lord Quy Minh Dai Vuong. By 1947, the communal house had been dismantled to make a bunker, so some artifacts of the communal house had to be taken to the pagoda for preservation. In 1996, after finding the decree to worship the gods, the communal house was restored on the old foundation still built in the traditional architectural style. In 2005, Hai Phong City People's Committee recognized Tru Khe communal house as a city-level historical and cultural relic.
In the Tru Khe communal house campus, stand out 2 heritage trees that are over 300 years old, Bodhi tree and ancient kapok tree, recognized as Vietnamese Heritage Trees 10 years ago. The two giant trees associated with the history of the ancient communal house, experiencing wind and rain, are still green and lush to this day. Bodhi tree is right near the main gate, leaning towards the communal house gate.
Mr. Vu Khac Hien - Deputy Head of the Relic Management Board - said that the Bodhi tree has a trunk as big as 3-4 arms of an adult, with lush foliage, hundreds of meters wide, providing shade for the entire communal house campus. However, in 1996, a major storm caused the Bodhi tree to be knocked down. After that, people called for the tree to be rebuilt. "At that time, it was thought that the tree would be difficult to survive because many parts of the trunk showed signs of damage. However, the root system surrounding the outer body helped revive the tree. Soon after, green sprouts sprouted profusely, and people breathed a sigh of relief and reassurance," Mr. Hien recounted.
Also according to Mr. Hien, to this day, Bodhi trees are still green and lush all year round, and the canopies have also recovered over the years. Many people who come to the communal house visit Bodhi trees, happy that the trees have quickly revived. Along with Bodhi trees, the kapok tree next to the back gate of the communal house is also more than 300 years old. The tree trunk has a diameter of nearly 2 m, rough, bumpy from the root to the trunk. In March every year, the kapok tree blooms red in a corner of the sky, and in summer it is lush with leaves.
Mr. Vu Khac Hien said that in the minds of local people, the two ancient trees in the Tru Khe communal house campus are not only precious heritage trees but also like "historical witnesses" silently following the ups and downs and changes of the ancient Hoa Khe land - Tru Khe today. Therefore, the government and people always pay attention and care to keep the two trees green all year round, contributing to honoring the ancient and solemn beauty of the communal house, while creating a green and peaceful space for people and tourists.
