Unique architectural art
Located next to the gentle Binh Thuy canal, Long Tuyen Co Mieu (commonly known as Binh Thuy communal house) has long become a typical spiritual cultural space of Tay Do land. Not only possessing unique artistic architecture for nearly 2 centuries, this place also preserves Ky Yen Festival, a national intangible cultural heritage and imbued with Southern identity.
Owning a prime location "first near the town, second near the river, third near the road", Binh Thuy communal house is located on an area of more than 4,000m2 on Le Hong Phong street, Binh Thuy ward, Can Tho city. The communal house is designed in the shape of the first letter, a characteristic feature in the traditional village communal house architecture of Vietnamese people.
In particular, the project is a unique artistic intersection between Vietnamese traditional culture and Chinese culture, clearly expressed through the "roof-to-roof" structure and sophisticated dragon and phoenix carvings, flowers and leaves.
Built in 1844, Binh Thuy communal house is one of the few ancient communal houses in the South that still retains its original architecture.
With those great values, the project was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national-level architectural and artistic relic in 2011.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tu (resident of Binh Thuy ward, Can Tho city) shared: "Every week, after hard working days, I go to the communal house to burn incense and pray for family peace and smooth work. In the ancient and fresh space here, my mind seems to be relaxed, all worries and pressures of life disappear.
Ready for the festival
Not only is it an architectural masterpiece, Binh Thuy communal house is also the center of spiritual and cultural activities of a large number of people through traditional festivals. The most prominent are the Ky Yen Thuong Dien Festival (taking place from May 12-14 of the lunar calendar) and the Ky Yen Ha Dien Festival (taking place on December 14-15 of the lunar calendar).
Ky Yen festival originates from the custom of worshiping Thanh Hoang Ban Canh, expressing the morality of "drinking water, remembering the source", expressing gratitude to the predecessors and successors who contributed to the exploration, protection and construction of the ancient Long Tuyen land.
This year's Ky Yen Thuong Diem Festival will take place in 4 days, from May 28 to May 31, 2026 (from April 12 to 15 of the lunar calendar).
The festival includes two distinct parts, the solemn ceremony part with traditional rituals such as the festival to invite Sac Than to travel, worship Than Nong, Chanh te...
The festival part is vibrant with a series of cultural and artistic activities, folk games, sports and a unique Southern culinary space, promising to attract tens of thousands of tourists and local people to participate.
Mr. Huynh Van Son, a member of the Binh Thuy communal house management board, said: "Right from the beginning of May, the Management Board held a meeting to discuss and assign specific tasks to prepare most thoroughly for the Ky Yen Thuong Dien Festival. Up to now, all tasks from security and order, landscape sanitation to scripts of basic rituals have been basically completed, ready to welcome people and tourists from all directions".
