People are worried that the prolonged situation will affect the wooden components of the ancient communal house.
Bringing a basin to collect rainwater in the ancient communal house
In mid-September 2026, after many heavy rains, many signs of severe leaks appeared inside Mong Phu communal house (Duong Lam, Son Tay, Hanoi).
Records of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters on September 18 show that on the wooden floor of the communal house, there are places where water stagnates into puddles. In some areas, rainwater from the communal house roof is small downwards. The communal house caretaker must place a basin to collect water, limiting water from spreading to the floor and affecting the furniture inside.
On some wooden components, moisture streaks due to prolonged water seepage can also be observed. The level of water's impact on the construction structure needs to be inspected and evaluated by specialized agencies soon.
Mr. Phan Van Liem - head of Mong Phu communal house - said that the leakage situation is particularly clear during the recent prolonged heavy rain.
There are many places that leak heavily, I have to take out a basin to collect it. It rains too much, I have to protect the communal house's property, to prevent water from seeping in and affecting the furniture inside. Rainwater leaks from the roof to the floor, flooding everywhere. This morning (September 18 - PV), I had to sweep and wipe the puddles on the floor to dry," Mr. Liem said.
According to Mr. Liem, rainwater soaks into some columns and wooden floors, if the humidity persists, wooden components may be affected, and many places have signs of termites and rot.
People hope the communal house roof will soon stop leaking, avoiding damage to relics
Not only the people directly in charge of the communal house, but also the people who have been attached to Mong Phu communal house for many years have expressed concern.
Mr. Giang Vinh Phuc (Duong Lam, Son Tay, Hanoi) - said that what people want most at this time is for the communal house roof to be treated so that it does not continue to leak.
Rainwater is like sawing into the sky, if we keep letting water see through, nothing can be sustainable. We hope the State will pay attention and invest to make the communal house sustainable in the future," Mr. Phuc said.
Mong Phu communal house is a typical work of village communal house architecture in Xu Doai region. On May 20, 1991, the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 866/VH-QD recognizing Mong Phu communal house as a National Historical and Cultural Relic.
The outstanding value of Mong Phu communal house lies in the ancient wooden architecture system that is still preserved with a sophisticated roof, with large wooden columns, many columns with a circumference of nearly 2m. The communal house also preserves ancient wooden floors and a system of wooden railings running around - a characteristic that creates a shape close to the architecture of Viet - Muong stilt houses.
Notably, this component system also preserves many valuable carved panels, with dragon, tiger, fish, bird, cloud, and flower motifs expressed by the skillful technique of the ancients.
Therefore, the water streaks seeping down to the pillars, beams and wooden floors are not simply a story of preventing leaks for a communal house roof. Prolonged rainwater intrusion raises the requirement to soon inspect and assess the impact on the wooden components and carved panels that create the architectural and artistic value of Mong Phu communal house.
Notably, Mong Phu communal house once underwent a large-scale renovation and restoration nearly two decades ago.
However, the current situation at Mong Phu communal house in the rainy days of September 2026 shows that the assessment of the situation and planning for restoration and preservation of relics need to be quickly concerned and handled.
Management agencies have grasped the leakage situation at Mong Phu communal house
Talking to a reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of the Son Tay Ward General Service Center (Hanoi) said that the unit has grasped the leakage situation at Mong Phu communal house. After days of prolonged heavy rain, the unit has proactively reviewed the current status of relics and ancient houses in the area to assess the impact of rain on the project.
For Mong Phu communal house, in the immediate future, the management agency is calculating a plan to relocate tiles, prevent leaks and make minor repairs, in order to limit water from continuing to see through the lower components.
