Newly restored Truong Dong Communal House 

After more than a year of restoration, Truong Dong Communal House (Truong Dong residential area, Nam Nha Trang Ward) has been inaugurated, bringing joy to the local people. For a long time, the communal house has been intimately connected with the locas and has become an important part in the spiritual and cultural life of the residents in Cua Be area.

Extensive restoration

Truong Dong Communal House was established in the early 19th century by fishermen who migrated from Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, and Dak Lak Cua Be area. Over time, Truong Dong Communal House deteriorated and was restored many times. The most recent restoration with a total budget of over VND13 billion sourced from the state budget, which began in mid-2024, has now been completed. The restoration of Truong Dong Communal House strictly adhered to all technical and aesthetic requirements for a historical and cultural monument, with consultation and supervision from the monument appraisal council.
 

Representatives cutting ribbon to inaugurate the restoration project of Truong Dong Communal House

According to Tran Nam Binh, secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of the People’s Council of Nam Nha Trang Ward, Truong Dong Communal House is intertwined with the history of the formation and development of the southern Nha Trang. The communal house serves as a testament to the existence of Truong Dong Village, embodying almost all the values created and passed down by the ancestors. Truong Dong Communal House is one of the monuments that have retained the typical, ancient characteristics reflecting the architectural style of Khanh Hoa and the southern central region during the Nguyen Dynasty. Aware of its importance, the local authority and residents restored the monument, following the cultural heritage preservation master plan.

Happy day of fishing village

On November 29, Nam Nha Trang Ward People's Committee solemnly held the inauguration ceremony for the completed restoration of Truong Dong Communal House. During the ceremony, village elders and members of Truong Dong Communal House management board performed rituals to honor the village's founders and the local tutelary god and pray for national prosperity and peace for the people. "I have lived here since childhood and am now 80 years old. I have witnessed countless ups and downs of Truong Dong Communal House. Every year, people gather at the communal house to organize Ong Nam Hai (Whale God) Ceremony and other ritual ceremonies. Last year, we were unable to hold these traditional ceremonies because communal house was under restoration. Now that the restoration is complete, we are happy that we can continue to hold the ceremonies under the roof of Truong Dong Communal House," said Le Thi Chinh, living in Truong Dong residential group.
 

A corner of Truong Dong Communal House

Inside Truong Dong Communal House

Meanwhile, according to Pham Nhu Y, secretary of the Truong Dong Communal House management board, the completion of the restoration project has brought great joy to the local residents. This effort not only preserves the tangible and intangible value associated with the communal house but also facilitates the people in practicing their traditional rituals, beliefs, and good spiritual culture.

Every year, Truong Dong Communal House hosts three major festivals, including Whale Worshipping Festival on lunar February 11, Ong Nam Hai (Whale God) Festival on lunar July 7, and the festival to pray for the nation’s prosperity and peace on lunar October 10. The restoration of the communal house serves as a source of spiritual encouragement, boosting confidence for the fishermen as they put out to sea. 

The inauguration of Truong Dong Communal House has brought immense joy to the local people. This restoration of Truong Dong Communal House shows the commitment of local authorities to preserving the traditional cultural value of the people in Truong Dong - Cua Be region. Furthermore, it helps foster a love for the homeland and a sense of pride in traditional culture among the younger generation as well as improve a spiritual and cultural tourism destination in Nam Nha Trang Ward.

Truong Dong Communal House is situated facing Cua Be, with its back resting against Chut Mountain, covering a total area of more than 1,100m2. It currently preserves many valuable artifacts, antiques and cultural heritage items, including: 7 royal decrees granted by Nguyen Dynasty emperors; parallel sentences, Sino-Nom documents, ceremonial parasols, traditional musical instruments, rituals documents, and ritual costumes, etc. Truong Dong Communal House was officially recognized as a provincial-level historical-cultural monument by Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee on February 9, 2010.

GIANG DINH
Translated by H.N