On a peaceful autumn day in Hanoi, I took a walk around the Nam Huong Communal House near Hoan Kiem Lake and the St. Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi. This hidden gem, with lots of trees, is a green oasis amidst busy surroundings.
The Nam Huong communal house has undergone several changes throughout history. Initially, it was built underground on a large scale. However, it was destroyed when the French invaded Vietnam. Later, the French protectorate rebuilt the communal house for Tu Phap village on the second floor. In 1954, the communal house was embellished with a second floor. Currently, the district and the city plan to remodel the entire communal house to match the campus of the King Le Loi monument within one year. The communal house still retains valuable artifacts from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as 19 ordinations of the Le, Tay Son, and Nguyen dynasties, 5 dragon thrones, and other worship objects. Nam Huong Communal House has a rich history and was once a center for community cultural and religious activities, meetings, discussions on common village affairs, and religious rites of worshiping the village Thanh Hoang of the local people.
According to the information on the wall, the communal house was built at the end of the Le Dynasty (1009-1225) and bears strong imprints of Hanoi’s history, culture, and people. It worships three Gods of Long Do, Cao Son, Linh Lang, as well as A Duy princess (of Ly Dynasty) and prince Duong Tu (of Nguyen Dynasty).
From the yard, you can see the statue of King Le Loi, famous for the story of the Turtle, and the name of Hoan Kiem Lake, the Lake of the Restored Sword.
During the Hanoi French Quarter tour, we share stories with our guests about the history of the French Quarter and its surrounding areas. There are many interesting stories to tell about this area, and we look forward to sharing them with our guests. Our local walking experience has been ranked as the top choice on both Airbnb Experience and TripAdvisor. Join us for a unique and unforgettable journey!
