In the course of researching the cultural heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty in the former Hue imperial capital, researchers often come across precious materials that have been preserved among local families, quietly surviving in the spaces of communal houses, pagodas, ancestral worship halls, or aristocratic residences. Layer upon layer of historical sediment is gradually being brought to light.

It is not even the end of the sixth lunar month, but I have already heard elderly men in my neighborhood enthusiastically asking one another how the upcoming Autumn offering ceremony will be organized at the village communal house, and whether the heads of the clans have made plans to meet yet. It may seem strange that amid the bustle of city life, these elderly men are passionately talking about village affairs. The village communal house is not far away either, just a few dozen meters from my house. “The city also began with villages. Preserving the roots of the village means preserving its culture for future generations. You young people should remember that,” they would tell me whenever I asked.

The traditional Moong house is a unique form of folk architecture, closely associated with the formation and development of the Pa Co community in Truong Son mountain range. In the Pa Co language, the Moong house, also known as Dung Moong, is not merely a house but a shared communal space that symbolizes unity, cohesion, and the community spirit.

Every land has memories of its own. Some memories are preserved in history books, stone steles, communal houses, pagodas, and temples. Others, however, remain in the most ordinary forms - in the name of a village, a small hamlet, a riverside wharf, or a field.

On the morning of February 28 (the 12th day of the first lunar month in the Year of the Horse), at the Thai Duong Cultural Village Communal House in Thuan An Ward, the 2026 traditional Fish Worshipping (Cau Ngu) Festival officially opened in a solemn and vibrant atmosphere, attracting a large number of People, fishermen, and visitors.

On the evening of February 7, at Kim Long Park in front of Kim Long Communal House, Kim Long Ward People’s Committee held the opening ceremony of the program “Kim Long Tet - Where Tradition Shines” 2026. The event is a hallmark community cultural activity that recreates the traditional Tet atmosphere while honoring and promoting the distinctive cultural values of Hue City - the historically rich land along the Huong River.

Under the theme “Hue Spring Festival 2026 - Identity and integration”, Hue Spring Flower Festival 2026 will be held at Ly Tu Trong Park, Thuong Bac Park, Kim Long Park (the area opposite Kim Long communal house), 3/2 Park, and at various green spaces and streets in the city.

On the morning of September 7th, the Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee, and Fatherland Front of Kim Long Ward (Hue City) solemnly held a ceremony to announce the decision and receive the certificate recognizing Van Xuan Communal House as a city-level historical relic.

The communal house faces a field, so in this season of the year it’s pervaded by the aroma of ripe rice. I’m standing at the gate of the Van Xa communal house (Huong Van Ward, Huong Tra Town) beholding the yellow paddy field admiring our ancestors who chose this place for the house. Twice a year, the ancient communal house reflects itself on the field, forming a very beautiful rustic sight.

On the morning of March 29, “A Luoi Highland Spring Colors Festival” 2025 officially opened at the Communal House in the Ethnic Minority Culture Village of A Luoi District (Hong Thanh Commune). The event attracted a large number of ethnic minorities and tourists from both inside and outside the province to experience the unique cultural space of the mountainous region.

A communal house in Kon Ron village is 22m in length, 13m in width, and 20m in height. It has 6 pillars made of binh linh wood (taken from the old communal house).