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The worshipping chamber is now used as a warehouse. Photo N.T |
Cam Thuong communal house in Quy Nhon city has changed a lot. Quy Nhon city People’s Committee has recently agreed to compile necessary documents to ask functional bodies to recognize it as a historical monument.
Cam Thuong village now becomes parts of wards of Tran Hung Dao, Le Loi, Tran Phu, Le Hong Phong, and Dong Da. Its residents earned their living mainly by weaving, making papers and candies, and building ships.
When coming to the communal house, we fortunately met an 82-year-old man, called Le Vinh, who well knows the history of the communal house.
“When I was a child, I often played here,” he recalled. “It was made of wood, even the gate.”
“A large courtyard located between the gate and a chamber where there were many drums, gongs, and worshipping items,” Vinh said. “Behind it located a chamber for worship and there were altars on the right and left sides, let alone two white cranes.”
“When festivals took place, hundreds of people gathered at the communal house,” Vinh added.
Due to time and historical events, the old communal house no longer existed. Remaining traces are only trees and a part of the wall. After 1975, the worship still took place at the house. It was severely damaged during 1978-1979.
Several years later, the communal house was rebuilt with new construction material. The gate has modern architecture and the roof was built with reinforced concrete.
In 1998, it was renewed on the occasion of 100th founding anniversary of Quy Nhon city, but worshipping items haven’t been restored. It is now used as a cultural house.
Quy Nhon city People’s Committee has agreed to compile necessary documents to ask functional bodies to recognize it as a historical monument. This move is expected to raise people’s awareness of preserving historical monuments in the city, said Le Ngoc Anh, head of Quy Nhon city Division of Culture and Information.
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