The only communal house as a “guardian temple” of ancient Thăng Long

Kim Liên Communal House’s entrance gate with the horizontal panel bearing three Chinese characters, meaning “The guardian temple to the south”

The communal house is built in honor of  Cao Sơn Đại Vương (Saint Cao Sơn), one of the fifty sons of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ (ancestors of the Vietnamese nation). He followed his father to the mountains and is one of two deities worshipped in the Tản Viên Mountain temple.  Cao Sơn was the deity who secretly contributed to helping King Lê Tương Dực quell the rebellions in Đông Đô, so the King decided to build Kim Liên Temple in 1509 to worship him. Kim Liên Temple honors one of the four guardians of ancient Thăng Long: Trấn Vũ in the north; Bạch Mã in the east; Ling Lang in the west; and Cao Sơn in the south.

Cao Sơn Temple is located on a high hill and consists of two separate parts: in front of the hill is the cổng trụ biểu (arched gate) with two lean-tos in the spacious grounds, and the main structure on the hill itself. The two parts are linked by a flight of nine steps built of vồ bricks, a kind of large brick often used during the reign of King Lê Trung Hưng in the 17th century.

The nghi môn (reception hall) is a three section chamber with its walls built of bít đốc, a type of closed-tip. The four sets of pillars propping up the roof are designed in the traditional architectural style with vivid and sophisticated decorative motifs typical of the Nguyễn Dynasty art (19^th century).

The entrance gate is a three compartment chamber with lively decorative details such as phoenixes keeping books in their mouths, clouds, a unicorn.

This communal house consists of a grand ceremonial hall – which was restored in 2000, on the occasion of Hà Nội’s 990^th founding anniversary – and a three-compartment back sanctuary. Inside the sanctuary, the front compartment is where a common altar is placed; compartment is where a ritual throne and ritual weapons are installed, and the back compartment is where the statues of Saint Cao Sơn and two other goddesses are worshipped. This space is also marked by the presence of refinedly-carved decorative motifs such as a tiger’s face, two horse-dragons vie for a pearl, four sacred animals, four precious objects and eight precious objects. Of particular note is the gilded and vermilion-lacquered throne for Saint Cao Sơn, decorated with many beautifully-carved details.

The most important relic in the Kim Liên Communal House is the stone stele of “Cao Sơn Đại Vương thần từ bi minh,” written in 1510, telling of Cao Sơn’s efforts to help King Lê regain his throne from troublesome members of his family, and listing the 39 titles certificates of honorary titles upon Cao Sơn Đại Vương by the King.