An Hội Communal House

An Hội Communal House (đình) is a đình located in Ward 8, Gò Vấp District, Ho Chi Minh City. The đình is situated within the grounds of the Võ Tiên Sư Shrine (miếu) and the Bà Chúa Ngọc Shrine (miếu). On 23 November 2020, the đình was classified as a municipal-level architectural and artistic heritage site by the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, according to Decision No. 4292/QĐ-UBND.

The year of the đình’s founding has not been determined. The đình still preserves a Hàm Ân document in Chinese characters dated the second month of 1822. The đình was originally built in the area that is now Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport. Around 1950, the đình was relocated to its current site within the grounds of the Võ Tiên Sư Shrine and the Bà Chúa Ngọc Shrine.

The overall layout consists of a gate, đình courtyard, Thần Hổ (Tiger Deity) screen, martyrs’ memorial, Ngũ hành (Five Elements) shrine; and three buildings: the đình, Bà Chúa Ngọc Shrine, and Quan Thánh Đế Quân Shrine.

The đình building is constructed in the "tứ trụ" (four-pillar) style commonly found in Southern Vietnamese đình, with brick walls, concrete beams, wooden rafters, and a tiled roof. In this type of village đình, the large central columns are the main load-bearing elements and organise the ritual space.

The worship space includes the main hall (chính điện), rear chamber (hậu sở), and guest house (nhà túc). The deity altar in the main hall features a large "Thần" (Deity) plaque in Chinese characters, with an inscription "Mậu Tý niên kiết nhựt tạo" (created in the year 1948). The Bà Chúa Ngọc Shrine and Quan Thánh Đế Quân Shrine have similar architecture and arrangement; some worship statues (Quan Thánh Đế Quân, Châu Xương, Quan Bình, Xích Thố) are made of wood.

The đình also preserves horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, decorative carvings, and the Hàm Ân document in Chinese characters. An Hội Communal House is classified as a municipal-level architectural and artistic heritage site according to Decision No. 4292/QĐ-UBND dated 23 November 2020.

The worship system is centred in the main hall of the đình, with additional worship at the Bà Chúa Ngọc Shrine and Quan Thánh Đế Quân Shrine; within the grounds are the Thần Hổ screen and the Ngũ hành Shrine. Incense offering and caretaking of the worship facilities are managed by the Ban Quý tế (Ritual Committee); the heritage management list records the Ban Trị sự (Management Committee) as the unit associated with the đình.

The Kỳ yên Festival is held annually, involving incense offerings and ritual offerings at the đình. In the practice of the Kỳ yên Festival at some Southern Vietnamese village đình, the ritual part usually includes ceremonies such as túc yết, chánh tế, and tế hậu sở; some major festivals also feature xây chầu, đại bội, and hát bội (classical opera performances).

In December 2019, An Hội Communal House was among 10 sites proposed for classification as historical-cultural or scenic heritage sites in Ho Chi Minh City.

On 23 November 2020, Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony to present heritage certificates to several municipal-level sites, including An Hội Communal House. The consolidated list of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports (as of the end of October 2022) records An Hội Communal House as a municipal-level architectural and artistic heritage site according to Decision No. 4292/QĐ-UBND dated 23 November 2020.