Tam Tảo Communal House

The Tam Tảo đình (communal house) is located in Tam Tảo hamlet, Tiên Du commune, Bắc Ninh province. The đình venerates four village tutelary deities: Phụ Quốc Đại Vương Trần Quý, Empress Dowager Minh Phúc Phương Dung, who contributed to saving Lý Công Uẩn from being pursued by the Tiền Lê dynasty, and two generals, Đào Đạt and Đào Minh, who rendered meritorious service in assisting King Thục An Dương Vương in fighting the Ân invaders.

The đình is built on a turtle-shaped foundation, consisting of 7 bays and 8 roofs in the 'nội công ngoại quốc' (inner attack, outer defence) architectural style. There are 3 bays for the hậu cung (sanctuary) and 5 bays for the tiền tế (front ceremonial hall). The structure is shaped like a pestle handle, with the roof ridges adorned with the Four Sacred Animals and Four Noble Plants, crafted with great sophistication. The columns are made of ironwood, so large that two people are needed to embrace them, and the interior is constructed in the 'trồng giường giá chiêng' (stacked bed, gong frame) style. The đình faces south, with a semicircular pond in front, and in the middle of the pond stands a thủy đình (water pavilion) built in the 'trồng diêm' (multi-tiered) style with 8 roofs.

Tam Tảo đình also symbolises the sworn brotherhood between the two villages of Tam Tảo and Xuân Dục, Yên Thường commune, Gia Lâm, Hà Nội. The story, now 200 years old, recounts that in those days, the people of Tam Tảo went to the capital Thăng Long to buy timber for building the đình. As they floated the timber rafts down the Đuống river towards Tam Tảo, they reached the area of Xuân Dục hamlet, where the rafts became stranded and could not be brought across the riverbank. By then, dusk had fallen, so the Tam Tảo villagers sought shelter in Xuân Dục hamlet. The next morning, they awoke to find the timber rafts had already been moved to the other side of the river. That night, the people of Xuân Dục hamlet had cleared the Tràm field and transported the timber across. Immediately after bringing the timber back to Tam Tảo, everyone recounted the event. Upon completion of the đình, the people of Tam Tảo sent representatives to Xuân Dục hamlet to express their gratitude and request to form a brotherly bond, but the people of Xuân Dục, in their humility, reciprocated by addressing the people of Tam Tảo as elder brothers.

The two villages regard each other as blood brothers; whenever either village holds an event, they invite the other to join in the festivities. During festivals, both villages send representatives to attend each other's celebrations. Thus, the đình stands as a testament to the loyal brotherhood between Tam Tảo and Xuân Dục villages.