Traces of the Past in an Ancient Village

10/09/2026
After more than a thousand years of formation and development, Xuan Hoi Village, now part of Trieu Loc Commune, Thanh Hoa Province, continues to preserve cultural traditions passed down through generations. Among its most notable heritage sites is Xuan Hoi Nghe, a communal shrine closely associated with the village’s origins and the spiritual life of its local community.

[Thanh Hóa xưa và nay] Dấu xưa giữa làng cổXuan Hoi Nghe has long served as a center of community cultural life, hosting traditional festivals where local people pray for favorable weather and abundant harvests.

In the past, Xuan Hoi was known as Hoa Thi Village. According to historical records preserved locally, people from various places came here to settle and reclaim the land at an early stage. The village lies along the Au River, with Ban Mountain behind it and Ban Field stretching out in front, creating favorable conditions for settlement. Over time, the local community gradually established family lineages, customs and shared institutions.

Under the Nguyen Dynasty, around 1807, Hoa Thi was renamed Xuan Hoi. Alongside the village communal house, Xuan Hoi Nghe became one of the sites closely associated with the cultural and spiritual life of the community.

[Thanh Hóa xưa và nay] Dấu xưa giữa làng cổXuan Hoi Nghe bears distinctive traditional architectural features and is closely associated with the history and spiritual life of local residents.

Xuan Hoi Nghe was built on elevated ground in the center of the village. According to local legends and ancient records, the shrine was established to honor the contributions of the ancestors who reclaimed and protected the land. It is also a place of worship dedicated to the village tutelary deity and a venue for traditional festivals, serving as a communal space where local people express their hopes for peace, favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

[Thanh Hóa xưa và nay] Dấu xưa giữa làng cổXuan Hoi Nghe is dedicated to the village tutelary deity and commemorates the contributions of the ancestors who reclaimed and protected the homeland.

Architecturally, Xuan Hoi Nghe bears the characteristics of the Later Le and Nguyen dynasties, with a front worship hall and a rear sanctuary arranged in a “Ding” (丁)-shaped layout. The roof trusses are made from valuable timber, while the decorative carvings focus on the “Four Sacred Animals” (Tu Linh) – the dragon, qilin, tortoise and phoenix. Images of dragons and clouds are rendered with graceful lines, reflecting the distinctive folk carving traditions of Thanh Hoa. The roofs are covered with traditional curved-edge tiles, while the upturned corners create an ancient and solemn appearance.

Xuan Hoi Nghe has also experienced many historical upheavals and was completely demolished for a period of time. From the early 1990s, in response to the wishes of local residents, the relic was gradually reconstructed and restored, with the rear sanctuary rebuilt on its original foundations.

In recent years, with the attention and support of local authorities and agencies, together with resources mobilized from the community, the shrine has continued to be renovated and preserved, becoming increasingly dignified and well maintained.

[Thanh Hóa xưa và nay] Dấu xưa giữa làng cổ

Local residents solemnly commemorate and pay tribute to the merits of their ancestors.

Amid the rhythms of modern life, Xuan Hoi Nghe continues to be preserved by local people as an integral part of their homeland’s collective memory. Through layers of history, customs and spiritual traditions passed down through generations, the shrine not only preserves the cultural soul of the village but also serves as a reminder of its roots, ensuring that traditional cultural values continue to be preserved and passed on to future generations.

Source: vhds.baothanhhoa.vn

Food

Attractions

Facebook Twitter