Cantonese Assembly Hall

Hoi An’s Cantonese Assembly Hall (會安廣肇會館)

I’m not one of those people who always adheres to the ‘its best to save the best for last’ philosophy, and that certainly applies with my recent articles about Hoi An’s Assembly Halls. 

My intention was to start writing from one side of the historic area of Hoi An and make my way to the other - It just so happens that the Assembly Hall that I’m writing about today was the last one on my list and also my least favourite of the bunch. 

If you’re in the process of planning a trip to Hoi An, you’ll probably have read elsewhere that the Cantonese Assembly Hall is the most popular of all the Chinese Assembly Halls and is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in the historic town. 

I’m not here to dispute that, these claims are all very true. 

Its popularity however is one of the reasons why I think it makes the visiting experience somewhat of a disappointment. 

During my time in Hoi An, I showed up at the front door of the Assembly Hall on three separate occasions before I actually went in on the fourth attempt. Each time I visited, there were several large tour groups lined up outside wanting to get in.

On my fourth attempt, I just had to suck it up and wait in line to get in with everyone else. 

While its true that I’m not particularly a fan of waiting in lines, I think the major issue was that once you get into the hall, there are so many people inside that it makes it difficult to move around and more importantly enjoy the beauty of the Assembly Hall - and yes, its beautiful.

While the lines, the amount of people inside and the inability to move around freely are issues for most people, the thing that turned me off most was that the Cantonese Assembly Hall is the only tourist destination in Hoi An that prohibits photography. 

There are areas within this Assembly Hall where you can take photos, but the shrine area is strictly off-limits with signage all over the place warning people not to take photos.

I’m sure they’re not as strict about their ‘No Photography’ policy as they are at the Sistine Chapel, but they’ve made an effort to ensure that people don’t take photos, so you’ll probably want to respect their wishes. 

There are definitely areas within the hall where you can still take some damn beautiful photos, but unfortunately my visit to the hall was a disappointment in this regard and the photos I’m presenting you with today are clearly a reflection of that as they are not up to my personal standards.

Looking on the bright side though, the decorations, architectural design, murals and the rear-garden are stunning and while it may not seem important at the moment, the hall is also home to a really nice set of public washrooms! 

Before I start talking about the Assembly Hall, if you’d like to know more about Hoi An or its Overseas Chinese Assembly Halls, I recommend taking a look at my introduction to both:

Link: Chinese Assembly Halls Of Hoi An (會安華人會館)

Quang Trieu Assembly Hall (廣肇會館)

Records indicate that the Quang Trieu Assembly Hall, otherwise known as the “Cantonese Assembly Hall” was constructed in 1885, which would make it over 130 years old today.

Most of what you see today however is the result of a reconstruction project that took place in 1964. 

Constructed by the Cantonese (廣東人) people who immigrated to the area for better opportunities, the Assembly Hall is one of the most ornate and most beautiful in Hoi An. 

Before we talk about the hall though, I think it’s important to take a minute to talk about what the term “Cantonese” actually means, because it’s actually quite ambiguous. 

Historically in English, when we refer to “Canton”, we are referring to a city in Southern China known today as “Guangzhou” (廣州). The word “Cantonese” however not only refers to a specific geographic location, but also a culture and language spoken by an estimated 70 million people around the world.

In terms of the geography, there has been some conflation with the term “Canton” as it was meant to refer to the city known today as “Guangzhou” (廣州), but actually should have actually meant “Guangdong” (廣東), the province of China where the Cantonese language is primarily spoken. 

The “Greater Canton” area today consists not only of Guangdong Province, but also neighbouring Guangxi (廣西), Hong Kong (香港) and Macau (澳門).

As one of China’s earliest international trading ports, Guangzhou became the key to trade between China, other parts of Asia and the Western World. Over time its position as a trading powerhouse also helped to ensure that the Cantonese people would spread all over the world, ultimately becoming one of the largest ethnic groups of Overseas Chinese.

Where some people get confused is that when we refer to someone as “Cantonese”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they came directly from “Guangzhou”, but find their ancestry in any of the areas where the Cantonese language (廣東話) is primarily spoken. 

While the Cantonese share a language, cuisine and distinct culture of their own, they are not considered to be a separate ethnic group, so they are generally classified under the larger “Han” (漢人) ethnic group and not one of China’s 55 ethnic minorities.

The Cantonese Assembly Hall thus represents all the people of Cantonese origin who hail from Guangzhou, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and throughout the diaspora. 

Link: Cantonese People (Wiki) | Cantonese Language (Wiki)

As I mentioned above, the Assembly Hall was constructed in 1885 and was home to a shrine that was originally dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, Thien Hau (天后). With shrines already dedicated to the popular goddess at the All-Chinese Assembly Hall (中華會館) and the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (福建會館), the main shrine was later converted into a “Quan Cong” (關公) place of worship. 

In 1964, due to damage caused by flooding, the Assembly Hall underwent a period of restoration and much of the interior was changed into what we see today. What this means is that even though the hall was constructed over 130 years ago, most of the interior is only around six decades old. 

Today the Cantonese Assembly Hall is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the historic town of Hoi An - located near the Japanese Covered Bridge, the riverfront and some of the best restaurants and coffee shops in town, it is an ideal location for tourists.

The hall is home to the yearly “Nguyen Trieu Festival” (Lantern Festival) on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year Celebrations.

Likewise on June 24th (lunar calendar) the hall comes alive with celebrations honouring the birth of Quan Cong (關公), the god enshrined within the hall. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting during both of these times, you’ll get to experience some of the traditions that the Chinese brought with them to Hoi An and continue to celebrate now.  

Design

The layout of the hall is similar to what you’ll have seen around town as it was designed with the traditional Chinese ‘Two Hall’ (兩殿兩廊式) architectural style. What that means is that you’ll find a ‘Front Hall’ (前殿) and a ‘Main Hall’ (正殿), an open-air courtyard (中程) and two covered halls on both the eastern (左護龍) and western (右護龍) sides. Similar to the image below.

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While the architectural layout of the hall may seem familiar to some of the other halls around Hoi An, its important to note that at this hall, its on a much grander scale with the addition of a beautiful three-arch front gate (三觀), a front courtyard (前院), a beautiful rear courtyard (後院) and ornate decorations and murals throughout the hall. 

Starting with the front gate, the ‘three-entrance’ gate consists of four stone pillars with a two-layered roof that uses beautiful green tiles. The gate is decorated with dragons and flowers with stone lions placed on top of each of the four pillars. Directly in the middle there is a plaque that reads “Cantonese Assembly Hall” (廣肇會館) in Chinese characters. 

Interestingly, the ‘Front Hall’, which acts as the main entrance to the Assembly Hall, is probably the most plain-looking part of the hall as it is somewhat lacking in colour.

The unfortunate thing about the amount of people who visit is that you typically get ushered inside and aren’t really able to spend much time checking out the small details. So, even though it’s not as colourful as the rest of the building, it’s the oldest section and the lack of colour, faded stone, roof tiles and dragons on the roof are all a sign of its age.

The interior of the hall has beautifully painted murals on the left and right and the front doors are painted with “Door Gods” (門神) that help to protect the shrine.

To add a bit of colour they have also added locally made red lanterns that hang from the ceiling. 

Link: Door Gods (Wiki)

Once you’ve entered the Front Hall you’re automatically met with the courtyard in the middle with the two Guardian Dragon (護龍) wings on your left and right and the Main Hall directly ahead of you.

What’s going to grab your eye right away though is the beautiful ceramic dragon fountain directly in the middle of courtyard, which has western-style standing lamps on all four corners to light it up at night. 

One thing that I really appreciated was how it seemed like nature was reclaiming the main hall area with lots of greenery growing on and hanging off of the roofs of both of the wings. 

The two wings on the eastern and western side are where ‘Assembly-Hall’-related activities would take place and when inside you’ll only find some murals on the wall with some space for storage. What’s special about the two wings though is that they extend beyond the main hall and each have a shrine room of their own (dedicated to Cantonese ancestors) and then extend back to the rear courtyard. 

The read courtyard features a beautifully maintained garden space, as well as another large and beautiful ceramic dragon fountain. From my observation, it seemed like the majority of the visitors were spending most of their time enjoying this area rather than the crowded front sections.

I suppose that’s understandable though because the garden is quite peaceful and is also home to a convenient and well-maintained public restroom, which isn’t all that common around town.

Believe me when I tell you, if you have to use the bathroom when you’re in Hoi An, it can be a bit of an issue.  

Like the Front Hall, the exterior of the Main Hall where the shrine is located is somewhat plain as it has faded with time, you’ll want to take note of the two pillars that help to hold up the roof and separate the three different sections of the shrine inside. The green tiles on the roof have faded, but they shine in the sun and the ceramic dragons on either side are quite beautiful.

Quan Cong Shrine (關聖大帝廟)

When the Assembly Hall was originally constructed in 1885, the shrine inside was dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea Thien Hau (天后), but as I mentioned above, Hoi An was already home to a couple of shrines dedicated to her at the All-Chinese Assembly Hall and the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. It was later decided that the primary deity within the shine would change to Quan Cong (關聖大帝).

“Quan Cong” just so happens to be one of the most popular Chinese deities and the image of his red face and long beard have spread throughout the world in temples, shrines, Chinese restaurants, etc.

He is also one of the most popular deities found within Cantonese places of worship around the world.

A real life figure, Guan Yu (關於) was a legendary general during the Three Kingdoms (三國) period whose exploits were canonized in the novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” (三國演義).

Known for his loyalty, piety, moral integrity, sense of justice and his military genius, legends of his exploits spread throughout China and his achievements were glorified so much that he was deified during the Sui Dynasty (隋朝) sometime between 581-618.

Today he is even worshipped as a ‘bodhisattva’ by Buddhists and as a guardian deity in Chinese Folk Religion and Taoism. 

Temples can be found in his honour through China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, South East Asia and wherever the Chinese diaspora has spread. You’ll also find shrines to him located within homes, businesses police stations and Assembly Halls like this one.

The strange thing about Quan Cong worship is that he is sometimes referred to in English as “The God of War” or “The God of Wealth”, but he is actually neither of those - He’s a guardian deity that helps protect people from harm and misfortune. He’s also more-or-less your go-to deity for almost any problem you need spiritual help with. 

The confusion about him being the “God of Wealth” is because his image is often placed within businesses - but this is simply because he’s renowned for his honesty and integrity, which is a way that businesses tell people that they’re trustworthy.

A legendary general, he’s rarely ever seen without his “Green Dragon Crescent Blade” (靑龍偃月刀), so it’s easy to see why he’s confused as the “God of War”, but once again, that’s not the case.

He was of course a mighty warrior, but he only went to war in order to restore peace to the land. Thus he is worshipped as a man of peace and someone who protected his home and all those who served under him. 

Link: Guan Yu (Wiki) 

In terms of this Assembly Hall, its shouldn’t be a big surprise that the Cantonese people would insist on a Quan Cong shrine as he is one of the most popular deities in the Greater-Canton region. As a protector deity, his worship in the Hoi An area would be multi-faceted as he would serve as a protector of the immigrant population while also ensuring that business-related activities went smoothly. 

While the shrine was converted to one that is primarily dedicated to Quan Cong, its important to note that the Goddess Thien Hau wasn’t completely evicted when the change took place. Today she sits to the left of Quan Cong while the “God of Wealth” (財神) is enshrined to the right. 

The shrine room is quite beautiful, but as I mentioned above, they’re a bit strict about people walking around or getting too close (in addition to taking photos), so I can’t offer too much in terms of photos of the room, which is quite unfortunate. 

Even though the shrine area is off-limits for photography, you can still take some really nice photos at this Assembly Hall, so you should definitely take the time to visit.

Yes, it is busier than all the others, but there is good reason for that. If you’re in Hoi An, you should definitely visit this one, but make sure to visit the other Chinese Assembly Halls as well!  

Getting There

 

Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province that is a 30km drive southeast of neighbouring Da Nang City (峴港市). Since Hoi An has become such a popular destination for travellers, getting to the historic town from Da Nang is quite convenient. Whether you arrive by air through Da Nang International Airport, by train through Da Nang Station or by coach, you’ll be able to easily get yourself to Hoi An through public or private transport, all of which are quite affordable. 

While staying in Vietnam, you should also download the “Grab” app for your phone so that you can easily grab a taxi during your travels without having to worry about getting cheated. 

Link: Transportation Guide: How to Get from Da Nang to Hoi An

Once you’ve arrived in Hoi An, getting around is really easy - just walk everywhere! 

The ‘Old Town’ area of Hoi An that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t all that big, and due to so much pedestrian traffic, they’ve blocked the area off from cars, so unless you’re riding a bicycle or a scooter, the best way to get around is on foot. 

When you’re ready to start exploring you’ll find that the majority of historic properties, temples, museums and restaurants are located on or between the riverside and Tran Phu Street. What you’ll want to keep in mind though is that exploring the historic properties of Old Town isn’t free, so you’re going to have to purchase an entrance ticket.

The entrance tickets are 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person and gives you access to five sightseeing places. The tickets are valid for the duration of your stay, so if you don’t use all of the tickets on your first day, you’ll still be able to use what you have remaining on the next day.

With so many places to visit within the Old Town though, five tickets might not be enough, so you might have to purchase a second set of tickets if you want to fully experience the town. 

Link: Hoi An Old Town Ticket, Entrance Fees & Sites (Hidden Hoi An)

The Cantonese Assembly Hall is situated in one of the busiest tourist intersections of Hoi An. Like all the other halls, it is conveniently located on Tran Phu Street but is only a short walk away from the bridge that takes you across the river to the An Hoi Islet as well as the popular Japanese-Covered Bridge.

The area near the hall is a popular one with relaxing coffee shops, retail shops, markets and restaurants. If you arrive at the Assembly Hall when large tourist groups (especially those from China) are lining up to go in, its probably better to grab a coffee and wait a little while. The tour groups never really stay that long and this is one of the Assembly Halls that you’re going to want to enjoy the smaller details if possible. 

Address: 176 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

The hall is open from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily. 


Minh Huong Communal House (明鄉萃先堂)

While we were planning for our trip to Hoi An, it quickly became obvious that the majority of the locations I was adding to the the itinerary were all historic buildings that could be considered quite similar to those that I’ve become used to exploring here in Taiwan.

The Fujian Assembly Hall for example for the most part could have been a typical temple around here.

I’ve mentioned already a few times in my previous articles that what I was looking forward to most during this trip was in part the familiarity I’d have with what I’m already used to but also how the architecture and design of these halls diverged from what I’m used to here in Taiwan.

I felt like I could still learn quite a bit in the process.

And I did learn quite a bit while visiting the Chaozhou, Fujian, Hainan and Cantonese Assembly Halls.

The history and architecture of these old buildings was really impressive, even for me, someone who spends quite a bit of time exploring historic buildings around Asia.

There was one hall though that admittedly wasn’t on my list before I left for Hoi An and when I happened upon it by chance, I felt extremely fortunate that I didn’t miss out on the opportunity to explore it.

The “Minh Huong Communal Hall” is probably the most unique of all of Hoi An’s Assembly Halls.

Strangely though, when people introduce Hoi An, it rarely ever gets grouped together with the other Assembly Halls and because of that, its almost non-existent on the tourist radar.

It nevertheless has all of the same characteristics of the other halls in town and as far as I’m concerned absolutely should be included on your list of places to visit when you’re in the area.

You might be wondering why this hall gets excluded from the traditional list of Assembly Halls in Hoi An.

That’s actually both a simple and a complicated answer.

The ‘Assembly Halls’ in Hoi An as well as other areas of Vietnam and South East Asia were always constructed to serve specific communities of ‘Overseas Chinese’ immigrants like the Hokkiens, Cantonese, etc.

This one though wasn’t constructed for ‘Overseas Chinese’ - it was built for a special group of people who were of Chinese descent, but held a special status in Vietnam and weren’t considered to be immigrants despite the fact that they were Chinese.

Some people claim that this is the reason why this Assembly Hall is often left off the list of “Chinese Assembly Halls” in Hoi An, but I think that’s a pretty poor reason to exclude it.

I’ll also go as far to say that I guarantee that if you visit this one, you’ll learn a lot more about the history of Hoi An than you will at any of the other Chinese Assembly Halls. So even though it might be considered smaller and less impressive than the others, where it lacks is also where it excels.

The Minh Huong Communal Hall is where I learned the most about Hoi An and its amazing history.

I think that if you visit, you’ll feel the same.

“The Minh Huong” (明鄉人) 

The Ming (明朝) ruled China from 1368 until 1644 when the dynasty was overthrown and ultimately replaced by the Qing Dynasty (清朝). Over the span of 276 years and sixteen different emperors, the Ming period became known for its contributions to literature, drama, porcelain and its trade and cultural ties with the outside world. 

As far as Chinese history goes, the Ming Dynasty is often one that is looked upon the most favorably.

There are a lot of reasons why the Ming Dynasty is referred to the “Great Ming”, but for the Chinese people, the most important thing to remember (about the Ming and why it is so fondly remembered) is because it was preceded by Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (元朝) and then overthrown by the Manchu-led (滿族) Qing Dynasty, both of which were considered “foreign”, to say the least.

The Ming Dynasty was essentially the last dynasty that was ruled by the “Chinese” before the modern period.

For a lot of people, especially those in Southern China, when the Ming Dynasty ended, it wasn’t just the end of an era - it was the end of their way of life. So, instead of submitting to the rule of yet another group of non-Chinese, a lot of people decided to simply pack up their things and leave.

Link: 反清反到越南的『明鄉人』(The News Lens)

Famously, a large military group of these Ming-loyalists arrived here in Taiwan and established a colony (which would later become a kingdom) of their own in the southern area of the island. The Kingdom of Tungning (東寧王國) as it became known was led by the pirate Koxinga (鄭成功), a former navy commander, and existed solely to help restore the Ming.

Even though the so-called ‘kingdom’ only lasted from 1661-1683, it has had lasting effects on the cultural landscape of Taiwan.

Link: Tungning Kingdom (東寧王國)Koxinga Shrine (延平郡王祠)

For others, emigration was a considerably more difficult process and most of the Ming-loyalists who fled China sufficed to travel south through Vietnam, Cambodia and beyond.

The vast majority of those who left did so fearing reprisal from the new regime as they were connected in some way to the Ming politically or militarily, which also meant that the majority of them were male.  

In Vietnam, the Nguyễn lords, who controlled most of the south held an affinity for the Ming and agreed to allow the refugees to freely settle in areas formerly part of the Champa kingdom around Hoi An (會安) where there was already an ethnic-Chinese population. 

Initially the refugees were referred to as the “Minh Hương” (明香) or “those who worship the Ming Dynasty”, but in 1827 by royal decree, they were renamed “Minh Hương” (明鄉) which meant “people of Ming origin.”

The reason for this upgrade in status was that many of those refugees (as I mentioned above) were those with special skills and had contributed to the political and economic system in the area for quite some time.

This preferential treatment however had some pros and cons in that they were given tax and business incentives (among other privileges), but also required them to live in communities that segregated them from the overseas Chinese merchants in the area. 

Note: It might seem confusing as the Vietnamese name for “Minh Hương” never actually changed, but the way to refer to them in Chinese did. Instead of using “明香” (míng xiāng) they became known as “明鄉” (míng xiāng), which is actually pronounced almost exactly the same but has a separate meaning as “鄉“ refers to the notion of a community

Link: Minh Hương (Wiki) | 明鄉人 (Wiki) | Hoa People (Wiki)

As the Minh Huong people became permanent residents, it was only natural that they started to intermarry with the local people and further integrate into Vietnamese society.

As this took place they started formed their own ethno-cultural identity which allowed them to celebrate their Chinese heritage while at the same time differentiating themselves from the newer waves of Chinese immigrants who came to Vietnam. 

That being said, after several generations their links to China gradually started to dissipate and although they maintained some of their cultural traditions, the majority of them preferred to speak Vietnamese rather than Chinese.

In fact, these days the vast majority of the descendants of the Minh Huong people are unable to speak, read or write Chinese - but there is a movement to help rectify these issues, especially among younger generations wanting to learn more about their ancestral heritage.

Today the total population of Minh Huong people in Vietnam is unclear due to the fact that their integration over the past few centuries has made it difficult to record their numbers.

In 1950 it was estimated that there were around 75,000 people of Minh Huong ancestry in Vietnam while today academics claim that there are likely more than a hundred thousand.

The important thing to remember is that the Minh Huong weren’t a homogenous group - They were people who fled from many different areas of China and were grouped together upon arrival in Vietnam based on their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty.

So, in order to keep their special privileges they had to integrate into society while at the same time facing discrimination from later waves of Chinese traders and immigrants who likely considered them traitors and were jealous of their economic privileges.

So, if for example you were a Minh Huong of Cantonese descent and you noticed that there was a newly constructed Cantonese Assembly Hall in town, a visit would have been considered an awkward experience for any number of reasons. 

Fortunately, even though the Ming Huong fully integrated themselves into Vietnamese society, one of the similarities that they shared with the other ethnic-Chinese groups was they also constructed their own traditional halls of worship and places where they could get together to network and celebrate their cultural heritage.

Link: Chinese Assembly Halls of Hoi An

As I’ve already mentioned, even though the Minh Huong Communal House (明鄉萃先堂) is rarely ever grouped together with the other Chinese Association Halls in Hoi An, I don’t really see much of a point in separating them. The Communal Hall plays a similar role and serves the same purpose as a place to get together, worship and celebrate ones culture and heritage.

Unfortunately due to the fact that most travel information about Hoi An tends to differentiate the Communal House from the Association Halls, there is very little information about this one available online.

I hope that this helps out and also convinces you to visit!

Minh Hương Tụy Tiên Đường (明鄉萃先堂)

The “Minh Hương Tụy Tiên Đường” or simply the “Minh Huong Communal House” is one of the many tourist destinations within the historic heritage town of Hoi An. Recognized as a National Historic Cultural Relic in 1993, it underwent a period of restoration from 2002 to 2009 with funds from the national government and is today open to the public for tourism. 

The history of the hall however is a little bit confusing and there is certainly quite a lot of misinformation and claims about its age found in English-language travel resources. 

The reason for the confusion (as far as I can tell) is that while not much has been written about it (in any language), the hall has undergone a considerable amount of changes over its history which has made it difficult to keep track of what’s actually going on inside. 

Of particular note is that some of the deities that you’ll find enshrined within the hall are relatively new residents and have been transferred there from other Minh Huong places of worship in Hoi An.

This is because several historic Minh Huong places of worship have already been torn down to make way for new developments.

So, with little written about the hall, it’s not easy to actually report accurate historical information. 

The date of its construction is unclear, but it appears that the establishment of the hall dates back to the mid-17th century. The reason why the dates of the halls origins are confusing for most people is because they fail to realize that the location that we can visit today wasn’t the original location of the hall.

The best estimate that we have for this particular hall is that it moved to its current location and was opened in 1820.

Note: I realize that this might seem a bit confusing, but when it comes to historic Chinese structures like this, its important to remember that the year it was “established” and the year it was “constructed” or often “reconstructed” are not actually the same.

I guess you can’t fault people for exaggerating the age of their “historic” buildings just a little.

Historically, the hall was used not only just as a place of worship but also for community outreach, business networking and celebrating cultural events.

It also served as the home of the administrative office of the Minh Huong Village Council for a period of time. 

Although the exact date of its construction isn’t all that clear, what we do know is that it was crafted by the people at the famed Hoi An Kim Bong Carpentry Village (金奉木雕村), which for the past several centuries has created some of the most beautiful woodwork in the whole of Vietnam.

The elaborate woodwork at this hall is no different and even after two-centuries and a couple of restoration projects, their work is still in excellent condition and maintains a similar appearance to what you would have seen on the day the hall first opened. 

Link: Come to Hoi An to Visit Kim Bong Carpentry Village (Exotic Voyages)

Like the other Assembly Halls and Temples in Hoi An, the front gate and the door to the building face south. The reason for this is that, according to Feng Shui (風水), south represents the element of fire (南方屬火), which means that the building is always going to attract positive energy.

The thing about “fire” energy though is that it’s a strong one for fame and reputation, but to harness that energy, you need a brightly covered entrance which is why the front gate of the hall is beautifully painted yellow - something that you’ll notice is quite common all over Hoi An.

Another important thing to remember about the fire element is that it is sometimes considered to be too strong, so you need to make use of a corresponding element like ‘wood’ (木) or ‘water’ (水) to add some balance - This is why the front courtyard to the hall has trees growing on either side with planted shrubs. 

The hall is designed with the traditional ‘two-halls and two protective-dragons’ (兩殿兩護室) style, which simply means that the building is rectangular in shape with a ‘front hall’ (前殿), an open-air courtyard and a ‘main hall’ (正殿) with two ‘protective-dragon’ (護龍) sections connecting the buildings on the eastern and western sides.

From the street you’re met with a beautiful bright yellow four-pillar gate (牌樓) which reads “Minh Huong Communal Hall” (明鄉萃先堂) with a dark red background.

The yellow gate also has a four rows of lanterns on each side which are quite pretty at night. 

As I just mentioned, once you walk through the gate you’re met with another courtyard which has some trees and some shrubs planted as decorations. The courtyard simple, but quite pretty and opens directly to the door of the front hall.

As you enter the ‘Front Hall’, you’ll either be met directly by someone wanting your ticket or a shrine with several statues on it. The shrine features not only statues, flowers and a place for worship, but also some beautiful wood-work in the area that surrounds it. 

The front hall here isn’t all that large, but there is quite a bit in terms of decoration to notice.

They have spiraled-coils of incense hanging from the ceiling, large vases, floral displays and an area where you can purchase some Chinese zodiac-related trinkets.

The hall is naturally lit, so it can be a bit dark at different times of the day, but the amount of colour they’ve added with their decorations makes it quite pretty. 

The existence of a shrine in the front hall is something that makes this specific building stand out from the other Assembly Halls in the area. From my research, it seems like the shrine is relatively new with practical reasons for placing it where it is.

The reason is because even though Hoi An is popular tourist destination, the Minh Huong Communal Hall hasn’t really been able to attract tourists in the same way that some of the other historic buildings have. So, to make up for a bit of lost revenue, they’ve placed some popular deities on the shrine near the front door where they can be seen from the street. 

The reason why this is practical is because it helps to attract Chinese tourists (and more importantly donations) which helps to maintain the hall. It’s also quite helpful due to the fact that the main shrine within the temple only really attracts other Minh Huong people for ancestral worship.

The gods in the shrine were chosen for their specific abilities and their importance to both the Minh Huong and your average person of Chinese descent, making it a place where everyone can get together. 

From left to right you have: 

  1. The Goddess of Childbirth (金花娘娘/註生娘娘)

  2. Thiên Hau, the Goddess of the Sea (天后聖母)

  3. The God of Medicine (藥王本頭公)

  4. The Protector of Life, Emperor Baosheng (保生大帝)

  5. The Earth God (福德正神)

Interestingly, just above the shrine you’ll find a traditional plaque (牌匾) hung from the ceiling that loosely translates as “Perfect Virtue” (明德惟馨). The plaque was gifted to the hall by a group of merchants (五帮眾商) on the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (中華民國), which notably marked a decade after the official fall of the Qing Dynasty.

Once you’ve progressed past the front hall, you’ll find the ‘Protective Dragons’ (護龍) on the eastern and western sides of the hall. The ‘dragons’, which are more or less ‘wings’ are used for community-related activities where events are held and people are able to get together for various purposes.

Similar to what you’ll find at the other Assembly Halls in Hoi An, the western side is used for administrative purposes while the eastern side is more or less a large empty space.

Coincidentally while I was visiting the hall there were a couple of local guys sitting at the table, drinking some tea and having a very engaging chat about something that seemed quite important.

The Main Hall (正殿), which is traditionally home to the place of worship in these Assembly Halls is where you’ll find shrines set up for the people who visit the temple to worship. 

The thing about this hall is that there is very little written about it, so information about what you’ll find inside is hard to come by - I’ve had to make use of my language skills with English, French and Mandarin to make sense of what little is available, so I hope that what I’ve been able to find is helpful in explaining what you’re going to see when you visit.

The first thing I’ll say is that when you enter the main hall, one of the things you’ll notice is the expert craftsmanship of the wood-work inside. The dark stained wooden doors and the decorations almost glow with the natural light that seeps in on sunny days.

I was especially a fan of the sliding doors which make for great light when you’re taking photos. 

There are three shrines in the shrine room, each of which have a statue and ‘spirit plates’ (牌位) in front of them. In this case, the statues are simple representations of spiritual “Civil Servants” (文官) who are known for their literary and intellectual skills concerning governance and business. 

The thing that differentiates this place of worship from the other Assembly Halls in town is that the “gods” themselves have been moved to the front hall, so what you’ll find in the main hall here are simple spirit plates representing three important groups of Ming Huong elders.  

Suffice to say, the shrines in the main hall are used for Minh Huong ancestral worship and are specifically dedicated to “Thập Đại Lão” (十大老), “Lục Tánh” (六姓) and the “Tam Gia” (三大家), which are entirely unique to this place of worship (and to Hoi An), which is why its not easy to find much information about them. 

The “Thập Đại Lão”, otherwise known as the “Ten Elders” are a group of ten of the earliest Minh Huong families that came to the area (around 1644) and include the Khổng (Kong 孔), Nhan (Yan 顏), Dư (Yu 余), Từ (Xu 徐), Chu (Zhou 周), Hoàng (Huang 黃), Trương (Zhang 張), Trần (Chen 陳), Thái (Cai 蔡) and Lưu (Liu 劉) families. 

The second group, the “Lục Tánh”, otherwise known as the “Six Families” arrived in the area in 1650 and include the Ngụy (Wei 魏), Trang (Zhuang 莊), Ngô (Wu 吳), Thiệu (Shao 邵), Hứa (Xu 許) and Ngũ (Wu 伍) families. 

And finally the “Tam Gia” or the “Three Families” who were headed by Hsi Kuo-hsiang (洗國詳), Wu Ting-kuan (吳廷寬) and Chang Hung-Chi (張弘基) and arrived shortly after the others.

Note: In this case you’ll have to excuse me, I don’t have the actual Vietnamese romanization of their names, so I’ve just converted them into the typical Chinese romanization. 

There are also spirit tablets placed for other families and people (27 in total) who showed up in the area later on, but the three main shrines are dedicated to these three groups. 

Link: Spirit Tablets (Wiki)

Every year the hall is home to events that the descendants of about sixty families who trace their roots back to the early Minh Huong immigrants attend in order to worship their ancestors and even though its a tourist destination, it is also an important place of worship for the small population of Minh Huong people in Vietnam.

Getting There

 

Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province that is a 30km drive southeast of neighbouring Da Nang City (峴港市). Since Hoi An has become such a popular destination for travellers, getting to the historic town from Da Nang is quite convenient. Whether you arrive by air through Da Nang International Airport, by train through Da Nang Station or by coach, you’ll be able to easily get yourself to Hoi An through public or private transport, all of which are quite affordable. 

While staying in Vietnam, you should also download the “Grab” app for your phone so that you can easily grab a taxi during your travels without having to worry about getting cheated. 

Link: Transportation Guide: How to Get from Da Nang to Hoi An

Once you’ve arrived in Hoi An, getting around is really easy - just walk everywhere! 

The ‘Old Town’ area of Hoi An that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t all that big, and due to so much pedestrian traffic, they’ve blocked the area off from cars, so unless you’re riding a bicycle or a scooter, the best way to get around is on foot. 

When you’re ready to start exploring you’ll find that the majority of historic properties, temples, museums and restaurants are located on or between the riverside and Tran Phu Street. What you’ll want to keep in mind though is that exploring the historic properties of Old Town isn’t free, so you’re going to have to purchase an entrance ticket. 

The entrance tickets are 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person and gives you access to five sightseeing places. The tickets are valid for the duration of your stay, so if you don’t use all of the tickets on your first day, you’ll still be able to use what you have remaining on the next day.

With so many places to visit within the Old Town though, five tickets might not be enough, so you might have to purchase a second set of tickets if you want to fully experience the town. 

Link: Hoi An Old Town Ticket, Entrance Fees & Sites (Hidden Hoi An)

The Minh Hoang Communal House is located on Tran Phu road, the main stretch of Hoi An between the Chaozhou Assembly Hall and the Hainan Assembly Hall. The house is also located close to the Hoi An Market as well as the famous Banh Mi Phuong restaurant. 

It is however not located within the central tourist area of Hoi An, so if you plan on visiting, depending on where you’re staying, it could be an extra few minutes of walking to get there. 

That area of Hoi An may seem a bit like the ‘outskirts’ of town, but there is actually quite a bit to see and it is in an area that hasn’t received as much attention in terms of restoration thus far. If you visit the home or any of the attractions nearby, you should also try to walk through some of the beautiful alleys across the road where you won’t find many tourists but will find some excellent opportunities for taking great photos. You’ll know you’ve arrived at the communal hall when you’ve found the huge yellow gate, its pretty hard to miss. 

Address: 14 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

The hall is open from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily.


Hoi An’s All-Chinese Assembly Hall (會安中華會館)

Like a lot of nerdy little boys, I watched my fair share of old Kung Fu movies when I was younger.

One of the things I always thought strange (but never really questioned) was why the main character always ended up fighting dozens of people at once. It always seemed so unfair.

Another thing I thought strange was a common theme in a lot of these movies that involved Chinese immigrants randomly calling up friends back home when they were having trouble and requesting a martial arts master come help out. 

In Bruce Lee’s Way of the Dragon (猛龍過江) for example, a Cantonese restaurant owner in Rome was having problems with a local crime boss, so he simply called up friends back home in Hong Kong and Bruce Lee suddenly appeared in Rome to help out and kick a bunch of ass. 

It wasn’t until recently that I think I actually figured it out. 

One of the underlying themes of these movies is the shared sense of ‘community’ and ‘brotherhood’ that Chinese people share with each other no matter where they go. This is one of the reasons why you’ll find a “China Town” in most of the world’s major cities.

For most westerners these areas are simply where you go to find amazing authentic Chinese restaurants. There is however much more to a China Town than just the amazing cuisine that you’ll find as within these areas you’ll often find a tight-knit community where people have worked together, helped each other out and prospered despite all the hardships one faces while living in a foreign land.

When we think of a ‘China Town’ we often think about the large sections of London, New York City or Toronto but few people actually realize that you’ll also find these large Chinese communities scattered throughout Asia as well.

In South East Asia you’ll easily find concentrated communities of Chinese immigrants working together, doing business and celebrating their culture in almost every major city and town thanks to the past few hundred years of trade relations and immigration.

One of the ways that the Overseas Chinese community has been able to stick together throughout the centuries has been through the use of Assembly Halls (會館) where people have been able to hang out, celebrate their culture, network, worship, etc. 

The thing about these Assembly Halls is that they were almost always constructed to serve a particular community of immigrants based on where they originally came from. So, even though I made the claim that the people who live and work within the China Town’s around the world are a tight-knit bunch, its also important to realize that the various groups are also often very factionalized and tend to stick to their own.

This is another theme that you might have noticed in Kung Fu movies where rival towns or ethnic groups were constantly battling each other for one reason or another.

So, if you were Cantonese and found yourself in Singapore, you’d probably be spending most of your time with your Cantonese friends and family. The same goes for the Teochew, Hokkiens, Hakka, etc.

This behavior is something that persisted as Chinese immigrant communities grew throughout South East Asia (and the world), so in Hoi An for example, you’ll find Assembly Halls that were constructed specifically for the Cantonese, Teochew, Hokkien and Hainanese people. 

The history of Chinese migration to Hoi An though predates all of the Assembly Halls in town by a century or more. So, at a time when there weren’t enough Cantonese people in the area to fund an Assembly Hall, where did people go? 

They had to suck it up and go to the ‘All-Chinese Assembly Hall’, of course. 

The Chinese Assembly Hall was the first of its kind in town and was constructed by a group of immigrants from various regions of Southern China. These groups set aside their petty differences and came together to build the first network of support where they could count on each other for protection as well as offering a place to get together to do business and worship.

Even though the Chinese Assembly Hall isn’t as popular with tourists as the nearby Fujian or Cantonese Assembly Halls, I personally found a visit to this hall to be one of the most interesting.

Not only is it beautifully designed but it also has a long and interesting history that combines the experience and cultural history of all of the early Chinese immigrants to Hoi An.

It also continues to this day to help educate successive generations about their language and their culture.

Before I start talking about this beautiful hall though, if you’d like to know more about Hoi An or its Overseas Chinese Assembly Halls, I recommend taking a look at my introduction to both:

Link: Chinese Assembly Halls Of Hoi An (會安華人會館)

Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (中華會館)

Hoi An’s first Assembly Hall, the “All-Chinese Assembly Hall” was constructed at a time when Chinese immigration to the area was still a new thing and there weren’t enough people to necessitate the individual halls that would later appear. 

Hoi An was a popular port of call for the worlds traders (including the Chinese, the Japanese and the Europeans) who initially only showed up on a seasonal basis. With trade booming and everyone wanting a piece of what Hoi An had to offer, full time warehouses started appearing and the major powers started sending representatives to live in the area year-round. 

With so many people from around the world showing up in Hoi An, it was important for the Chinese immigrants to band together to protect themselves as well as network with each other.  At that time though there were so few people that it didn’t matter where you came from, you had to get along with each other in order to survive and prosper in business. 

In 1715, with funds contributed by people from Fujian, Canton, Hainan, Chaozhou and the Hakka people, construction started on the Assembly Hall, which would be completed in 1741.

It took almost three decades to complete the hall not only due to the fact that it was a large complex but it also included a school to help educate the children of the immigrants who were migrating to the area. 

Originally named the Duong Thong Assembly Hall (洋商會館), or the “Overseas Merchants Assembly Hall”, it has also gone by several other names throughout its history:

  1. “Hội quán Ngũ Bang” (五幫會館) - Five County Assembly Hall

  2. “Chùa Bà” (媽祖廟)  - Mazu Temple

Interestingly, the hall was not only the first Assembly Hall of its kind in Hoi An, but it was also the home of the first temple dedicated to the worship of the Goddess of the Sea, Thien Hau (天后), who is also named Mazu (媽祖). As the home of the first Heavenly Goddess Temple (天后宮) in Hoi An, the hall was a popular place of worship until the Fujian Assembly Hall a few decades later constructed its own version. 

  • Note: Mazu Worship is predominately a Hokkien (Fujian) tradition that spread throughout Southern China, Taiwan and South East Asia due to immigration.

For quite some time the Assembly Hall was the go-to place for all of the Chinese immigrants and merchants living in Hoi An, but as other halls started to be constructed around town, its significance started to decline. The Hokkiens (1757), Teochews (1852), Cantonese (1885) and Hainanese (1891) constructed halls of their own to better serve the needs of their specific groups. 

Despite its waning significance, where the Assembly Hall continued to excel was in its usage as a place of education, especially for the immigrants who made Hoi An their permanent home.

The Chinese Public School, or the Le-Nghia Public School (禮儀學校) continues to this day to be an important educational tool for both Vietnamese and people of Chinese ancestry who come to take nightly or weekend classes to learn Mandarin. 

For most of its history, the Assembly Hall remained an important place of worship for the Goddess of the Sea and for public education, but things changed in 1917 when the Qing Dynasty (清朝) was overthrown back China and the Republic of China (中華民國) was established.

Le-Nghia Public School (禮儀學校)

From this point on, the hall would become much more political in nature as it was well-known that most of the “Hoa” (華人) people in Vietnam were no fans of the Qing rulers. 

Link: Hoa People (Wiki)

In 1928, the hall changed its name to the Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (中華會館) or the “All-Chinese Assembly Hall” and would add a shrine to Sun Yat Sen (孫中山), the “Father of Modern China” (國父) with new decorations on the walls that included some of his quotes. 

From then on, the Assembly Hall ceased to represent only the five groups that originally funded its construction, but anyone of Chinese origin.

Even though the Republic of China experience was short-lived in China (the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949), the hall has surprisingly not changed any of the decorations in the interior or (as it would seem) its allegiance to the ideals of the ROC, which continues to exist today in Taiwan.    

Design

In terms of the design of this hall, there are some noticeable differences in what you’re going to see compared to the other Assembly Halls in Hoi An.

The most noticeable of those differences is that the hall has recently been given a fresh coating of blue paint on the front gate as well as on the eastern and western wings on the inside. 

The blue paint, which is clearly the same colour blue used in the Republic of China flag is shout out to the recent history of the hall and its adoration for Sun Yat Sen.

The thing I personally liked about the color is that it makes the hall stand out from all the other yellow buildings outside while also blending in perfectly with the beautiful blue skies you get in Hoi An. 

The layout is similar to what you’ll have seen around town with the traditional Chinese ‘Two Hall’ (兩殿兩廊式) architectural style, which simply means that you’ll find a Front Hall (前殿) and a Main Hall (正殿) with an Open-Air Courtyard (中程) and two covered halls on both the eastern (左護龍) and western (右護龍) sides.

From the outside, the Front Hall isn’t much to look at apart from its bright blue paint job.

When you walk inside you’ll discover that the hall is much larger than it appears, but there still isn’t really very much in terms of decoration, which isn’t entirely a terrible thing. Most notably you’ll find a plaque above the front door that reads: “The World is Equally Shared by All” (天下為公), one of the most popular quotes used by Sun Yat Sen.

Link: 國父孫中山畢生奮鬥的目標「天下為公」究竟是什麼?(kknews)

Like the nearby Hainan Assembly Hall, this one also features a Worship Hall (拜亭) that is connected to the front entrance of the Main Hall. The “hall” isn’t actually an enclosed room like the others, but a pavilion of sorts that acts somewhat like the front veranda that you’d find on a house.

One of the key features of this addition (in terms of the design) is that it helps to add layers to the roof as its roof is higher than the wings, yet a little shorter than the roof on the main hall.

The interior of the Worship Hall is quite colourful and includes a large traditional plaque that reads “Heavenly Goddess Temple” (天后宮) that was dedicated in 1992. There are also several long benches on either side that provide the perfect spot to hang out and have a chat in the shade on a warm day. 

Another one of the key differences in the design of this hall is that the Guardian Dragons (護龍) on the western and eastern side of the building are both open-air halls that were used for gatherings or events. They appear to be longer than they actually are due to the fact that the “Le-Nghia Mandarin Language Centre” (禮義華文中心), has been constructed in the space between the western wing and the front hall.

Both of the wings on either side are large open-air spaces that are largely empty and are used primarily for gatherings or events. You’ll also find rooms to the rear on each of the wings which contain a shrine dedicated to the founders of the shrine and another to the Chinese sage Confucius (孔子).

Unfortunately on the day that I visited the hall, the rear-garden area was closed to visitors.

The thing that attracted me to the garden was that there was a large mural of Chinese calligraphy set upon the back wall of the main hall that was dedicated to the sayings of Sun Yat Sen.

Heavenly Goddess Temple (天后宮)

The Main Hall of the Assembly Hall is named the “Heavenly Goddess Temple”, which is a common name for temples dedicated to the Chinese goddess of the sea, Mazu (媽祖).

As I mentioned earlier, the shrine dedicated to the popular goddess was the first of its kind in Hoi An, but when the Hokkien people constructed their Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (福建會館), they constructed their own version of the temple with their Assembly Hall.

That might seem a bit unfair, but the goddess is widely considered not only a patron saint of the sea, but for the Hokkien people as well. So it was important for them to have their own shrine to the goddess. Nevertheless, the shrine to Thien Hau has been a constant fixture in this Assembly Hall for the past three centuries. 

As is tradition, accompanying the goddess you’ll find her two guardian demon friends Thousand Mile Eye (千里眼) and Wind-Following Ear (順風耳) enclosed within glass cases on either side of the front entrance to the main hall. Known in Vietnam respectively as “Thien Ly Nhan” and “Thuan Phong Nhi”, the green-skinned Thousand-Mile Eye keeps his eyes open for danger while the red-skinned Wind-Following Ear is always listening for calls for help.

Together with the Goddess of the Sea, they help protect people at sea. 

Link: Qianliyan (千里眼) | Shunfeng’er (順風耳)

Once you enter the shrine room you’ll notice a large statue of Mazu enclosed within a golden throne in the main area with two smaller shrines on either side. The shrine to the right is dedicated to Thần Tài (財神老爺), otherwise known as “The God of Wealth” and on the right you’ll find ‘Spirit Tablets’ (牌位) dedicated to Anti-Japanese resistance fighters from the area who went to China to battle the Japanese. 

Link: Spirit Tablets (神位)

On the altar in front of the main shrine, you’ll find another statue of the goddess surrounded by flowers and candles with some space left for offerings.

The main shrine isn’t actually all that large, but there are quite a few small details to take note of, so if you’re lucky enough to be in the shrine room at a time when there aren’t many people, you should probably take time to inspect some of those finer details.  

Getting There

 

Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province that is a 30km drive southeast of neighbouring Da Nang City (峴港市). Since Hoi An has become such a popular destination for travellers, getting to the historic town from Da Nang is quite convenient. Whether you arrive by air through Da Nang International Airport, by train through Da Nang Station or by coach, you’ll be able to easily get yourself to Hoi An through public or private transport, all of which are quite affordable. 

While staying in Vietnam, you should also download the “Grab” app for your phone so that you can easily grab a taxi during your travels without having to worry about getting cheated. 

Link: Transportation Guide: How to Get from Da Nang to Hoi An

Once you’ve arrived in Hoi An, getting around is really easy - just walk everywhere! 

The ‘Old Town’ area of Hoi An that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t all that big, and due to so much pedestrian traffic, they’ve blocked the area off from cars, so unless you’re riding a bicycle or a scooter, the best way to get around is on foot.

When you’re ready to start exploring you’ll find that the majority of historic properties, temples, museums and restaurants are located on or between the riverside and Tran Phu Street. What you’ll want to keep in mind though is that exploring the historic properties of Old Town isn’t free, so you’re going to have to purchase an entrance ticket.

The entrance tickets are 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person and gives you access to five sightseeing places. The tickets are valid for the duration of your stay, so if you don’t use all of the tickets on your first day, you’ll still be able to use what you have remaining on the next day.

With so many places to visit within the Old Town though, five tickets might not be enough, so you might have to purchase a second set of tickets if you want to fully experience the town. 

Link: Hoi An Old Town Ticket, Entrance Fees & Sites (Hidden Hoi An)

The All-Chinese Assembly Hall is located almost directly in the centre of the historic pedestrian area of Hoi An. Located between the Fujian and Cantonese Assembly Halls, you’ll find quite a few cafes, restaurants and shops near the hall. There are also usually vendors outside on the sidewalk selling things. 

Address: 64 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

The hall is open from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily.