Architecture of Cantonese Assembly Hall in Hoi An

Within an area of 1,700 m2, the Cantonese Assembly Hall of Hoi An has the Outer gate, the Inner gate, the Temple and a garden behind them. It’s one of the largest and most visited Chinese buildings in town.

The Outer Gate (First gate) has a typical Chinese style, including three entrances, four pillars (cement but look like stone) onto pumpkin-shaped stone bases, three roofs, and one name board with four Chinese words which mean ‘Assembly Hall of Chinese Cantonese Congregation’. It stands near a 3-roads intersection, at the end of a road providing access to the river.

Between the gates, there is a small yard with a pair of guardian lions, stone chairs, and champa flower trees. Here, to the left, visitors need to show the ticket pass to walk inside and keep sightseeing. 

The Outer gate (Second gate) is built of brick, topped with a tile roof and dragons flighting the sun. It has only one entrance, with a pair of stone phoenixes in the front, a name board with four Chinese words which mean ‘Assembly Hall of Chinese Cantonese Congregation’, and two vertical wooden boards with golden Chinese sentences on them. The door is red-lacquered, with two knockers portraying a dragon head holding the ring in its mouth. Near the roof, it’s possible to see sophisticated wood carvings depicting kings and his subjects, activities in the court, animals, flowers. Definitely, these works were commissioned by Chinese businessmen, and handcrafted by Vietnamese artisans from Kim Bong Carpentry Village.

Right after going in the Inner gate, to the left and the right, there are two mural paintings depicting stories in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a famous 14th-century historic novel in China. In the right hand side, that’s the Oath of the Peach Garden. In which, Guan Yu (160-220, military general), Liu Bei (161-223, warlord) and Zhang Fei (?-221, military general and politician) decided to be sworn brothers, and said that ‘would die in the same date, same month and same year’. Their goal is to protect the Han Empire from a rebellion at that time. After this oath, Liu Bei was declared to be the oldest brother. He later became the founding emperor of Shu Han, one of three kingdoms of China in 221. Before that, Guan Yu was killed.

On the left hand side, Guan Yu rides a horse and escorts the carriage carrying two wifes of Liu Bei, to see him and his sworn brother Zhang Fei. Their names were Lady Mi and Lady Gan. They cross, give mountain passes and slay six generals. This story tells of his bravery.

Between the Inner Gate, the Temple, the West and the East Houses, there is a courtyard with a statue of the Carp Transforming into Dragon. Its cultural significance is similar to the Carp Dragon Statue in Da Nang. The dragon and the fish are lavishly decorated by small, colorful pieces of ceramic and glasses. They rise or jump up from a pond where golden carps are raised. Many visitors like taking pictures here.

The next building is the Main Temple where the Cantonese congregation of Hoi An worships Guan Yu or Quan Cong in the middle, God of Wealth to the left and ancestors to the right. The Statue of Quan Cong is made of bronze, 40 centimeters high. It depicts a god who sits, has a red face, holds a word wrapped by a snake, and step on the tortoise. Visitors can see similar things at Quan Cong Temple and Japanese Covered Bridge. Around it, there are other statues donated by believers, especially business owners. Horses serving the god while he was still alive, including one white and one red, are also worshipped. Their statues have a life size. Like other assembly halls in Hoi An, circular incense and a model of wooden boat.

Two other buildings, the West House and the East House. They accommodate tables and chairs to welcome guests, two large ‘Happy’ letters, photos about communal activities, antiquities, and paintings portraying different stories in Chinese mythology (such as the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea). Visitors can have a seat and take a break in these buildings before seeing other parts of the assembly hall.

Behind the Temple, there is a garden with old trees, flowers, and statues. To see it, it’s needed to walk along narrow paths beside the Main Temple and then small doors. Right on the back wall of the Main Temple, visitors can’t miss the big mural painting. It depicts the story ‘Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage’ in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In which, Quan Cong and two of his sworn brothers visit the house of Zhuge Liang (an erudite statesman/strategist) to ask for his advice to unify China. This story sends a message about sincerity and patience to have support or assistance, to gain future successes.

In the middle of the garden, there is a statue of five goats which recalls the legend about Guangzhou (Canton), hometown of the community. In which, people here experienced a long-lasting drought and had to struggle to avoid starvation. One day, in the sky, five gods wearing five different coloured clothes and riding five different coloured horses, appeared. Each one of them held a sheaf of wheat with six stalks, and then gave it to people before leaving. After that, people spread the grains, and had food to eat. The weather became milder to have good harvests of wheat. Five living goats were transformed into stone. For that reason, Guangzhou city has a nickname ‘City of the Five Goats’.  

Visitors will see another statue of rising, fierce dragons in this garden. They are mosaiced beautifully by blue ceramic pieces.