HCM CITY — The Thông Tây Hội Communal House will be 360 years old next year, more than two centuries older than HCM City, where it is situated.

Located on a 1,500sq.m area in Gò Vấp District, the original construction was done in 1679 with bamboo and thatched leaves. It was rebuilt in 1883, and before 1944 it was called Hạnh Thông Tây.

Its roofs have terracotta tiles in a traditional pattern that goes back centuries.

On the sanctum’s roof stand two ceramic dragon guardians.

The communal house had been able to retain its designs from the 19th century because locals had always preserved its value, Nguyễn Văn Tý, 81, its manager, said. — VNS