The Tho Ha Communal House: From a Traditional Governance Institution to a Contemporary Cultural Space

Abstract

Drawing on a cultural anthropological approach and qualitative research methods, this article examines the functional transformation of the Tho Ha communal house from a traditional village governance institution into a contemporary community-based cultural space. The case of Tho Ha illustrates a common reality in rural Vietnam today: traditional institutions have not disappeared, but have continuously adjusted their roles in response to changes in social organization, livelihoods, and local administrative governance. In this process, the communal house has gradually shifted from its former politicaladministrative functions toward cultural and symbolic roles, becoming a multifunctional space where the community sustains local identity while negotiating new demands related to heritage management, conservation, and development under contemporary conditions.