Traditional community houses of the Co-tu ethnic group in central Vietnam

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the current state of the traditional community houses belonging to the Co-tu ethnic group in central Vietnam. In the past, a community house functioned as a site for common activities and was a cultural symbol for most Co-tu villages. The community house was typically constructed by all the villagers, led by elders possessing traditional expertise and indigenous knowledge. However, the living conditions of ethnic communities and the customs relating to housing and settlement have undergone changes in accordance with Vietnamese government policy. In addition, many community houses of varying styles and construction have been built recently with the assistance of organizations based within and outside Vietnam. The paper presents a case study of a community house in Thua Thien Hue province that was built with the support of university researchers. It illustrates the complexity of the task and the challenges and lessons learned from the collaborative construction of a traditional community house.