Decoration of the kua vong altar portal in the architecture of a dinh communal house in North Vietnam (the plains)
The article considers special characteristics of a dinh communal houses built in the plains of North Vietnam. Dinh became the main achievement of a local architecture and construction practice, that meets the spiritual beliefs of the Vietnamese people. It combines the functions of a communal shrine and social and cultural center of a community. It is a place of spirits worship, the place to discuss village and state affairs. On the basis of extensive factual material the author analyses in detail the creative and aesthetic features of the kua vong altar portal as an important element of a dinh communal house.