Phuc Kien Assembly Hall
The Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, Hoi An was established in the year 1697. It is a great example of the Chinese architecture. The Chinese merchants of the Phuc Kien Province are believed to build this huge assembly hall.
However, some changes have been made to this Phuc Kien Assembly Hall in the course of time. As for example, the first entrance of the assembly hall was made in the year 1975. The Assembly Hall in fact is a temple that holds the sea goddess Thien Hau. Then there is goddess Thuan Phong Nhi, who is able to listen to the sound of a ship even at a distance of thousand miles. At last the goddess Thien Ly Nhan is also in the altar and she is able to see those distant ships.
There are lots of animal symbols in the design and architecture of the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall in Hoi An. The mosaic fountain inside the assembly hall bears a fish sculpture that is a symbol of achievement. Besides the fish, there are other animals such as dragon, unicorn, phoenix, turtle and so on. All these animals signify different features of the Chinese culture. The dragon is symbol of power and the turtle signifies endurance. On the other hand the unicorn is a symbol of knowledge and the phoenix represents nobility.