To preserve and promote the historical and cultural values ​​of Ben Thuy site.

From 4 layers of heritage...

Associated with the birth and development of Vinh city, Ben Thuy site contains extremely important historical sediment layers.

First heritage layer,associated with the event that this area was chosen by King Quang Trung to build Phuong Hoang Trung Do. Although the construction is still unfinished, Phuong Hoang Trung Do is still a historical milestone, contributing to the positioning of Vinh in the history of the nation.

Map of Ben Thuy in 1936. Photo archive

Second heritage layer,Ben Thuy in particular, Vinh - Ben Thuy in general became a leading industrial and commercial city in Central Vietnam. After the French established a stable foothold in Nghe An, Ben Thuy received massive investment from domestic and foreign capitalists. The port and railway station were invested in, and a series of factories and workshops were built.

Along the 6-kilometer stretch from the foot of Con Meo Mountain to La Phic Canned Fish Factory in the area bordering Hung Hoa, there are many piers, oil depots, wood workshops, processing plants, wine depots, Match Factory, Power Plant... Among them, Ben Thuy Match Factory was the factory with the most modern technology in the world at that time, producing from 150 to 190 million matchboxes per year, exported to many countries around the world. At that time, Ben Thuy area had about 3,000 workers, out of 7,000 to 8,000 workers in the whole city. This was an important premise that created the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement in 1930 - 1931.

Ben Thuy Match Factory in the 1920s. Photo archive

Third layer of heritageassociated with the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, of which Ben Thuy was the first to "rise up", with the demonstration on May 1, 1930 at Ben Thuy Junction, where the worker-peasant alliance took place right in the middle of the battle.

Fourth Heritage LayerBen Thuy is recognized as a heroic coordinate in the struggle against the destructive war of the American invaders. Ben Thuy is one of the places with the highest density of bombs and bullets in the North. From 1964 to 1968 alone, the US bombed the Ben Thuy ferry area 2,912 times, with 11,377 bombs. Coming out of the war, this area has 52 martyrs, 14 heroic units and individuals. Of which, Ben Thuy Ferry unit has 23 martyrs and was awarded Heroic title twice.

...to ideas and planning

Although it is a historical land, Ben Thuy area is also a scenic area with the most beautiful landscapes of Vinh city. Up to now, in all ideas and planning, this area has been mainly reserved for public purposes.

Since the end of the last century, the planning of Quyet Mountain Park has been established and implemented. The temple of Emperor Quang Trung was built and inaugurated in 2008. In 2002 and 2003, the city had the idea and invited consultants to survey and establish a project to build a small war park, with the survey scope being the entire strip of land along the Lam River, upstream of Ben Thuy Bridge and the area at the foot of Quyet Mountain, where there are many relics of tunnels dug deep into the mountainside during the anti-American war.

Emperor Quang Trung Temple on Quyet Mountain. Photo: Nguyen Book

In particular, the Project “Building Vinh City into a cultural and information center of the North Central region (2006-2020 period), issued under Decision No. 2862/QD-UBND dated August 7, 2007 of the Provincial People's Committee, has determined to restore the Ben Thuy T-junction relic site. It clearly states:“Renovate the Ben Thuy lamppost intersection relic cluster and the Match Factory model, restore and recreate the context of Ben Thuy pontoon bridge, Ben Thuy ferry (heroic landmarks), build the Ben Thuy victory monument and organize a system of cultural and tourism services on the banks of Lam River”.

In 2015, in the adjustment of the general planning of Vinh city for the period up to 2030, with a vision to 2050, developed by consultant Nikken Sekkei (Japan) and approved by the Government, the strip of land along the Lam River, upstream of Ben Thuy bridge, was still shown on the map as public land, while the strip of land downstream was mixed land.

On December 18, 2017, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 6103/QD-UBND approving the "Planning of the relic system in Nghe An province towards 2030, vision to 2050", in which there are 2 relics in this area: Ben Thuy Intersection and Vinh Power Plant. In addition, a small war relic park has also been planned in the Quyet Mountain Park project that Vinh City People's Committee is calling for investment.

Concerned about the current situation

Regarding the relics, in this area, King Quang Trung Temple was built on Quyet Mountain; Truong Thi - Ben Thuy Monument 1930 - 1931, associated with the National Historical Relic of Ben Thuy Junction; Vinh Power Plant Relic has been ranked as a National Historical Relic. In this area, there is also a stele commemorating Uncle Ho's visit to Vinh Power Plant in 1957.

The Truong Thi - Ben Thuy 1930 - 1931 Monument, erected at the Ben Thuy intersection, was inaugurated on September 12, 2012. Photo: Nguyen Sach

According to Decision No. 201/QD-UBND dated January 17, 2018 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province approving the Inventory List of historical relics in Nghe An, on the riverside strip of land on both sides of Ben Thuy bridge, only: Ben Thuy port location; The location where comrade Le Mao sacrificed his life are included in the Inventory List to be recognized as a historical relic.

Other places of great historical significance and value such as Ben Thuy Match Factory, Ben Thuy Ferry, Ben Thuy Pontoon Bridge have not only not been recognized as historical relics, but have also not been included in the Inventory List. This is a significant shortcoming of the Cultural sector.

Most importantly, although by 2015, Vinh's planning map still reserved the strip of land along the Lam River upstream of Ben Thuy Bridge for public land, in fact since 2008, the province has approved the planning for a large real estate project on this strip of land, extending from the foot of Ben Thuy 1 Bridge to the wharf of Hai Chau Company, with an area of ​​12 hectares.

Basically, this project has overlapped the area of ​​the French Match Factory (later Vinh Wood Factory), leaving only an area of ​​more than 3 hectares in the North, close to National Highway 1, which is currently a residential area. There is information that this area of ​​more than 3 hectares has been planned as a park. In the project area, there is also the location of the North Abutment of Ben Thuy Pontoon Bridge, with the remaining vestige being a reinforced concrete pontoon bridge abutment, 4 spans, extending out to the river. This is also a location that is considered to have historical value. Currently, the enterprise has erected a stone Monument, very solid and quite beautiful here. (On the South bank, Ha Tinh province has classified and erected a monument "Historical Monument of the South Abutment of Ben Thuy Pontoon Bridge").

Traces of wharf number 3 of Ben Thuy Ferry. Photo: Pham Xuan Can

As for Ben Thuy ferry, the most obvious remaining vestige is Ferry Terminal No. 3, a few hundred meters downstream from Ben Thuy 1 bridge. There is also a ferry pier, a reinforced concrete slope about 4 meters wide, sloping down towards the river. The road leading to the ferry is said to still maintain the same route. This is considered an important ferry terminal, the busiest during the anti-American war.

What else can be done for Ben Thuy?

First of all, the Department of Culture needs to supplement the Inventory List of the following relics: Location of the Match Factory; Ben Thuy Ferry; Ben Thuy Pontoon Bridge; Anti-American Tunnel System on the Northeastern slope of Quyet Mountain. Along with that, urgently survey, evaluate the current status and value, classify and delimit the relics for protection. This is the legal basis for protecting the relics and preventing encroachment.

On the downstream of Ben Thuy bridge, it is necessary to survey and rank the historical relic of Ben Thuy port location, recording the historical value of the number one commercial port in the Central period during the French colonial period, as well as the glorious historical value of the anti-American period. Survey and rank the relic of Wharf No. 3 of Ben Thuy ferry, representing the entire system of wharves belonging to Ben Thuy ferry during the anti-American period. Determine the scope and demarcate the protection area of ​​the relic, so that another project being surveyed and planned in this area does not overlap or encroach. Research to restore the ferry wharf and place a monument.

Upstream of Ben Thuy bridge, it is necessary to soon implement the planning of building a park on the land that is currently a residential area, connected to the Truong Thi - Ben Thuy 1930 - 1931 monument area. This is also the land containing a corner of the Match Factory during the French colonial period and the Vinh Wood Factory later. It is necessary to build a model, or erect a monument to the Match Factory, to record its historical value as the largest and most modern factory in Indochina; at the same time, it was one of the cradles of the Nghe Tinh Soviet 1930 - 1931.

Regarding the remains of the Ben Thuy pontoon bridge, it is necessary to study and determine its historical value, because there are currently many different documents and information about the time of its birth, as well as the historical value of the Ben Thuy pontoon bridge. On that basis, choose an appropriate response.

With the special historical value of Ben Thuy through the ages, based on the existing status, it is very necessary and possible to do some work to preserve and promote the historical and cultural values ​​of this place before it is too late. We should not just regret or blame. Instead, we need to act while we still can!