Tan Son Temple and the tomb of Comrade Le Hong Son

Tan Son Temple

Tan Son Temple was built on the summit of Tan Mountain in the mid-16th century. The temple is dedicated to the ancestor of the Le clan, originally from the Mac dynasty – Vice-King Mac Dang Luong. He is a historical figure revered as a tutelary deity in many localities and was bestowed the title of "Protecting the Nation and Protecting the People" by various emperors.

Following the example of their ancestors, generations of descendants of Mac Dang Luong have made immense contributions to the nation-building and national defense efforts, bringing glory to their homeland and lineage.

The temple faces southeast, its three sides surrounded by towering cliffs, and is filled with ancient trees such as: Săng lẻ, Lim, Bứa, and pine... The ancient Tán Sơn Temple was considered the most sacred in the region. The scenery here is truly picturesque. At the foot of Mount Tán, the gentle Mai Hồ stream irrigates the two fertile fields of Húc and Mai year-round. Mount Tán, along with Mount Anh, Mount Nhuệ, Mount Khúc, and Mount Thiệt Diệt, forms a sacred land of the five elements.

The temple's architecture follows the "four pillars, three majestic" style, consisting of two buildings, the Lower Hall and the Upper Hall, roofed with scale tiles and supported by ironwood columns. A relief sculpture of "two dragons worshipping the moon" adorns the roof. Entering the temple, one passes through two 5-meter-high pillars carved with dragons, lions, turtles, and phoenixes. In front of the temple are towering ancient pine trees, giving it a mystical beauty. Beyond the triple gate is a two-story golden building, 2.5 meters high, 1.3 meters long, and 1 meter wide.

The existence of the temple, along with the precious artifacts preserved within it, is evidence of the tradition and status of a family lineage in Vietnamese history.

Tan Son Temple is the site of many important historical events:

In 1788, Quang Trung - Nguyen Hue, on his way north, stopped here to recruit more troops and train soldiers.

- In the year of Giap Tuat (1784), Tran Tan and Dang Nhu Mai organized a ceremony to launch the anti-French movement.

- During the Van Than - Can Vuong movement, the temple served as a meeting place for scholars to discuss national salvation. Before leaving the country, Phan Boi Chau often chose Tan Son Temple as a secret meeting place with Vuong Thuc Mau, Ngo Quang, and others, a gathering point for young people going abroad.

- Tan Son Temple was closely associated with Le Hong Son's childhood and patriotic activities in his hometown. He often secretly went up the mountain to hold important meetings with his comrades Le Hong Phong, Pham Hong Thai, Ho Tung Mau, and others...

- Due to its secluded and sacred location, and the local people's inherent resistance to the French, the District Party Committee and the General Party Committee chose Tan Son Temple as a meeting place, a printing center for Party documents, the establishment of the Xuan Lieu District Party Committee's joint branch executive committee, a gathering point for mass demonstrations, and a workplace for the Soviet government during the years 1930-1931.

- In August 1945, the Xuan Hoa self-defense force trained here to prepare for seizing power. During the two wars of resistance, the temple served as a place for preparing and distributing medicine to the battlefield, and as a place to bid farewell to the young people of Xuan Hoa as they enlisted in the army.

Over time, the harsh climate and the devastation caused by American bombs severely deteriorated the monument. Later, the descendants of the Le Dang family, along with the local government, gradually restored the temple to its original state.

Tomb of Comrade Le Hong Son

Le Hong Son is an 11th-generation descendant of the Mac Dang Luong lineage who contributed to bringing glory to his family and homeland. He was one of the founding members when leader Nguyen Ai Quoc established the Communist Party of Vietnam on February 3, 1930.

Le Hong Son, whose real name was Le Van Phan, was born on June 29, 1899, into a poor scholarly family with a tradition of patriotism. Following the call to save the country from the Duy Tan Society, in February 1920, Le Van Phan left his family, friends, and homeland to go abroad to participate in revolutionary activities. For 34 years of his life, Le Hong Son dedicated 13 years to the revolution, fighting tirelessly and steadfastly until the very end.

With 25 name changes, Le Hong Son was assigned 25 different tasks by the Party to carry out revolutionary activities. After distributing leaflets commemorating International Labor Day on May 1, 1932, in Shanghai, he was arrested by Chiang Kai-shek's regime. On September 25, 1932, Chiang's forces handed Le Hong Son over to the French colonialists, who hastily transferred him to Hanoi and then to Vinh on October 24, 1932. The French colonialists understood that Le Hong Son was an important figure of the Indochinese Communist Party overseas, and the Southern Court sentenced him to death. The sentence was carried out in Le Hong Son's hometown on February 20, 1933 (the 26th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Rooster).

Despite enemy threats, the people still brought Le Hong Son back to be buried on a high mound in Dam Neu, 300 meters from the execution site. In 1947, the local authorities organized a reburial, bringing the remains of martyr Le Hong Son along with two other Soviet martyrs from Nghe Tinh to be buried in the village communal house. In 1958, Le Hong Son's remains were again brought back to the place where he had been executed.

Comrade Le Hong Son's tomb is located next to National Highway 46, within a beautiful compound covering an area of ​​805 square meters.².

The entrance gate to the tomb complex is built of brick with glazing, standing 2.1 meters high. A 20-meter-tall sphere is affixed to the top of each gatepost. Connecting the two gateposts are two arched sections of fence, giving the gate a robust yet beautiful appearance.

The tomb is 3.8m long, with a 4m high tombstone. The front features a 1.2m long, 0.8m wide black stone plaque inscribed with gold lettering. The tomb is surrounded by a fence, a garden, and a pond with fish, providing a cool and refreshing atmosphere year-round.

Today, the tomb of Comrade Le Hong Son has become a memorial site for the Party and the people on the occasion of major holidays.

Tan Son Temple and the tomb of Comrade Le Hong Son were recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a National Historical and Cultural Monument (Decision No. 1423QDVH dated July 23, 1998).