Phu Nhuan Temple and Hoang Tran Ancestral Church: Historical sites witnessing countless heroic events.
Phu Nhuan communal house and the Hoang Tran family church are located in Dang Son commune, Do Luong district, Nghe An province. Since its construction, the site has witnessed numerous historical events and struggles of the people of Dang Son.
From Vinh city, visitors can reach the site by road on National Highway 1A, turning west at Dien Chau Junction onto Highway 7, crossing Do Luong Bridge to reach the site; or by water, upstream on the Lam River to Do Luong ferry terminal to reach Dang Son.
Dang Son today was formerly the land of Do Giao, Hoai Hoan during the Tang Dynasty, and Hoan Duong during the Early Le Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Thanh Thai, Dang Son belonged to Anh Son Prefecture. In 1963, Anh Son Prefecture was divided into two districts, Anh Son and Do Luong, with Dang Son belonging to Do Luong.
Dang Son is a region famous for its mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming. With the Lam River in front, mountains behind, and Highway 7 running through the commune, Dang Son enjoys a valuable strategic location.
Phu Nhuan communal house, located in Phu Nhuan village, is the cultural center of the Do Dang region, rich in patriotic traditions and scholarly achievements. Built by local people in 1854, the communal house is situated next to National Highway 7, facing the road. Its architecture follows the four-pillar style, with three bays, a soaring curved roof, and intricately carved beams depicting two dragons flanking the moon and dragons, phoenixes, and turtles.
The Hoang Tran clan's ancestral temple in Dang Lam village was built in 1884 to worship the ancestral deity Mac Dang Luong, who contributed to fighting invaders, defending the country, and establishing the Do Dang land. The temple has three halls: the Lower Hall, the Middle Hall, and the Upper Hall. It features a triple-arched gate, with mythical lions and tigers facing the gate. The Middle Hall houses an eight-sided palanquin, a golden canopy, and the ancestral tablets and royal decrees bestowing the title of Supreme, Supreme, Supreme Deity upon Mac Dang Luong and his wife, Mai Thi Hue, also as a Supreme, Supreme Deity. The Upper Hall is where the ancestors who contributed to the nation and its people are worshipped. Both the Lower and Upper Halls have dragon-shaped statues and ancestral tablets, all carved and gilded. In the temple courtyard, there is a memorial monument listing the names of clan members who sacrificed their lives from the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement of 1930-1931 to the period of the war against the US to save the country.
From the day it was built until now, Phu Nhuan communal house and Hoang Tran family church have witnessed many historical events and struggles of the people of Dang Son.
Dang Son commune had a very strong Can Vuong (Support the King) scholar-official movement. The descendants of the Hoang Tran family brought glory to their homeland, notably: Mr. Hoang Tran Ich, who passed the imperial examination and held the position of Grand Counselor, serving as a general and assisting King Ham Nghi in fighting the enemy; Mr. Hoang Tran Sieu, who passed the imperial examination but did not pursue an official career, instead going to Yen The to participate in the anti-French movement led by Mr. Hoang Hoa Tham; and Mr. Hoang Tran Mai, who also passed the imperial examination but did not pursue an official career, returning to his hometown to practice traditional medicine and treat the people. Phu Nhuan communal house and the Hoang Tran family ancestral temple were centers for collecting manpower and resources to support the anti-French movement led by Mr. Phan Dinh Phung.
After graduating at the top of his class in the Nghệ school, Phan Bội Châu often went to the Đô Đặng area, to Đặng Sơn, to discuss poetry and literature with Hoàng Trần Siêu, Hoàng Trần Đài, Trần Sỹ Khoan, Nguyễn Văn Nhiệu, and others, and to hold meetings to plan and send young people abroad for activities at the Hoàng Trần family's ancestral temple. The Phú Nhuận communal house and the Hoàng Trần family's ancestral temple served as a school and a gathering place for young people going abroad as part of the Đông Du movement.
In 1916, Hoang Tran Sieu, Hoang Tran Dai, and Ngo Quang brought Ho Ba Cu (also known as Ho Tung Mau, son of Ho Ba Cu, the leader of the struggle to break out of Lao Bao Prison who bravely sacrificed himself in battle) to live in Dang Son to avoid capture by the French colonialists. Ho Ba Cu was assigned to work as a teacher and lived in the house of Hoang Tran Sieu and Hoang Tran Dai. In 1920, Ngo Quang took Ho Tung Mau, Le Hong Son, and several others to Siam (Thailand) to carry out revolutionary activities. In 1924, Ho Tung Mau brought documents back to Vietnam from China. He went to Dang Son to propagate the revolution.
At Phu Nhuan communal house, people gathered to listen to Comrade Ho Tung Mau recount the life and revolutionary activities of martyr Pham Hong Thai and call on the youth of Dang Son to follow in their father's footsteps and go abroad to participate in revolutionary activities. A few months later, eight patriotic young men from Dang Son commune came to light incense at the Hoang Tran family's ancestral temple before setting off for Thailand. They were: Ho Van Troc, Tran To Tran (Chan), Nguyen Van Luyen, Nguyen Van Liem, Bui Van Thoai, Le Dac Giao, Mai Van Bat, and Ho Thai. Among them were Comrade Tran To Tran (Chan) and Nguyen Van Luyen, who later became outstanding Party cadres overseas.
In 1928-1929, Phu Nhuan communal house was a gathering place for people to fight between the landlord and the gentry against forced labor, conscription, and heavy taxes. A notable example is the incident where Mr. Tran Xi, Mr. Tran Sy Lung, Mr. Nguyen Khac Ky, and the people of Dang Son punished village headman Hoang Dung Chuong and his soldiers in the communal house courtyard.
After the establishment of the Indochinese Communist Party's Regional Committee, comrades Vo Mai and Tran Van Cung went to Anh Son to make contact with Hoang Tran Tham, Hoang Tran Sieu, and Hoang Tran Dai to build a revolutionary base. On the 12th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution, comrades Hoang Tran Tham, Phan Thai At, and Tran Huu Thieu led the organization in hoisting red flags with the hammer and sickle, distributing leaflets, and mobilizing the masses for struggle.
In May 1930, the Dang Son Party Branch was established. To facilitate leadership of the movement in each area, the Dang Son General Committee unanimously agreed to split it into three branches: Bach Linh, Bach Thuoc, and Bach Truat. After a short time, mass organizations such as the Red Peasant Association, self-defense forces, women's groups, support groups, and youth groups were established and operated vigorously.
During the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement of 1930-1931, Phu Nhuan communal house and the Hoang Tran family church were chosen by the Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee and the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee as meeting places, printing locations, document storage sites, places to display Party flags, gathering places for people to fight, and public working places of the Soviet government. Comrades Nguyen Phong Sac - Secretary of the Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee, Vo Mai, Tran Van Cung - cadres of the Regional Party Committee, Tran Huu Doanh, Ton Thi Que, Nguyen Thi Xan - cadres of the Provincial Party Committee came here to direct the movement.
On the morning of June 1, 1930, the villages resounded with the sound of drums and gongs, calling on the people to gather at Phu Nhuan communal house to listen to Comrade Hoang Tran Tham's speech. Those participating in the demonstration had prepared rice balls, food, and drinks for two days. Mrs. Hoang Thi Uy, on behalf of the demonstration, presented the demands to District Chief Ha Xuan Hai. Terrified by the fighting spirit of the masses, the District Chief and five soldiers went to the gate of the district office to sign the demands. This victory encouraged the people of Dang Son to continue their struggle vigorously in June, July, and August, reaching its peak in September.
On September 8, 1930, a large-scale demonstration took place throughout the district. This struggle was meticulously prepared under the leadership of Comrade Hoang Tran Tham, a Provincial Party Committee member. From early morning, the entire Dang Son district was filled with drums and flags, and people of all ages, men and women, crowded the streets, heading towards Phu Nhuan communal house.
With the overwhelming momentum of 8,000 people, the protesters marched to the Dang Lam sandbank with a plan to use boats to cross the Lam River and coordinate with the people of the Lang Dien, Yen Lang, Bach Ha, Thuan Trung, and Do Luong districts to surround and attack the district headquarters. The French colonialists bombed the protesters, killing 9 people and injuring many others. On the night of September 10th, the General Committee organized a large rally at Phu Nhuan communal house to commemorate those who had died and launch a new struggle movement.
From September onwards, the powerful landlords and village chiefs in Dang Son had to back down because they were controlled by the revolution. The village peasant committees and mass organizations took over the management of the villages. Phu Nhuan communal house became the workplace of the Soviet government, directly handling all affairs in the villages.
During the revolutionary fervor of 1930-1931, the Hoang Tran family had seven members who bravely sacrificed their lives, most notably Comrade Hoang Tran Tham. Many Hoang Tran families voluntarily sheltered revolutionary cadres, using their homes as meeting places and printing leaflets and documents for the Party. Mr. Hoang Tran Dai and Mr. Hoang Tran Cung sold their family's property and land to support the revolution.
During the two wars of resistance against France and the United States, Phu Nhuan communal house served as the headquarters of the Inter-regional Command and the Vietnam-Laos Border Committee. Many meetings were held here to prepare forces to respond promptly to the campaigns in Lower Laos, Central Laos, Upper Laos, and the battlefields of Northwest Vietnam and Inter-region V.
Given the historical value and significant contributions of Phu Nhuan communal house and Hoang Tran family church to the struggle for national independence, especially in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, on September 5, 1994, the Ministry of Culture and Information issued Decision No. 2379 recognizing Phu Nhuan communal house and Hoang Tran family church as national historical relics.
