The distinctive inscription on Elephant Mountain in Nam Dan

(Baonghean.vn) - Traveling along National Highway 46, one can see a large inscription carved on Elephant Mountain in Nam Tan commune, Nam Dan district. Few people know that this inscription has been there for 70 years.

Elephant Mountain belongs to the Thien Nhan mountain range – one of the three major mountain ranges in Nam Dan district (Dai Hue, Hung Son, Thien Nhan). The mountain is shaped like a reclining elephant, with its head facing Dun Mountain and its trunk hanging down to the Lam River, hence the name Elephant Mountain, which has been used by the locals since ancient times. Currently, the foot of Elephant Mountain is home to hamlets 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Nam Tan commune.

The inscription is carved on Elephant Mountain in Nam Tan, Nam Dan.

What is particularly noteworthy is that on the northern slope of Elephant Mountain, there is still a large inscription carved during the resistance war, expressing the affection of our soldiers and people for President Ho Chi Minh. According to elderly people in Nam Tan commune, during the peak of the resistance war against French colonialism, to express their affection for President Ho Chi Minh and their determination to fight the French, a military unit stationed in Nam Dan district, in coordination with local youth union members and teachers and students of Tan Loc Secondary School, carved the words "Long live President Ho Chi Minh" onto Elephant Mountain.

Thirty-five years later, in 1972, after President Ho Chi Minh's death and amidst the fierce resistance war against the US, the Party Committee of Nam Tan commune decided to revise the inscription on Elephant Mountain and assigned the task to Nam Tan Secondary School. The inscription "Long live President Ho Chi Minh" was changed to "Forever grateful to the great President Ho Chi Minh," and it remains in place to this day.

Mr. Ho Sy Phuc (80 years old), residing in Hamlet 4, Nam Anh Commune, who worked at Nam Tan Secondary School from 1970 to 1979, said that at that time, the school was located at the foot of the mountain, and he, along with some teachers and students, undertook the task of re-carving this inscription.

Mr. Phuc recounted: After agreeing on the idea, I and Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xuan, from Xuan Hoa commune, went up the mountain to take measurements. Initially, we intended to move the inscription towards Dun Mountain for symmetry, but due to unfavorable terrain, we decided to carve it in its current position. Every day, the mornings were busy with teaching and learning, and in the afternoons, the teachers and students would go up the mountain, mainly mobilizing 10-20 students from the 7th grade – the final year of high school.

Forty-five years have passed, and Mr. Phuc doesn't remember exactly how many days it took to complete the "construction," only that it was done in the winter of 1972. The letters were very large, each stroke measuring about 1 meter wide and 6-7 meters high. The students used hoes to dig up all the grass on each letter square, then sprinkled lime powder on it; the entire inscription required hundreds of kilograms of lime powder.

Ms. Tran Thi Xuan (61 years old), residing in Hamlet 4, Nam Tan Commune, whose house is at the foot of Elephant Mountain, recalled her experience of carving the inscription: “Back then, I was in 7th grade and a Youth Union member, so I was assigned to carve the inscription on Elephant Mountain. In those years, there wasn't a road up the mountain like there is now, so both teachers and students followed the mountain slopes, working for many days, and it was a lot of fun.”

The project was completed, and everyone was delighted. The inscription "Forever grateful to the great Uncle Ho" stood out against the green backdrop of Elephant Mountain, clearly visible even from this side of the Lam River. When the US stopped bombing North Vietnam to sign the Paris Agreement, Nam Dan district hoisted a large flag on the summit of Elephant Mountain, fluttering proudly above this inscription.

To commemorate the 127th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth and the 60th anniversary of his first visit to his hometown, the Nam Dan District Youth Union launched a plan to renovate and rebuild the inscription in mid-March 2017. The project, funded by the Nam Dan District Youth Union through social mobilization, involves constructing a reinforced concrete inscription with white ceramic tiles. The inscription measures 2 meters wide and over 9 meters high, and is expected to be completed by National Day 2017.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Duc Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Nam Dan District Youth Union, affirmed: "This is a special inscription with profound historical and humanistic significance. The construction and restoration of this inscription on Elephant Mountain is both an expression of affection for President Ho Chi Minh and a reminder and education for the younger generation about revolutionary traditions and love for their homeland."

Huy Thu