1,300th Anniversary of Hoan Chau Uprising and Mai King Temple Festival 2013

• DNUM_CEZACZCABD 09:26

(Baonghean.vn) -On the evening of February 23, January 14, 2013, at the King Mai Relic Complex, Nam Dan District, Nghe An Province, the 1,300th Anniversary of the Hoan Chau Uprising and the 2013 King Mai Temple Festival were solemnly held.

Attending the ceremony, on the side of the Party and State leaders were comrade Nguyen Sinh Hung, Politburo member, Chairman of the National Assembly; members of the Party Central Committee: Uong Chu Luu - Vice Chairman of the National Assembly; Vuong Dinh Hue - Head of the Central Economic Commission; Nguyen Hanh Phuc - Member of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Head of the National Assembly Office; Nguyen Xuan Thang - President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; Phan Dinh Trac - Deputy Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission; Mai Van Ninh - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of Thanh Hoa province; Nguyen The Ky - Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Commission; Tran Van Thanh, Deputy Head of the Central Party Office; representatives of leaders of ministries, central agencies, and the Military Region 4 Command.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrades: Tran Hong Chau, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Ho Duc Phoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; comrades in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, leaders of departments, branches, sectors, unions, and 20 urban districts in the province.

The 1,300th Anniversary of the Hoan Chau Uprising and the Mai King Temple Festival in 2013 were organized by Nghe An province to review the heroic spirit of the uprising, express gratitude to the great contributions of Mai King and the heroic martyrs who sacrificed for the nation's survival, thereby educating the tradition of patriotism to all classes of people, and at the same time introducing to friends near and far the unique historical and cultural values, and the martial spirit of the homeland. Before the ceremony, the delegates went to Mai King Temple to offer incense and express their deep gratitude to the national hero...

Comrade Nguyen Sinh Hung - Chairman of the National Assembly read the welcome speech.

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee read the opening speech of the Festival night.

Party and State leaders, ministries, branches and leaders at all levels attended the opening night of the Festival.

The opening speech of the ceremony by comrade Ho Duc Phoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee reviewed the history of the Hoan Chau Uprising and the contributions of King Mai. Mai Thuc Loan's uprising broke out in April of the year Quy Suu (713), liberating Chau Hoan, Chau Dien, Chau Ai, then attacking Tong Binh citadel, wiping out the invading army of the Tang Dynasty led by Quang So Khach. Mai Thuc Loan proclaimed himself Emperor, established the capital in Sa Nam, and took the national title Van An. The country enjoyed peace for nearly 10 years. In the year Nham Tuat (722), the Tang Dynasty sent Duong Tu Huc and Quang So Khach to bring 100,000 elite soldiers back to invade our country. At this time, King Mai was seriously ill. The enemy captured Tong Binh citadel. Mai Phu Nhan, the eldest prince, and many generals and soldiers were sacrificed. The enemy marched into Chau Hoan to attack Van An. The whole area around here was a bloody battlefield. On September 16, 723, King Mai passed away. His generals and soldiers enthroned his youngest son, Mai Thuc Huy, as king. Although still young, Mai Thieu De fought bravely with the army. He sacrificed himself and was buried on Hung Son mountain range...

The procession, the throne, part of the welcome scene

Procession of King Mai's throne on the festival night

The scene depicts the suffering of the people under the oppression of the colonialists.

The speech affirmed: After thousands of years of building and defending the country, the history of the Vietnamese people has always been closely linked to the history of fighting against foreign invaders, with countless glorious victories becoming brilliant milestones in the fight against foreign invaders. The Hoan Chau uprising led by Mai Thuc Loan ignited the indomitable will and spirit of the Vietnamese people, signaling a period of uprising to liberate themselves, to escape from the yoke of domination and the long night of slavery; it is the pride of not only the people of Nghe An but also of the entire nation. 13 centuries have passed, the achievements and victories of Mai Thuc Loan and the Hoan Chau uprising still resound, a precious legacy of indomitable patriotism, the aspiration for national independence and freedom for the Vietnamese people.

We are forever proud of our glorious history with glorious victories in the historical process of the nation and vow to continue to promote the patriotic spirit, cultural and revolutionary traditions of the homeland of King Mai, the heroic homeland of the Soviet Union, the great President Ho Chi Minh; determined to successfully carry out the socio-economic tasks in 2013 and the coming years, contributing to the country's strong and prosperous development while protecting, preserving and promoting the best value of the relic complex of the King Mai Temple festival, thereby educating the young generation about good traditions.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, comrade Nguyen Sinh Hung, Chairman of the National Assembly, made a speech honoring the heroic spirit of the Hoan Chau Uprising and expressing gratitude to King Mai: The Hoan Chau Uprising was a major event in the history of the nation's indomitable resistance to foreign invasion, initiated and led by the hero Mai Thuc Loan. The uprising achieved a great victory in overthrowing the domination, oppression, and exploitation of the Tang Dynasty, liberating the country and establishing an independent government. The Hoan Chau Uprising and the indomitable spirit of Mai Thuc Loan continued to write the heroic history of the nation's resistance to foreign invasion during the period of Chinese domination; leaving an impression in the hearts of the people of Nghe An and the Vietnamese people.

For thousands of years, that tradition has become a great strength for the Vietnamese people to inherit and promote in the struggle to protect, build and develop their homeland. For generations, every spring, the people of Nghe An have enthusiastically held the Mai King Temple Festival - this activity has demonstrated the morality of drinking water and remembering its source, is a vivid lesson in educating love for the homeland and country, practically meeting the needs of the people's cultural and spiritual life... Comrade Nguyen Sinh Hung expressed his deep confidence: The Party Committee, government and people of Nghe An inherit and promote the fine traditions of their homeland, the indomitable will of the Hoan Chau Uprising will definitely continue to strive to build a great solidarity bloc in the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people to create a great strength in building and developing their homeland, soon making Nghe An a prosperous province as President Ho Chi Minh had instructed, contributing to building our country to become increasingly prosperous, our people to have a more prosperous, free and happy life.

In his response speech, Comrade Tran Hong Chau, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, on behalf of the Party Committee and people of the province, respectfully thanked the leaders of the Party, the State, ministries, branches and provinces for attending the 1,300th Anniversary of the Hoan Chau Uprising and the Mai King Temple Festival - a great historical and cultural event of the people of Nghe An and the Vietnamese people; thanked the children who are far from their homeland but always worry and contribute to building their homeland. The Party Committee and people of the province promised to best implement the instructions of the Party and the State and hope to receive more instructions, support and help from all levels and branches in the coming time...

The scene speaks of the people's determination to fight against foreign invaders and keep our country safe.

At the ceremony, delegates and a large number of people attending enjoyed an epic art program called “The Flame of Van An” lasting 45 minutes performed by professional and non-professional artists from the Folk Song Theater, Nghe An Province’s Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe, Vietnam Dance College, Engineering Brigade 414 – Military Region 4, and Nam Dan I High School. The successful ceremony left a good impression on every attendee./.