Ru Am Cave Festival reminds us of our roots

(Baonghean) -Ru Am Cave, the birthplace of the first party cell in the Western region of Nghe An, the place where the solidarity of the Kinh - Thai - Tho ethnic groups in Phu Quy rose up to fight against the French. More than 70 years have passed, Ru Am Cave has been recognized as a provincial historical - cultural relic...

In the years 1930 - 1931, Nghe - Tinh was the place where the anti-French colonialist struggle of the whole country was at its peak, and therefore became a rural area that the colonial government tried to brutally suppress in every way. When the movement in the lowland districts was terrorized, the Party Central Committee, the Central Party Committee of Central Vietnam, and the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee took a number of measures to maintain forces, bring party bases back to the people, and at the same time expand the area of ​​operation to the western districts of Nghe An, ensuring safety and secrecy.

The Provincial Party Committee sent two core party members to Nghia Dan district, Vo Nguyen Hien and Vo Thuoc, to build the movement. Here, the two comrades chose Nghia Khanh commune - at that time consisting of 3 villages: Vinh Lai (Met hamlet), Tho Loc village and Cu Lam village (Tru hamlet) as the location to build and develop the party organization. The first party cell in Phu Quy area was established with 5 party members, and Ru Am cave was chosen as the secret meeting place of the party cell, because of its rugged and very discreet terrain. From the cave, all directives and resolutions of the Central Party Committee of Central Vietnam were secretly implemented by the Nghia Dan Party Cell, while at the same time selecting and nurturing young people who were early awakened to the revolution, adding them to the Party's ranks. The French colonialists did not expect that the revolution would take root more and more deeply and firmly among the masses and working class in this remote Northwest region.



Ru Am Cave - where the first Party cell of Nghia Dan district was established.



Children often come to play at the spring behind Ru Am cave.

At Ru Am cave, after 9 years of secret operations, on May 1, 1939, on the occasion of International Labor Day, Nghia Dan District Party Committee organized a large-scale rally to build prestige and call on the masses to stand up and follow the revolution with nearly 200 participants. When the revolutionary opportunity came, on August 22, 1945, under the leadership of the Nghia Dan District Uprising Committee, thousands of Kinh, Thai and Tho ethnic people from Cu Lam, Ha Suu, Thach Khe, Nghia Hung communes... and workers in rubber and coffee plantations in Phu Quy area brought flintlock guns, sticks, hoes, shovels, spears... gathered under the banyan tree of Tru village, planted the red flag with a yellow star, organized a demonstration to show power, and marched to the center of Nghia Dan district. The uprising was successful, the Nghia Dan District Provisional Committee officially announced its debut to the people. Ru Am Cave (now Nghia Duc commune) along with Tru village banyan tree (Nghia Khanh commune) have become important historical sites for the people of Nghia Dan district.

Mr. Truong Nhat Cach, now 80 years old (Hamlet 8, Nghia Duc Commune), recalls: “My father joined the revolution in 1930-1931. The August Revolution broke out when I was 14 or 15 years old. On the day of the uprising rally at the banyan tree in Tru village, my father also took me along. Thousands of people from the surrounding villages walked with flags, slogans, machetes, etc., marching up to the district in great enthusiasm. After the victory, when I was leaving, my father took me through Ru Am cave, saying that this was the secret meeting place of the Party for decades. I just found out. At that time, the cave was surrounded by wild mountains and forests, covered with reeds. There was also a temple to worship the local god. People in the area came every month to burn incense, never thinking that it was such an important and special place.”

Since 2008, the people of Nghia Khanh and Nghia Duc communes have chosen August 22nd as their traditional day. Nghia Khanh commune also organizes the festival of "Tru village banyan tree and Ru Am cave" to show gratitude for the merits of their ancestors, and at the same time educate the younger generation on the morality of drinking water and remembering its source. The festival is attended by a large number of people from Nghia Khanh commune and neighboring communes, joyfully and enthusiastically. However, Ru Am cave is located in a deserted place, hidden deep in the village, and is at risk of becoming a ruin. Over the years, the pre-uprising cadres have passed away, and the historical story of Ru Am cave is gradually being mentioned less and less in the new, bustling pace of life. Only children still come to the spring behind the cave to bathe, or on hot summer days, neighboring people come into the cave to find a cool place to chat...

In 2012, the Provincial People's Committee decided to recognize the Tru village banyan tree and Ru Am cave as revolutionary historical relics, bringing great joy to the people of Nghia Khanh and Nghia Duc communes, creating a premise for the protection and preservation of Ru Am cave relic.

This year, for the first time, Nghia Duc commune organized the Ru Am Cave Festival in combination with the Sports Festival, aiming to remind the tradition and educate the younger generation about love for their homeland and country. At the same time, it created a useful and healthy playground with appropriate cultural and artistic content, attracting a large number of young people and teenagers to participate, preserving national identity.

All preparations have been completed, the Ru Am Cave Festival will open on August 19, commemorating the success of the August Revolution, just in time to recall the historical role of this relic. Mr. Bach Hung Nam, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghia Duc commune, said: "Up to now, organizing the Ru Am Cave Festival has been the wish and desire of all the people of Nghia Duc. However, socio-economic conditions have not allowed it. This year, we will do it for the first time. The Ru Am Cave Festival will become a regular local activity, combined with the Tru Village Banyan Tree Festival of Nghia Khanh commune. Because this is a cluster of relics, and the two communes are located close to each other, each year one commune will take turns organizing the festival."

In August, passing by the banyan tree of Tru village, revisiting Ru Am cave, the relic remains intact but people's lives have changed a lot. The dense forest has become fields, the reeds have been replaced by rice plants, people are eagerly waiting for the festival to take place, not only to have fun, but also to look forward to a special, sacred holiday that reminds us of the heroic history of our ancestors!

Lake Lai