A pilgrimage to the heroic Soviet relics

In early September, a friend who is a History teacher invited us to visit some relics associated with the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement to gain more experience. He hoped to have the opportunity to "refresh" his lessons, helping students gain more interest in learning about the movement.Nghe-Tinh Soviet.

On the weekend, we set off, the soft yellow sunlight spread across the countryside and the city. Following the route along the Lam River, we stopped atBen Thuy intersection,where there is the Soviet Workers and Farmers Monument. Located next to Lam Giang River and Dung Quyet Mountain, the monument is majestic, towering between heaven and earth, witnessing the changes of Vinh city for many years.

Ben Thuy Junction relic (Vinh city). Photo: Cong Kien

A group of students stood solemnly, their eyes looking at the relief with all their admiration. When asked, Nguyen Cam Thao - a female student replied: "We are junior high school students, coming here to visit the Ben Thuy T-junction relic site. During History class, our teachers talked a lot about the Nghe-Tinh Soviet event, the struggle movement of workers and farmers, including the Ben Thuy workers and farmers. That event took place right in our homeland, the relic from the past is still there, so today we came here to better understand the lesson in class."

Looking ahead from the foot of the monument are bustling streets, and further away are bustling neighborhoods. The flow of time is relentless, but the event that took place more than 90 years ago (May 1, 1930) is always remembered by the next generation. We heard students from Vinh City mention the event when more than 1,200 workers and farmers gathered at Truong Thi Factory to protest for higher wages, shorter working hours, land division, and tax reduction.

Relic of Mr. Hoang Vien's house, Chau Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen). Photo: Duc Anh

And for the first time, the red hammer and sickle flag flew on top of the lamppost at Ben Thuy Intersection. But the enemy launched a bloody crackdown, killing 7 people, injuring 18 others, and arresting hundreds of others. Therefore, Ben Thuy Intersection is considered the starting point of the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement…

From Ben Thuy Intersection, following Ta Lam dike, up to Chau Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen), we arrived at Chau Son village. Here there is a relicMr. Hoang Vien, was the workplace of the Central Region Party Committee right from the first days of its establishment. The house leans against Nhon Mountain and faces the vast fields, and has just been invested in to be renovated, spacious and clean. Next to it is the exhibition house, which has just been invested in and still smells of lime and mortar.

Officials, people and tourists offer incense at the Nghe-Tinh Soviet Square. Photo: Cong Kien

Mr. Le Khanh Quang - Chairman of Chau Nhan Commune People's Committee introduced: "In July 1930, when the revolutionary movement developed strongly, at Mr. Hoang Vien's private house, Phuc My Party cell (now Chau Nhan commune) was established. Under the direct leadership of comrade Le Xuan Dao - Secretary of Hung Nguyen Party Committee, Phuc My Party cell grew stronger and stronger, the Central Region Party Committee chose Phuc My village as its base of operations and Mr. Hoang Vien's house as the meeting place".

Thanks to that, the revolutionary movement in Phuc My continued to develop, the masses actively participated in revolutionary organizations, creating a spread throughout the countryside. The biggest mark was on September 12, 1930, under the leadership of the Party, tens of thousands of Hung Nguyen farmers and Ben Thuy workers formed a strong wave of struggle that terrified the enemy. Then, in December 1930, the Soviet government was born here.

Leaders of Hung Nguyen district offer incense at the graves of martyrs at Nghe Tinh Soviet Square. Photo: Cong Kien

Over the decades, including the fierce war years, the house of Mr. Hoang Vien has always been preserved by generations of descendants as well as the people of Chau Son village. Because everyone is aware of the historical value of the house, which was once the location of the Central Region Party Committee.

To date, the relic has been invested in and restored to the level of a national relic. “Along with offering flowers and incense on important holidays, we also encourage schools to organize for students to visit during extracurricular hours. Coming here, students will learn more about the revolutionary movement and be nurtured with pride in their homeland’s traditions,” said Mr. Le Khanh Quang.

Monument to commemorate and the graves of 28 martyrs in the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement in Ngoc Tan hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune (Dien Chau). Photo: Cong Kien

Going around Hung Nguyen town, we arrived.Nghe Tinh Soviet SquareOffering incense at the common grave of the martyrs who died on September 12, 1930. The relic site is under construction so it is still quite busy, currently the Memorial House and the martyrs' graves have just been completed. The monument, park and other items are under construction. On this occasion, many people came here to offer flowers and incense to express their respect to the souls of those who died 90 years ago.

As a native of Hung Nguyen, Mrs. Tran Thi Phuong has lived in Hanoi for many years and shared: “Every time I return to my hometown, I come here to burn incense in memory of the deceased. And I often tell my children about the place that marked the heroic struggle in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement, about the event of September 12, 1930, when about 8,000 farmers under the leadership of the Party with rudimentary weapons, holding high the red flag of hammer and sickle marched to the government office but were bombed by French colonialists in the middle of the crowd, killing 217 people, injuring 125 people and many people were arrested…”.

Nguyen Duy family temple - the workplace of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee in the period 1930 - 1931. Photo: Huy Thu

Leading visitors around the campus, Mr. Vo Van Phuong - Deputy Director of the Center for Culture - Sports and Communication of Hung Nguyen district expressed his concern about the unfinished project. Because every time local people or tourists stop by to offer incense at the grave and memorial house, they all express their wish to soon have a magnificent monument to admire.

According to Mr. Phuong, when the Square is completed, it will certainly attract many people and tourists to visit, and the event of September 12, 1930 will be forever engraved in the hearts of many generations. At that time, the Nghe-Tinh Soviet Square will be a place for entertainment, sightseeing and organizing cultural and artistic exchange activities. And it will also be a "red address" for students of schools to conduct extracurricular activities, a useful and practical activity in educating the revolutionary tradition of the homeland.

We continued along Highway 1A to Dien Chau, stopping at the Monument to commemorate and the graves of 28 martyrs of the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement in Ngoc Tan hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune. The monument is majestic, located on the North - South highway, with a clean and beautiful campus with dozens of fragrant flowers and hundreds of fruit trees.

Tri Le banyan tree, Khai Son commune (Anh Son) - where the masses gathered to protest at Anh Son Palace in 1930. Photo: Cong Kien

And on the monument are the names of 28 martyrs and the inscription: “Here on November 7, 1930, to commemorate the great Russian October Revolution, under the leadership of the Dien Chau Provincial Party Committee commanded by comrade Le Niem, thousands of people from many places in the district raised high the red flag of the hammer and sickle and marched to the provincial capital, shouting slogans: Support the Soviet Union! Down with French imperialism and feudal Southern Dynasties...! The enemy was extremely frightened and opened fire on the demonstrators, killing 28 people and injuring hundreds...”.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Loi - the person in charge of looking afterrelics, to commemorate those who died in the protest and to forever remember the crimes of the enemy, in 1995 Dien Chau district decided to build a memorial. And since then, the memorial and 28 graves of martyrs have been cared for and protected. Every month, delegations of cadres from villages and communes in the area come to offer incense in memory and students from schools come to visit and learn about history.

At the end of the pilgrimage to the “land of relics”, we had the opportunity to meet Mr. Pham Cong Vinh – Deputy Head of the Provincial Monuments and Landscapes Management Board. Mr. Vinh said: “Currently, the whole province has over 400 relics associated with the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement, of which more than 40 relics have been ranked. Every year, the state allocates a budget for conservation work. We also encourage localities to include relics in tourism development programs, increase extracurricular activities for students and organize Party and Youth Union activities right at the relics to promote the value of the relics”.