Dien Trang - revolutionary countryside

(Baonghean) - From Dung town, going in the opposite direction of Lang bridge, or from Do Luong down to Hai Huyen bridge, you will reach Dien Trang village, Thanh Phong commune (Thanh Chuong) - A rural area with a long-standing historical tradition, the cradle of the revolutionary movement in the Soviet homeland.

The village has many small hamlets, sheltered and surrounded by the Gang River, Bac Mountain, Tre Mountain... Trang My Hamlet is the center of the village, so in the past there were many ancient structures. The village has a Nong market that was established in ancient times, a place for exchange and trade for the whole region. In the middle of the market there is a 3-room communal house that is often used as a place for teaching and a multi-level altar for village ceremonies. During the war years, the market was dissolved, and was later restored. Next to the market is a pagoda, so it is called Cho Nong Pagoda. The upper temple is a 1-room, 2-wing house with many Buddha statues. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, villagers often come here to burn incense, make offerings, and pray for peace.

Nguyen Duy Family Temple - National Historical Site.

Not far from the pagoda is the Thanh temple with four majestic pillars, two upper and lower buildings, made of ironwood and jackfruit. In the upper house, on the altar, sits a large wooden statue of Confucius. Every year, the saint is worshiped here in the second and sixth lunar months. The elders and dignitaries of the village participate in the worship. Near Nong market, there is also Thai Pho palace (Cho Nong palace) with three palaces and a three-door gate with elephants, horses, and generals; worshiping Thai Pho Tan Quoc Cong Nguyen Canh Hoan - a famous general with great merit in "protecting the country and pacifying the people" in the 16th century. During the Soviet years, the palace was one of the meeting places of the revolution, so the French came to burn and destroy, collapsing a building.

The village has Dien Trang communal house located on Cua Ban hill; 3 vertical ironwood compartments, carved with elaborate dragons and phoenixes. The innermost compartment is the sanctuary - where the village guardian spirit is worshiped. The middle compartment is the worshiping hall, with a pair of tall wooden cranes standing on the back of a turtle. The outer compartment is left empty, used as a meeting place. According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Tho (91 years old), every year, there are usually 2 ceremonies at the communal house. This is a big ceremony, gathering all the villagers, solemnly welcoming the gods from the surrounding temples to the communal house; the ceremony is held for several days and nights... During the August Revolution, at Dien Trang communal house, under pressure from the people, the village chief Tran Vi had to bring documents and seals to the communal house to submit to the village, marking the victory of the local revolution.

In the 60s and 70s of the last century, implementing the policy of migration to plan and expand the cultivated area, Trang My hamlet moved to settle in the low mountains. Through many changes and ups and downs, the old pagodas, communal houses, and shops have disappeared. On the old land, there are now schools, committee headquarters, rice fields, and green corn fields. Nong Market still retains its rustic features. Mo Cau Temple on Mo Cau Mountain, which has long been a sacred place, worshiping the "Ho Son Chi Xu Thanh Canh" which was conferred by the Nguyen Dynasty, is now being restored by the villagers after years of ruin. Thai Pho Palace, once the committee headquarters and kindergarten, has also been restored by the descendants of the Nguyen Canh family and local people, returning it to its rightful position as a sacred place, closely associated with the reputation and career of the Nguyen Duke.

Dien Tho hamlet has many ancient trees. 3 tall banyan trees, each guarding a direction, are used to "protect the village from fire" according to folk beliefs and are named after the objects associated with them: Gieng banyan, Ho banyan, Diem banyan (temple). On the top of Tron mountain, stands a hundred-year-old sui tree with a rough trunk, as big as several people hugging it. In the years 1930 - 1931, the hollow sui tree stood among the dense trees, a place to hide secret documents; a safe haven for revolutionary cadres whenever the enemy came to inspect and search. Today, Dien Trang sui tree is still lush, green, resilient in storms; it is the only ancient tree still existing, representing the strong, indomitable vitality of the village. Villagers also constantly care for, embellish, build embankments to protect the land, fill in the roots to prevent storms... to preserve the precious tree.

Not far from the sui tree, there are 4 family temples, all of which are establishments associated with the secret activities of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee during the years of stationing here (September 1930 - February 1931). The Nguyen Duy family temple, including the upper and lower halls, was once chosen as the headquarters of the Provincial Party Committee. The upper house is the workplace of Secretary Nguyen Tiem. The lower house is the meeting place of the Standing Committee; the place to report and receive policies from representatives of the District Party Committees. The Nguyen Ich family temple next to it is the place where the printing agency is located. The documents and leaflets of the Provincial Party Committee are all printed and distributed here, promptly transferred to the localities to direct the struggle movement. The Nguyen Dinh family temple, along with the sui tree, is where the documents are hidden. The Nguyen Ba family temple is where the conference to perfect the organization and implement the Thanh Dang Resolution of the Central Party Committee took place (December 1930). Some temples and many families here have been awarded certificates of merit to the country. In particular, the Nguyen Duy family temple was recognized as a National Historical Relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1988. The family temple complex and the Dien Trang sui tree will forever go down in history as vivid evidence of a glorious past of struggle, shining with pride in a brave and resilient homeland.

Coming to Dien Trang to revisit the old vestiges, I can hear the sound of Cho Nong Pagoda bells ringing, calling back a whole range of memories. Every step I take, mixed with the nostalgic nostalgia, is the joy and pride of the revolutionary homeland that is changing day by day...

Article and photos:Huy Thu