Dien Trang - a revolutionary homeland

(Baonghean) - From Dung town towards Lang bridge, or from Do Luong towards Hai Huyen bridge, you will reach Dien Trang village, Thanh Phong commune (Thanh Chuong district) - a rural area with a long 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, etc. Trang My hamlet was originally the center of the village, so many ancient structures existed there in the past. The village has the Nong Market, which dates back to ancient times and served as a trading and trading center for the entire region. In the middle of the market is a three-bay communal house, often used for teaching, and a multi-tiered platform for village rituals. During the war years, the market was disbanded and later restored. Next to the market is a temple, hence it is called Nong Market Temple. The main hall is a one-bay, two-gable building with many Buddha statues. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, villagers often come to light incense, offer prayers, and seek peace.

Nguyen Duy Family Church - National Historical Monument.

Not far from the pagoda is the Thánh Temple, a majestic four-pillar structure with two upper and lower buildings made of ironwood and jackfruit wood. Inside the upper building, on the altar, sits a large wooden statue of Confucius. Here, annual rituals are held in the second and sixth lunar months. Elders and dignitaries from the village participate in the ceremonies. Near the Nông Market, there is also the Thái Phó Palace (Chợ Nông Palace) with three main halls and a triple-arched gate complete with elephants, horses, and guarding generals; it is dedicated to Thái Phó Tấn Quốc Công Nguyễn Cảnh Hoan – a renowned general who made significant contributions to "protecting the nation and ensuring the people's peace" in the 16th century. During the Soviet era, the palace was one of the meeting places of the revolution, so the French came and burned down one of the buildings.

The village has the Dien Trang communal house located on the Giuong Ban hill; it has three bays made of ironwood, arranged lengthwise, and elaborately carved with dragons and phoenixes. The innermost bay is the sanctuary - where the village guardian deity is worshipped. The middle bay is the main hall, with a pair of large wooden cranes standing on the backs of turtles. The outer bay is left open, serving as a meeting place. According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Tho (91 years old), the communal house usually holds two ceremonies annually. These are major ceremonies, bringing together all the villagers, solemnly escorting the deities from surrounding temples to the communal house; the ceremonies last for several days and nights… During the August Revolution, at the Dien Trang communal house, under pressure from the people, the village chief Tran Vi had to bring the documents and seals to the communal house to hand them over to the village, marking the victory of the revolution in the locality.

In the 1960s and 70s, following the policy of relocating people for urban planning and expansion of agricultural land, Trang My hamlet moved to settle in the low mountains. Through many changes and upheavals, the old temples, communal houses, and shrines have disappeared. On the old land now stands a school, a commune office, and lush green rice and corn fields. Nong Market still retains its simple rural charm. Mo Cau Temple on Mo Cau Mountain, once a sacred place, dedicated to the "Local Guardian Deity of Ho Son," which was once bestowed with a title by the Nguyen Dynasty, is now being restored by the villagers after years of dilapidation. Thai Pho Palace, once the commune office and kindergarten, has also been restored by descendants of the Nguyen Canh family and the local people, returning it to its rightful place of reverence, closely associated with the prestige and achievements of the Nguyen family's Duke.

Dien Tho hamlet has many ancient trees. Three large banyan trees, each guarding a different direction, are believed to protect the village from fire according to folk beliefs and are named after things associated with them: Banyan Well, Banyan Lake, and Banyan Shrine. On the summit of Tron Mountain, a centuries-old fig tree stands majestically, its trunk gnarled and so large that it would take several people to encircle it. In the years 1930-1931, the hollow fig tree, standing amidst the dense foliage, served as a hiding place for secret documents and a safe haven for revolutionary cadres whenever the enemy came to inspect and search. Today, the Dien Trang fig tree remains lush, green, and resilient in the face of storms; it is the only ancient tree still standing, embodying the village's indomitable spirit and vitality. The villagers also continuously care for, maintain, and reinforce the tree, building retaining walls and covering its roots to protect it from storms.

Not far from the banyan tree are four ancestral temples, all closely associated with the clandestine activities of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee during its time here (September 1930 - February 1931). The Nguyen Duy ancestral temple, consisting of an upper and lower hall, was once chosen as the headquarters of the Provincial Party Committee. The upper hall was the workplace of Secretary Nguyen Tiem. The lower hall was where the Standing Committee met; where reports were made and directives were received from representatives of the District Party Committees. The adjacent Nguyen Ich ancestral temple housed the printing office. Documents and leaflets of the Provincial Party Committee were printed and distributed here, promptly sent to localities to guide the struggle movement. The Nguyen Dinh ancestral temple, along with the banyan tree, was a place for hiding documents. The Nguyen Ba ancestral temple was where the conference to consolidate the organization and implement the Resolution on Purifying the Party of the Central Committee of the Central Region took place (December 1930). Several ancestral temples and many families here have been awarded certificates of merit for their contributions to the nation. In particular, the Nguyen Duy family church was recognized as a National Historical Monument by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1988. The church complex and the Dien Trang banyan tree will forever be recorded in history as vivid evidence of a glorious past of struggle, shining with the pride of this brave and resilient homeland.

Visiting Dien Trang to revisit the historical sites, one can almost hear the echoing sound of the Cho Nong pagoda bells, evoking a whole realm of memories. With each step, intertwined with wistful nostalgia, is a feeling of joy and pride for a revolutionary homeland that is changing day by day…

Text and photos:Huy Thu