Soviet spirit on the path of history
94 years have passed, every time mentioning the 12/9 road (now provincial road 542C) of Hung Nguyen land, people still consider it a red thread dyed with blood and spirit of the patriotic children of Nghe An in the historic demonstration on September 12, 1930. Rising from pain, that road has now become a symbol of revival and the will to promote the tradition of our ancestors in the new rhythm of life.
Words of the Past
If anyone has ever traveled through the provincial road 542C leading from Hung Nguyen town to the communes of Hung Tan, Hung Thong, Long Xa..., it is difficult to resist its peaceful charm. Many people have commented that this is one of the most poetic provincial roads in Nghe An, because walking under two rows of cool green trees, people seem to forget the hot summer sun.
The road is designed to be spacious and paved smoothly, sometimes leading us through ripe rice fields, sometimes passing through rows of bustling service businesses of the people living on both sides of the road. However, that is not the most special thing about this provincial road, because this is not only an important traffic connection point of the province, but also a road that bears the mark of many important historical events of our people during the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement.
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Standing on that road, we seem to feel the heroic spirit of the footsteps of the demonstrations in September 1930. Perhaps that is why, in the minds of the people of Hung Nguyen, this provincial road also has another name, the 12/9 road.
After a long, cool journey, Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Thuy - Deputy Head of the District Party Committee's Propaganda Department stopped the car in front of a bustling aluminum and glass shop next to the road. She said that the historic road now carries with it a renewed business spirit. Following the prosperous villages are the bustling service and commercial models.
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However, after all these developments, people still remember one early morning. That was the morning of September 12, 1930, when the masses of Hung Nguyen gathered together at Xuan Hoa communal house (now Long Xa commune). At 3 a.m., groups of people carrying sticks, spears, ropes, red flags with hammers and sickles poured into Xuan Hoa communal house. After that, the protesters marched down to Yen Xuan station, then headed to Hung Nguyen district headquarters to present their demands to the district governor.
The demonstration was enthusiastically responded to by the masses everywhere, who eagerly participated. Many bundles of leaflets were thrown on the train cars. The sound of applause and slogans resounded like thunder:
- Down with French imperialism!
- Overthrow the feudal Southern Dynasty!
- Abolish poll taxes, reduce taxes, and distribute land to poor farmers!
Upon receiving the news, the colonial government sent troops to the area. Soldiers fired into the air, forcing the crowd to disperse. However, the group still marched forward in neat rows and bravely.
When the group reached the Thai Lao intersection, French planes from Vinh airport suddenly swooped in, firing machine guns and dropping bombs on the group. The blood of our compatriots flowed red along the road, but the crowd continued to move forward. A moment later, the French army sent vehicles carrying hundreds of Foreign Legionnaires and blue-clad soldiers from Vinh. They fired at the demonstrators... hundreds of people fell, the blood of patriotic people dyed red the Thai Lao area. The massacre by the French colonialists killed 217 people, injured hundreds of others; dozens of our soldiers and active people were arrested. The extremely brutal massacre by the enemy shocked public opinion at home and abroad.
Reporting on the struggle of 9/12/1930 in Hung Nguyen, the newspaper “Nguoi lao kho” (Laborer) of the Central Committee, published on 9/18/1930, wrote: “The news of the massacre on the morning of 9/12 near Hung Nguyen district reached us, and immediately that night, 5,000 Nam Dan peasant brothers and sisters gathered to protest, fighting to the death with the French imperialists to defend their victims. They destroyed bridges, blocked roads, then beat drums, waved flags and advanced to Nam Dan district; everyone had a heart of hatred for imperialism, volunteering to die with the Hung Nguyen brothers and sisters. The extraordinary courage and sacrifice of the brothers and sisters made them terrified.”
Since mid-September 1930, rallies, demonstrations, and memorial services were held throughout the province for the compatriots who died in Thai Lao on September 12.
The demonstration on September 12, 1930, although bloodily suppressed, was a powerful testament to the great strength of the farmers and working people of Hung Nguyen district, especially the peasant class, under the leadership of the Communist Party. It has entered the history of the country as an immortal heroic epic. Thai Lao Martyrs Cemetery (now Nghe Tinh Soviet Square) and 12/9 Street (now 542C Street) became symbols of the heroic spirit of the Hung Nguyen people.
Revitalize
Now, on that historic path, people have witnessed the rise of the people in the town area and the communes of Hung Tan, Hung Thong, and Long Xa. Great joy came to Hung Tan commune when this was the first commune of Hung Nguyen district to be recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as meeting the model new rural standards at the end of December 2023. In the commune, there are more than 150 farms and livestock farms along with many modern economic models such as: high-tech garlic growing model, growing cucumbers without trellis on 2-rice land. Farmers unite together to build 3-star OCOP products, the brand "Hung Tan Countryside Cake" with 1/5 of households in the commune participating; labor export brings more than 20 billion VND to the locality each year. These efforts help Hung Tan land to be likened by many people as "a livable land" with many positive changes.
Besides, Hung Thong commune, Long Xa through the construction of new rural areas and advanced new rural areas, cadres, party members and people have the same will, determination, and consensus to contribute human and material resources to build a homeland with a more prosperous rural appearance, richer economy and stronger cultural and spiritual life.
Since that historic September, new generations of people in Hung Nguyen have continued to preserve and protect the achievements of the Revolution. Implementing the national target program on building new rural areas, the entire district has invested nearly 4,090 billion VND in building and developing the homeland, of which the people contributed nearly 1,060 billion VND, accounting for 26.5%.
In the process of building new rural areas, the kind-hearted people have wholeheartedly donated thousands of square meters of land to build roads, cultural houses, and sports areas. Throughout the history, the tradition of studiousness, respect for words, and respect for referees has always been promoted by Hung Nguyen like a continuous flow, and in every period it has been one of the bright spots of Nghe An.
If in the past, Hung Nguyen only had fields and factories, now the industry and handicrafts of this land have also made a breakthrough development, attracting thousands of workers and contributing to the economic restructuring. Trade and services have developed rapidly and diversified with the participation of many economic sectors, bringing the industrial production value in 2023 to an estimated 4,710 billion VND.
Hung Nguyen today is creating new position and strength and transforming to welcome new opportunities when VSIP Nghe An industrial park is invested in Hung Nguyen land, which has been further accelerating the industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas in the heroic Soviet homeland.
Imbued with the motto "Economic development is the central task, Party building is the key task", in recent years, the District Party Executive Committee has paid special attention to the work of Party building and rectification, consolidating a clean and strong political system in the new situation.
On the development path today, the land and people of Hung Nguyen still echo the words of the "Revolutionary Song" by comrade Dang Chanh Ky years ago: "... The old mountains and rivers, we immediately pull back/ Our race reaches the glorious realm/ No matter who risks their lives on the battlefield/ Then here will be a stone stele and a golden statue for a thousand years...!"