Yen Xuan Pharmacy - a place that nurtures 'red seeds' (revolutionary seeds).

During the years under the yoke of colonial-feudal rule, as early as 1922, in Yen Xuan, a number of people were enlightened and had the idea of ​​fighting against the powerful landlords. They decided to form the Tam Giao group, consisting of young, educated, and patriotic men. They included Van Bac, Hoang Khac Bat, Phan Thai At, Cao Xuan Uy, Phan Hoang Thiem, and others.

They gathered together to plan and build a force to fight the invading enemy alongside the entire province and country, and encouraged their children to study abroad so they could return to serve their homeland. The "Heartfelt Friendship" group unanimously decided to open a traditional medicine shop at Mr. Phan Hoang Than's house (headed by Mr. Hoang Khac Bat) with the aim of both treating the poor and raising funds for their activities. To raise additional funds, the members of the "Heartfelt Friendship" group decided to pool their land for communal farming.

Once they had raised some funds, the group built a thatched house in the garden of the late Quế Thà to prepare traditional medicine and sell groceries. Thanks to their business model of "buy now, sell honestly," more and more people came to get medicine and buy goods, and the shop prospered.

Besides trading and selling, the shop also became a place for discussing current events, thereby mobilizing and enlightening the fighting spirit of all strata of the people. On that basis, the number of members of the "Heartfelt Conversation" group gradually increased, from an initial number of only 5-6 people to 42 people in 1925, and officially changed its name to the Mutual Aid Association.

At this time, thanks to a substantial fund and a large number of members, the Benevolent Association decided to secretly purchase a two-story wooden house from a forestry official in the Lang Dien area (now Duc Son commune). The house was built in the center of Duong Xuan village and was further embellished with six decorative motifs at the gable ends, the top, and three swastika symbols on the four roofs of the upper floor's veranda. The most prominent place in the house was decorated with couplets:"We sell honey and sugar, but not water / We trade thousands and tens of thousands, but not officials."

After its construction, the building was unanimously named "Hieu Yen Xuan" by the members, as most of the members were from the two villages of Duong Xuan and Yen Linh. The exterior served as a shop selling traditional medicine and essential goods, while the interior of Hieu Yen Xuan was a place for propaganda, enlightenment, and education of patriotic ideology, nurturing cadres for the revolution, and also a contact point for revolutionary movements in the region.

In addition, to develop more funds and expand its scope of activities, the Benevolent Association also expanded its business and production activities such as weaving, garment making, tea trading, and land reclamation.

Recognizing that Hieu Yen Xuan had the potential to become an important revolutionary base, Comrade Duong Dinh Thuy, an official of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League, came here to meet and exchange ideas with the members and transformed the Friendship Association into a branch of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League, with Phan Thai At as Secretary.

Despite being constantly watched and closely monitored by secret agents, the members at the Yen Xuan Publishing House were still able to receive, print, and disseminate documents on Marxism, as well as articles, songs, and poems with content propagating revolutionary ideology.

To win over the masses, the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League branch intensified efforts to rectify traditional customs and values, mobilizing people to participate in digging canals, repairing roads, rebuilding village gates, and propagating the eradication of superstition. This work was praised and enthusiastically supported by the people in the region.

By September 1929, the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League branch in Yen Xuan was transformed into a branch of the Indochinese Communist Party. This was the first party branch in Anh Son, and also one of the first branches established in the rural areas of Nghe An province.

The activities of the Party branch were recognized and highly appreciated by Comrade Nguyen Phong Sac - Central Committee member in charge of the Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee. Based on the activities of the Party members of the Yen Xuan Party branch, following the principle of "spreading like an oil stain," the revolutionary movement spread throughout the region and neighboring areas.

Many more Party branches were established in Anh Son, such as Duong Long, Da Tho, Long Dien, Tri Le, Yen Luong, Lang Dien, Kha Phong, Nhan Hau, Thuan Trung... and also many branches in other localities such as Hanh Lam (Thanh Chuong), Truong Ke (Yen Thanh), Hoang Truong (Dien Chau).

The growth and development of the Yen Xuan Party branch became the core of the revolutionary movement throughout the region. Later, when the Party organizations merged to form the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Yen Xuan Party branch remained a solid pillar of the revolutionary movements, especially during the 1930-1931 uprising, culminating in...Nghe Tinh Soviet.

Today, Yen Xuan High School has become a destination for students from Linh Son commune and the entire Anh Son district. Coming here, their souls will be enriched with a sense of pride in the traditions and revolutionary spirit of their ancestors, ensuring that this historical and cultural heritage will never run dry.

Cong Kien