Ben Thuy Junction - where the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement began
Ben Thuy junction is located on the left bank of Lam River, at the foot of Quyet mountain, about 5 km southeast of Vinh city center, the meeting place of protesters and factory workers in Ben Thuy on May 1, 1930, opening the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement.
During the French colonial period, Ben Thuy Junction belonged to Yen Dung Ha village, Yen Truong commune, Hung Nguyen district, now Ben Thuy ward.Vinh city, Nghe An province.
On the occasion of the International Labor Day 1-5-1930, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam initiated the movement to celebrate the International Labor Day for the first time in Vietnam. The Central Party Committee and the provincial departments in Nghe-Tinh actively prepared for implementation.
Despite being terrorized and brutally suppressed by the enemy, the localities still carried out the plan as planned. At dawn on May 1, 1930, in Ha Tinh on the other side of the Lam River, opposite the Ben Thuy Junction, the red hammer and sickle flag fluttered on the top of Com Mountain, Nghi Xuan district, Do Trai bridge (Duc Tho), Ru Nam (Huong Son), Cho Chua communal house (Cam Trung, Cam Xuyen district), Ban Do mountain (Ky Anh). Many Party leaflets were scattered in Di Long (Huong Khe), Lac Thien (Duc Tho), Lai Thach commune, Phu Luu (Can Loc).
Along with many places across the country, on the morning of May 1, 1930, in Vinh - Ben Thuy, a large demonstration broke out by workers and farmers in the inner and outer city.
The demonstration was directly led by comrade Le Mao - Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Member of the Central Region Party Committee, Secretary of Vinh - Ben Thuy Provincial Party Committee.
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Due to careful preparation, on the morning of May 1, 1930, about 1,200 farmers from Yen Dung, Loc Da, Duc Thinh villages (formerly Hung Nguyen district, now Vinh city), Song Loc, Tan Hop, An Hau, Duc Hau (belonging to Nghi Loc district) protested and marched into Vinh city to coordinate with factory workers to fight to demand that the French colonialists fulfill their demands: increase wages, reduce taxes, and work 8 hours a day.
The demonstrators waved hammer and sickle flags, hung banners, and lined up in neat rows. As they marched, they shouted slogans and recited the Internationale:
“Hey slaves in the world
Hey you who are suffering, stand up!
How can I stand this injustice?
"Let's destroy it once and for all".
The Hung Nguyen district chief sent soldiers to block the protesters at Quan Lau Junction. The protesters tightened their ranks and advanced to the Truong Thi train repair factory, then moved down to join with workers from factories in Ben Thuy.
People from Nghi Xuan district (Ha Tinh) joined the protest. People in the city saw that the protest was very enthusiastic, so many people also joined. At factories in the Ben Thuy area, the Southern Dynasty officials ordered soldiers to hold guns and bayonets to guard the workers from leaving the factories. But the workers still left their jobs and poured into the streets to join the protest.
Comrade Nguyen Canh Binh (from Loc Da village) led the demonstration, waving the hammer and sickle flag and calling everyone to advance. The Party's red hammer and sickle flag was planted for 8 hours on a lamppost at Ben Thuy Intersection, encouraging tens of thousands of people. The demonstration group shouted like thunder, "Down with the colonialists who stole the country"; "must abolish the poll tax, market tax, ferry tax..."
The French consul brought 10 military cars to block the protesters at Ben Thuy Intersection in front of the match factory gate. Comrade Tran Canh Binh was shot dead. The protesters shouted: "Down with the murderers". The police shot dead 6 more people and wounded 18, arresting 97 people.
Workers and farmers demonstration in Vinh –Ben ThuyMay 1, 1930 was the starting point for the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement in Nghe Tinh, opening a series of fierce struggles of workers and peasants in the following months in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The climax was on the morning of September 12, 1930, when about 8,000 peasants from three communes: Phu Long, Thong Lang (Hung Nguyen) and Nam Kim (Nam Dan) armed with sticks, spears, ropes, and waving hammer and sickle flags marched to Yen Xuan station. Passengers on the trains got off and joined the protesters.
Ms. Phia (Nguyen Thi Quynh Nga) stood up to give a speech denouncing the French colonialists and the Southern Dynasty. The shouts of slogans resounded throughout the area. A group of soldiers used guns to threaten, but the protesters still stood firm in their ranks and marched towards Hung Nguyen Palace. When the protesters reached Thai Lao, the enemy sent planes to shoot and drop bombs on the group, killing 217 people and injuring 125.
Ben Thuy junction has gone down in history. To commemorate the periodrevolutionIn the heroic years of 1930-1931, Nghe An province built a monument to workers and farmers here. On November 16, 1988, the Ministry of Culture issued Decision No. 1288-VH/QD recognizing Ben Thuy Junction as a Historical and Cultural Relic to preserve and develop revolutionary traditions for the long term.