Thanh Chuong upholds the spirit of the Nghe Tinh Soviet.
During those historic days of September, returning to our homeland of Thanh Chuong, we once again hear the resounding echoes of the heroic Soviet drums still reverberating from the Vo Liet communal house, across every field, village, river, and hamlet...
94 years have passed, butThe heroic spirit of Soviet Nghe TinhThe heroic battles fought by the people of Nghe Tinh in general, and the people of Thanh Chuong in particular, during this revolutionary movement, will always remain a part of the nation's history, reminding us of a fervent period of the working class and peasantry under the guiding light of the Party. The names of the Party's pioneering cadres such as Dang Thuc Hua, Dang Thi Quynh Anh, Dang Thai Mai, Nguyen Sy Sach, Ton Gia Tinh, Ton Gia Chung, Vo Thuc Dong, Ton Thi Que, Ton Quang Phiệt, Le Canh Nhuong, Tran Huu Doanh… will forever be a source of pride for generations of Thanh Chuong children throughout the country.
94 years of the "Thanh Chuong Soviet"
A proud milestone
On September 1, 1930, with overwhelming enthusiasm, the Party Committee and people of Thanh Chuong rose up to fight and achieve victory, establishing the first Soviet government in Nghe Tinh. This historic struggle became a source of inspiration and motivation for the people throughout the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh at that time, igniting the flame of the Soviet movement in this land of rich history and talented people, but also one that suffered greatly from the yoke of colonial and feudal rule.
Driven by patriotism, under the leadership of the Party and its branches throughout the district, a historic struggle took place on September 1, 1930, involving over 20,000 people (one-third of the district's population). The drums, gongs, and cymbals from the villages and the communal house of Vo Liet resounded like thunder, urging the barefoot, steel-willed people of Thanh Chuong to rise up and fight directly against the enemy, striking fear into the hearts of the imperialists and their henchmen. Boats crossed the Lam River to besiege the district headquarters, carrying the hopes and dreams of the people living in misery and slavery. The strength of the masses quickly led to the collapse of the district and provincial governments. District Chief Phan Sy Bang, terrified, abandoned his office and fled. The dense network of military outposts, such as the Rao Gang, Cho Dang, Bich Thi, Thanh Qua, and Lap outposts, were paralyzed, and from then on, the district's Party branches began operating openly.
At Vo Liet communal house (a National Historical Monument), the Soviet government worked day and night to bring a new life to the people. This was a form of workers' government under the leadership of the Party branch. At that time, the entire district had 35 Party branches with 270 Party members who led the workers' and peasants' government in immediately implementing basic rights for the masses such as abolishing land rent and taxes…
The Red Peasant Association's executive committee seized power in 65 out of 76 villages and communes, with tens of thousands of members. Among them, the Women's Liberation Association accounted for 32% of the province's total membership, the Communist Youth League ranked second, the Red Relief Association ranked third, and over 1,000 members were Red Self-Defense Force members... In some areas, Party branches held public meetings and encouraged the people to participate in the revolutionary movement. The mass struggle was planned day by day, week by week, and month by month.
The struggle of September 1, 1930The struggle of the people of Thanh Chuong has gone down in history, marking a milestone in the birth of the first Soviet government of both Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces within the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement. Although the struggles of the masses in Nghe Tinh had been very intense before, such as the struggle of the workers and peasants of Vinh - Ben Thuy on May 1, 1930, the peasants of Can Loc on August 1, 1930, and the peasants of Nam Dan on August 30, 1930, none of them had yet seized power for the people.
The struggle of the people of Thanh Chuong, which led the district chief to abandon his official seal and flee, and 35 village chiefs to bow down and hand over their books and seals to the worker-peasant government, has become a historical event.“Never before seen in Annam… For the first time in history, under the leadership of the Party, the working class and peasantry have crushed the feudal government, ushering in the birth of a Soviet in a district of Nghe Tinh.”...the culmination of the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement nationwide… This event has become a traditional day for the Party Committee and people of Thanh Chuong district.
In this life-or-death struggle, Comrade Nguyen Cong Thuong and many other cadres and people bravely fell before the enemy's guns. After the struggle, the enemy intensified their sweeping and brutal repression; many Party cadres were eliminated, some even had their throats cut and heads displayed at crossroads to intimidate the fighting spirit of the people; many others were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and abused in the hellish conditions of the imperialist regime; even pregnant women were murdered…
In Thanh Chuong alone, during 1930-1931, more than 2,000 people were arrested, 579 were imprisoned, 565 bravely fell, nearly 200 were tortured and died in prison, and 169 Party members were executed… But overcoming all that pain and loss, the flame of patriotism and hatred of the enemy burned even brighter in the hearts of every patriotic son of Thanh Chuong. The more the enemy repressed, the higher the fighting spirit of the masses rose, like unstoppable tides.
Upholding the spirit of the Nghe Tinh Soviet
in the homeland of heroes
During the two wars of resistance against French colonialism and American imperialism, Thanh Chuong was a key target for American bombing aimed at cutting off the vital supply route to the Southern battlefield. Despite the fierce bombing by the American imperialists, the people and soldiers of Thanh Chuong remained undaunted, actively coordinating with the stationed units in combat while simultaneously engaging in production to support the front lines with the spirit of "Not a single grain of rice will be lacking, not a single soldier will be lacking," contributing alongside the entire nation to regain peace and reunification.
The revolutionary historical and cultural traditions of Thanh Chuong, especially the heroic spirit of the Nghe Tinh Soviet, have always been a source of inspiration and motivation, fostering a strong will to strive for progress among cadres, Party members, and the people of Thanh Chuong. Along with the overall development of the province, Thanh Chuong today has undergone tremendous changes: The economy has grown significantly, structural transformation is on the right track, and the poverty rate has sharply decreased to 3.2%; from a "four-way intersection" district, it now has 6 national highways passing through its territory, 36 ferry crossings have been replaced by bridges connecting the shores; 29 communes have achieved New Rural Area standards, 4 communes have advanced New Rural Area standards, and Thanh Linh commune has achieved model New Rural Area status; Thanh Chuong town has achieved civilized urban area standards; socio-cultural development is progressing, education remains a solid foundation for the people of Thanh Chuong to move forward; national defense and security are maintained; and Party building and the construction of the political system are given due attention and effectively implemented.
During the 2020-2025 term, with the resolute spirit of reforming the Party's leadership methods; the creative direction, management, and implementation by the government; the responsible and focused involvement of the Fatherland Front and political and social organizations from the district to the grassroots level; the consensus of all strata of the people; and the affection and responsibility of those who have left their hometowns towards their homeland, a combined strength has been created to develop the homeland.
Through the construction of new rural areas and civilized urban areas, in addition to the synchronously invested infrastructure serving socio-economic development and people's lives, the quality of life of the people, both materially and spiritually, has been significantly improved. The average per capita income reached over 48 million VND/year (in 2023).
The locality has focused on directing the construction and formation of many leading and widespread agricultural and forestry economic models, creating a change in the production mindset of the people. In particular, several key agricultural products have been developed and produced organically, such as tea, oranges, pomelos, black olives, etc., and there are 34 OCOP products with 3-star and 4-star ratings.
Besides leveraging internal strengths and a spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement, Party committees and authorities from the district to the grassroots level have actively and proactively connected and expanded relationships, focusing on attracting investment. Thanh Chuong has attracted and created consensus to implement and put into use four key regional connectivity transportation projects. In particular, the Do Cung Bridge project across the Lam River, connecting Thanh Chuong and Do Luong districts, and the road from National Highway 46 - Ngoc Son commune (Thanh Chuong) to Nam Hung commune (Nam Dan), which is being accelerated, will become a highlight and breakthrough in transportation infrastructure when put into use.
The district has attracted a number of manufacturing investment projects, opening up job opportunities, increasing income, and shifting the local economic and labor structure, such as the Matsuoka garment factory in Thanh Lien commune and the Thanh Chuong garment factory in Thanh Phong commune, which employ thousands of workers…
The socio-cultural sector continues to receive attention, with the tradition of studiousness, academic excellence, and high achievements, and the quality of education in Thanh Chuong increasingly affirming its position among the top units in the province. Party building and the political system are focused on, with many good models and innovative approaches in ideological work, mass mobilization, building, consolidating, and developing Party organizations, and developing Party members... In particular, the district has built a team of dynamic, creative, enthusiastic, responsible, and dedicated cadres at all levels... Attention is paid to national defense and security, creating a safe and healthy environment for the people and businesses, promoting the comprehensive development of the district.
The synergy between traditional historical, revolutionary, and cultural values, as well as achievements over the past period and emerging factors, will create opportunities for Thanh Chuong to develop faster, higher, and more sustainably in the future. In particular, Resolution No. 39 of the Politburo on building and developing Nghe An province until 2030, with a vision to 1945, includes policies related to Thanh Chuong district, such as strengthening foreign relations, especially with countries along the East-West economic corridor and neighboring provinces of Laos sharing a border; investing in the formation and development of the Ho Chi Minh Highway economic corridor; and investing in and constructing the Hanoi-Vientiane expressway (the section through Nghe An).
To align with these policies, the Party Committee and government of Thanh Chuong district have clearly identified key issues to focus on implementing. These include reviewing sectoral plans and plans for communes and towns after the reorganization of commune-level administrative units, for the period 2023-2025, to continue attracting investment in transportation infrastructure development, especially projects that create regional linkages; attracting high-tech agricultural processing facilities to promote agricultural development towards a circular economy, organic economy, and forest development, along with the carbon credit market. This is linked to leveraging the values of historical and cultural relics, the system of primeval forests, and areas with potential, including advantages in agricultural production, to promote the development of historical, cultural and spiritual tourism, experiential tourism, ecotourism, and agro-tourism… Continuing to promote the construction of new rural areas, advanced new rural areas, and model new rural areas; to create a synchronized and modern rural infrastructure and improve the material and spiritual lives of the people…
A new autumn has arrived in the Soviet homeland of Thanh Chuong, amidst the vibrant and bustling atmosphere of the celebration announcing the 555th anniversary of Thanh Chuong's name and the 94th anniversary of the Thanh Chuong Party Committee and people's tradition. In the eyes and smiles of the people here, there shines a bright light of faith, love, and hope for the development of the district on the path of reform and integration.
