'Upstream of Ram Bridge, Downstream of Ben Thuy'

"Cau Ram" here isCau Ram ChurchThe reason why the church and parish are named Cau Ram is because not far from the church there is a bridge named "Ram". This is the bridge that crosses the drainage canal from Nghe An citadel to Vinh river, now in the area of ​​Cua Nam overpass.⁽¹⁾. As for why this bridge is called "Rầm", no one has been able to explain.

Cau Ram Church was built in 1926. Photo courtesy

It is not by chance that Cau Ram Church has become a name, a place with such symbolic significance of Vinh that it has become an idiom. Since the beginning of Vinh city, Cau Ram Church has been famous as the most beautiful church in the region. Cau Ram Parish was established in 1888, but before that there was a family church here. Ten years later (1898), the parish church was built. It was a large building made of ironwood with 7 compartments, on both sides there were 14 stations of the cross narrating the passion and death of Jesus. In addition, in the parish house area there were 8 other houses. Twenty years later, in 1918, the Parish Pastoral Council decided to sell the wooden church. In 1926, construction began on the majestic and massive Cau Ram Church, with Gothic architecture as it is today. Cau Ram Church was inaugurated on July 20, 1928, and was considered the most beautiful in Central Vietnam at that time.

"Upper Bridge Ram" is like that, but what about "Lower Ben Thuy"?Ben ThuyOriginally just a ferry across the Lam River, connecting Vinh with Ha Tinh. Ben Thuy really changed when the French occupied Nghe An citadel in 1885. Soon after, a series of French and other investors rushed to invest in Ben Thuy. Wood, match, canning, electricity, and port factories were built. Ferries and ferries were bustling. In 1899, there was a rowboat ferry. The 1925 Vinh - Ben Thuy map was only noted as "ferry" (bac), but by the 1936 map, it was noted as a ferry run by motor (bac à moteur).

Until the end of the 19th century, Vinh was still only connected to Ben Thuy by Vinh River, or by small residential roads, described as "zigzag".

Ben Thuy ferry terminal in the early 20th century. Photo archive

In 1890, the merchant Jean Dupuis was granted 53,000 square meters of land in Ben Thuy at the foot of Quyet Mountain by the Governor of Nghe An, Dao Tan, to build a sawmill and a match factory. When building the factory, they opened a 170-meter-long road, dug drainage ditches around it, and spread stones and sand on the sidewalk. Mr. Dao Tan and the French Consul (Mr. Myre) were very interested in this road.⁽²⁾When the two men learned that Jean Dupuis's colleague Millot had 15 years of experience building roads in Shanghai, they assigned Jean Dupuis's company to renovate Vinh - Ben Thuy road in the "European style". The company used 150 laborers and 50 prisoners to build the road. Although it was renovated in the "European style", in reality, Vinh - Ben Thuy road was only 3 meters wide and paved with stone.

When the Vinh - Ben Thuy road was completed, Governor Dao Tan asked Jean Dupuis and Millot to buy a Japanese handcart imported to Hanoi, which the French still called "pousse - pousse". This was probably the first handcart in Vinh - Ben Thuy.

Handcart in Vinh - Ben Thuy. Photo archive

1900⁽³⁾, the French described: “When going from Ben Thuy to Vinh by road, on the right is the Thi School (“Camp des Lettres”), a collection of stone buildings where literary competitions were held. On our left is the Temple of Literature. The main road is about 3m wide, divided into 2 branches. One branch on the right, about 5km from Ben Thuy, connects with the road from Thanh Hoa to Vinh, the second branch curves slightly to the left, goes straight to Vinh and takes us to the area of ​​Cau Ram (Catholic church). The third road, this is the original road, was destroyed by the military government, it is located to the north of the Temple of Literature, winding around the cluster of temples and pagodas shaded by trees of Yen Truong village and takes us to the ancient banyan tree, which is also the end point of the beautiful avenue that has just been built along the canal with a length of about 1km, takes us to the big market area and ends with a walking path planted with about 5,000 casuarina trees in front right next to the Vinh Consulate building. This forest is quite dense and promises to be the most beautiful area of ​​Vinh city one day.”⁽⁴⁾This road planted with 5,000 casuarina trees is now Le Hong Son Street.

In the following years, Vinh - Ben Thuy road was gradually built and expanded. By 1912, "from Ben Thuy to Vinh there was a very beautiful, wide and shady road"⁽⁵⁾.

The Vinh Consulate was built in 1897, located on the riverside, with the gate facing the old Cua Tien Bridge. This location is now Le Hong Son Street, Vinh City. Photo courtesy

Very few people know that, next to the gravel road from Vinh to Ben Thuy is a railway, built in 1906, 1907.The railway starts from Vinh StationRuns out to the end of the current Big C supermarket, then runs parallel to the road. At Truong Thi Railway Factory, there is a branch that turns there, and the main road continues down to Ben Thuy. At Ben Thuy, there is Ben Thuy Station, where ships receive goods from the port and industrial park here to transport to Vinh Station and go elsewhere.

In the early decades of the 20th century, travel between Vinh - Ben Thuy was generally by foot, by handcart, or by boat along the Vinh River. By the 1930s, the Vinh - Ben Thuy road had begun to be paved.

The article "The Scene of the Exam School" in Thanh Nghe Tinh newspaper in 1935 described:

“Truong Thi is 3 km from Vinh. It used to be a desolate place. It was only bustling in the afternoon when thousands of workers from the large factory “Atelier Truong Thi” went home.

Since the airport changed location on that piece of land, building several massive, long buildings, some 2 stories, some 3 stories, to serve as a French military barracks, the landscape of Truong Thi has also changed.

Military camp in Truong Thi (current location of Military Region IV). Documentary photo

Several moldy houses scattered along the main road have been converted into coffee shops and grocery stores. In the afternoons, tourists stroll along Petain Street.⁽⁶⁾go down the street, "sister"⁽⁷⁾saw a few dance clubs...

The cool, desolate scenery becomes more and more interesting as you go further and further… Then we arrive at Truong Thi, with its rows of factory buildings, its military barracks, and its straight, asphalt-paved road, taking visitors down to Ben Thuy, 4 km from Vinh. Once here, it is very cool. Leaning against the Quyết mountain range with its natural rock formations and a natural cave, the Match Factory overlooks two straight roads… Under the evening light, several ships stop on the river. The beautiful factory buildings face the wharf.”

A hundred years have passed, Vinh is now not only “upper Cau Ram, lower Ben Thuy”, but has spread out in four directions. Even on this axis, the landscape has changed. But the old proverb still echoes forever…

Vinh city seen from Cua Nam fish lake. Photo courtesy

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(1) Book of Cau Ram Parish 150 Years of Grace, Religion Publishing House 2018.

(2) Notes by Millot, an associate of Jean Dupuis.

(3) Annuaire général de l'IndoChine française ["puis" de l'Indochine] 1900.

(4) Annuaire général de l'IndoChine française ["puis" de l'Indochine] 1900.

(5) Annuaire General de L'Indochine, 1912.

(6) Current Tran Phu Street.

(7) Street of prostitutes, at the end of Tran Phu street today.

(8) Thanh Nghe Tinh Newspaper, No. 38, April 19, 1935.