To Ba Ngoc and the Can Vuong movement in Nghe An province.

(Baonghean)In 1885, after King Hàm Nghi issued the Cần Vương (Support the King) decree, Nghệ An province became one of the most active areas in the country for the Cần Vương movement against the French, with two famous uprisings forever etched in the nation's history. These were the uprising led by Scholar Nguyễn Xuân Ôn in Diễn Châu and the Hương Khê uprising in Hà Tĩnh, led by Phan Đình Phùng. In both uprisings, there was a landowner in Đông Yên village (now Minh Thành commune, Yên Thành district) who, with a chivalrous spirit, readily sold all his property to support the rebels, hoping for the country's early independence... That man was Tô Bá Ngọc.

Tô Bá Ngọc, whose real name was Tô Viết Trác, was born in 1838 in Đông Yên village, Vân Tụ commune (now Minh Thành commune, Yên Thành district, Nghệ An province); he was the son of Tô Viết Hiệu and Nguyễn Thị Mỹ, a prominent landowner family in the region.

When Tô Viết Trác turned 20 years old (1858), it was also the year the French colonialists opened fire on Da Nang (September 1, 1858), marking the beginning of their invasion of Vietnam. The Nguyễn dynasty, under Emperor Tự Đức, gradually made concessions and surrendered to the French army through unequal treaties, especially after the court signed the Harmand Treaty (August 25, 1883) and the Patenôtre Treaty (June 6, 1884). Vietnam was then divided into three regions, under the protection of the French colonialists.

Faced with the threat of his country becoming enslaved, and unable to do anything to free his people from their suffering, To Ba Ngoc, besides focusing on reclaiming barren land and expanding his farm for agriculture, hoped to become a landowner so that he could provide supplies for future anti-French resistance movements.

Thanks to his intelligence, gentleness, thirst for knowledge, diligence, perseverance, and unwavering efforts, when the Can Vuong movement against the French broke out (1885), To Ba Ngoc became a renowned and wealthy landowner. "Hills of rice paddies amounted to hundreds of acres, and thousands of buffaloes and cows... to visit the fields or check on the herds of buffaloes and cows grazing on the hills, he had to ride a horse." To Ba Ngoc was also famous in the region for his open-mindedness, generous treatment, and benevolent nature, always helping the poor. Local officials and the people all respected him. Regarding To Ba Ngoc's chivalrous spirit and compassion for the people, Phan Dinh Phung remarked: "He helped his relatives and descendants with money and rice, just like the customs of Truong Cong Nghe and Tran Canh in the past. When poor people in the village needed help, he didn't ask for much money or little, but always gave them rice. Many were saved from famine due to crop failure."

In 1885, in response to King Ham Nghi's call for resistance against foreign invaders, Nghe Tinh, like other regions throughout the country, saw numerous uprisings. Notable examples include the uprising led by Nguyen Xuan On in Nghe An and the Huong Khe uprising led by Phan Dinh Phung in Ha Tinh.

During the days when Nguyen Xuan On raised an army in the Can Vuong movement, in order to have a solid base to support the rebels' long-term operations, Nguyen Xuan On decided to move the base to the mountainous area west of Yen Thanh district. There, he had bases built such as Dong Thong and Dong Ban. Around this time, Nguyen Xuan On heard of To Ba Ngoc, a landowner in Dong Yen who owned hundreds of acres of rice fields, thousands of buffaloes, cows, goats, and horses, and who was known for his chivalrous spirit and patriotism, always helping the poor. Nguyen Xuan On immediately sent a trusted confidant to meet with To Ba Ngoc to ask for assistance in providing food for the rebels.

Having long heard of Scholar On as an upright, capable, and successful scholar, To Ba Ngoc was greatly impressed and wholeheartedly supported him upon learning that he was raising an army to fight the French. To Ba Ngoc had his servants treat Scholar On's family well and said, "Your noble deeds are something I wouldn't begrudge. Whatever the authorities need, I will gladly provide, even if it means selling my entire fortune." Admiring To Ba Ngoc's patriotic and chivalrous spirit, at the end of 1886, Scholar Nguyen Xuan On personally visited To Ba Ngoc's home and stayed at the To family's ancestral temple to learn about and choose the Dong Yen area as a base to store military supplies for the long-term uprising.

At that time, Tô Bá Ngọc wanted to ask the scholar to let him join the resistance army against the French, but the scholar smiled and said, "Mr. Tô, you'd only be a poor soldier if you were a regular soldier; I don't know what you'd be like as a general. But you have more than enough strength to support troops and generals." Tô Bá Ngọc took this as profound advice, and from then on, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to helping the resistance army, hoping that one day they would drive out the French invaders and win independence for their homeland.

To concentrate military supplies for Nguyen Xuan On's resistance movement against the French, To Ba Ngoc not only provided much food and money but also mobilized many people to participate: "Every year, To Ba Ngoc would make excuses to delay the tax payments to the imperial court, but after the harvest, he would transport rice and money to the resistance army, and whenever he heard news of a victory, he would send people to bring buffaloes, cows, rice, sticky rice, pigs, and chickens to feast the troops." To Ba Ngoc's dedicated assistance, both in terms of manpower and resources, contributed to many important victories of Nguyen Xuan On's resistance army, such as the battles at Sy, So, and Tran forts (Dien Chau district); Dong Soi, Ngoc Thuong, and Bao Nham (Yen Thanh district); and Bao Lam fort (Hoa Thanh commune). A prime example is the battle at Dong Cay Voi (Minh Thanh commune). The people of Minh Thanh, along with the resistance fighters led by Tac Bay, defeated the French army, eliminating the French commander Cooc, creating a great impact on the Can Vuong movement against the French throughout the three provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Thanh Hoa.

In the spring of the year Dinh Hoi (1887), in order to link up with the uprisings breaking out in the North, and at the same time seek support and consolidate forces, in February 1887, Phan Dinh Phung handed over full leadership of the Huong Khe base to Cao Thang to go North. His first task was to go to Nghe An to meet with the scholar Nguyen Xuan On, who was establishing a base in the western part of Yen Thanh district. After meeting Nguyen Xuan On, Phan Dinh Phung was secretly introduced by the rebels to rest at the house of To Ba Ngoc, to facilitate communication and discussions with the rebels establishing bases in the mountainous areas of Nghe An such as Bo Viem, Lanh Ngoi, Doc Nhoan, De Nien, Hiep Tran, Ta Hai, etc.

Furthermore, Phan Đình Phùng also wanted to "lend a hand to Tô Bá Ngọc" in his plan to restore the nation. He knew Tô Bá Ngọc was a patriotic landowner who was actively providing financial and food aid, and mobilizing others to support Nguyễn Xuân Ôn's resistance army. With Tô Bá Ngọc's attention and assistance, Phan Đình Phùng stayed at the Tô family's ancestral temple for a time to study the situation, recruit more resistance fighters, prepare the base, gauge public sentiment, and then expand the resistance base throughout the Nghệ Tĩnh region. Thanks to Tô Bá Ngọc's connections and networking, Phan Đình Phùng was able to meet many important figures involved in the Cần Vương movement in Nghệ An province.

Mr. Tô Sỹ Giơu next to the handwritten manuscript of his grandfather, Tô Bá Ngọc.

According to Mr. Tô Sỹ Giơu, grandson of Mr. Tô Bá Ngọc, during his stay at Mr. Ngọc's house, out of respect for his elders, Mr. Ngọc arranged for Mr. Đình to stay in the family's ancestral hall for convenience and to avoid the watchful eyes of French secret agents. Mr. Ngọc regarded Mr. Đình Nguyên as a distinguished guest, and they met daily to discuss national affairs and literature with Mr. Phan Đình Phùng as close friends. Here, moved by Tô Bá Ngọc's kindness, Mr. Phan Đình Phùng changed his name from Tô Viết Trác to Tô Bá Ngọc. At Tô Bá Ngọc's house, the two men composed and recited poetry together, including a poem by Mr. Phan Đình Phùng as follows:

Literature has always had a predestined connection.
What does it matter if it's new or old, in a place that's both familiar and unfamiliar?
The young pine tree is our master,
The poets of Mount Lap are like immortals.
Why do white eyes become companions?
To make distant lands feel like neighbors.
This encounter was full of strange and wonderful things.
Record the beautiful spring season with its delicate flower petals.
The Tùng Mountain and Lạp Mountain are not far away.
We were strangers at first, but later we came to know each other's hearts.
Whether near or far, we all share the same sky.
The serendipitous encounter is encapsulated in these verses!
In fact, Phan Đình Phùng had a very positive impression of Tô Bá Ngọc's family from their very first meeting:
Upon arriving home, I immediately saw the sign hanging there.
It stirred deep feelings in the hearts of the guests.
Green mountains and clear waters surround us.
A lineage of ritual poetry clearly belonging to the Tô family.

After staying at Tô Bá Ngọc's house for a while, Mr. Đình had to go to Thanh province to meet Tống Duy Tân, and then continue north. Tô Bá Ngọc asked to go along, but when they reached Đô Lương district, Mr. Đình advised Tô to turn back to help him contact the generals operating in the region and prepare military supplies for a long-term resistance. Following Mr. Đình's advice, Tô Bá Ngọc returned to Đông Yên to plan his grand scheme. Before setting off for the north, Mr. Phan Đình Phùng did not forget to leave a written testament expressing his gratitude and admiration for Tô Bá Ngọc.

Some time after Mr. Dinh left for the North, on May 28, 1887 (lunar calendar), using the pretext of "accumulating wealth through treacherous and violent acts," the French army sent soldiers to surround and arrest To Ba Ngoc, confiscating all his property. Afterward, they took him to the Cho Roi outpost in Minh Thanh commune to execute him as a show of force to the people. Before going to the execution grounds, To Ba Ngoc instructed his descendants: "There is nothing to regret in my life; consider wealth as mere dust, and righteousness as precious as gold. The country has fallen into the hands of others; what remains of the sacred Confucian teachings, what remains of moral principles and benevolence? Live your lives in a clean and honest manner, and do not do anything that would bring shame to your ancestors. At this time, national affairs are important, family matters are minor. If Mr. Dinh returns, please convey my farewells." Tô Bá Ngọc further instructed: "Your father lived according to the principles of the Can Vuong movement, and now that he is dying, he wants to carry with him the warmth of the Can Vuong leader. You should take the floral mat hanging on the house and wrap my body in it, because that mat still carries the warmth of the Venerable Nghè Ôn and the Venerable Đình Nguyên sitting together discussing important matters."

The Tô family church, where Phan Đình Phùng and Nguyễn Xuân Ôn once stayed.

Out of gratitude for the patriotic spirit and the close relationship between Phan Đình Phùng, Nguyễn Xuân Ôn, and Tô Bá Ngọc, and to fulfill Tô Bá Ngọc's dying wish, in 1900, on the family's old land, descendants and relatives of the Tô family erected a house to worship Tô Bá Ngọc, alongside Phan Đình Phùng and Nguyễn Xuân Ôn. To honor and remind future generations of Tô Bá Ngọc's heroic example, on June 13, 2013, the People's Committee of Nghệ An province issued Decision No. 2452/QD.UBND, recognizing the Tô Bá Ngọc Ancestral Temple as a Provincial-level Historical and Cultural Relic!

Manh Ha - Phan Hung (Nghe An Provincial Management Board for Ethnic Minorities)Manh Ha – Phan Hung (Nghe An Provincial Management Board for Ethnic Minorities)