The story of a nun who was a Saigon Special Forces soldier and a monk who was a former prisoner of Hoa Lo

Venerable Thich Nu Dieu Thong was a Saigon Special Forces soldier, the prototype of nun Huyen Trang. Venerable Thich Thanh Tu was a former prisoner of Hoa Lo Prison. And Dong Ky Pagoda was the cradle of the directive 'Japanese and French shooting each other and our actions'...

Buddhist nun Thich Nu Dieu Thong was also a Saigon Special Forces soldier.

Many stories about monks who embarked on the path of fighting for national liberation and unification were once again mentioned at the scientific conference on Buddhism and the Vietnamese revolution on August 25.

The workshop was organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in coordination with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi , to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2.

Venerable Dieu Thong and female soldiers in front of Lien Tri Pagoda - a revolutionary base

The temple roof sheltered the revolution in the most difficult days.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu - Permanent Vice President of the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha - recalled the tradition of engaged Buddhism in Vietnam since the time of the outstanding National Masters of the Ly - Tran dynasties such as Van Hanh, Khuong Viet, especially the Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong.

That spirit of engagement flared up strongly in the Ho Chi Minh era.

Tens of thousands of monks, nuns and Buddhists stood up, turning the compassionate spirit of Buddhism into an indomitable force to protect independence and freedom.

The ancient temples, which were originally places of pure practice, became solid revolutionary fortresses.

From Tram Gian Pagoda, Bot Xuyen Pagoda in Hanoi, to Con Son Pagoda in Hai Duong, from Tra Am Pagoda in Hue, to Giac Ngo Pagoda, An Quang Pagoda in Saigon... they have become places to hide and nurture revolutionary cadres, and forward medical stations.

Venerable Thich Hanh Tue in Con Dao prison

The monk is a former prisoner of Hoa Lo Prison and the nun is a Saigon Special Forces soldier.

At the conference, many stories about the monk warriors in the Ho Chi Minh era were also shared by researchers and monks.

Among them, the story of Dong Ky Pagoda (Bac Ninh) is the cradle of the Japanese - French Directive on fighting each other and our actions , a decisive document, a torch lighting the way for the victory of the August Revolution, received the attention of the conference.

This place once hid many Central officials during the pre-uprising period (1940 - 1945). General Secretary Truong Chinh and revolutionaries Hoang Van Thu, Hoang Quoc Viet, Nguyen Luong Bang... came here to work.

On the evening of March 9, 1945, the expanded Central Party Standing Committee Conference began at Dong Ky Pagoda.

After that, the conference decided to move to another meeting place (Mr. Dam Thi's house) in Dinh Bang. At this conference, the Central Party Standing Committee issued a directive on Japan and France fighting each other and our actions .

Venerable Thich Thanh Tu directly joined the secret armed forces of Hung Yen province, doing mass mobilization work.

From October 1951 to April 1953, the monk was arrested and tortured by the French colonialists, and was escorted through many detention camps and prisons, including Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi).

In particular, the story of Venerable Thich Nu Dieu Thong - a Saigon Special Forces soldier operating under the guise of a nun - became the story that attracted the attention of the conference.

She joined the F100 unit in 1965. This was an elite force prepared for the 1968 Tet Offensive and Uprising.

She was awarded the First Class Resistance Medal, Third Class Feat of Arms Medal, Vietnam Defense Intelligence Medal...

The story of Venerable Thich Hanh Tue, a revolutionary activist, being imprisoned in a tiger cage in Con Dao prison, is very moving to listeners. Those who visit Hang Duong cemetery (Con Dao) will see the grave of this Venerable.

In particular, we cannot miss the story of the "living torch" monk Thich Quang Duc who shocked the world in 1963.

BIRD OF PARADISE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-ni-co-la-chien-si-biet-dong-sai-gon-va-nha-su-la-cuu-tu-hoa-lo-20250825214809375.htm