Coming to Duc Thanh School, remembering his merits

The school leaves his footprints

Duc Thanh School, formerly known as Duc Thanh School, is located next to the poetic Ca Ty River. It was established in 1907 by Nguyen Thong's family, who mobilized people to contribute to the construction right on their family's land. This was the first private school established in Phan Thiet city in response to the Duy Tan movement initiated by patriots Phan Chau Trinh, Tran Quy Cap and Huynh Thuc Khang. This was the most progressive private school in Binh Thuan province at that time. Teachers only received subsidies, not salaries, and students did not have to pay for construction and tuition fees. So, just under a year after its establishment, the school's reputation spread far and wide, attracting many talented teachers, students who were children of patriotic scholars and poor people who loved to study. In 1910, the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh (then 20 years old) was the youngest teacher to teach here.

Duc Thanh School. Photo: Internet.

At that time, not many people had the conditions to go to school, so the school was quite small. They did not build separate classrooms like today, but only built a common house with a roof covered with yin-yang tiles, a floor covered with Bat Trang bricks, and wooden columns and walls. History records that the school had 7 teachers with about 60 students, divided into 4 classes: fourth, third, second, and first (equivalent to grades 2 to 5 today). Teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh taught the second class (equivalent to grade 4 today), and also assisted in teaching Vietnamese, Chinese, French, and physical education. With all his love, responsibility, and progressive thinking, the teacher devoted himself to imparting knowledge and encouraging patriotism to the students.

In addition to class time and extracurricular activities, Mr. Thanh took his students to fishing villages to witness fishermen working and visit the beautiful scenery of his homeland. During those trips, he often told his students stories about Ba Trung and Ba Trieu, read patriotic poems... In February 1911, Mr. Thanh left Duc Thanh School for Saigon before crossing the ocean to find a way to save the country. Although his time at the school was not long (about 5 months), the fishing villages in Phan Thiet and his students all respected him and felt in Mr. Nguyen Tat Thanh a passionate, burning love for the country and a noble way of life.

"Red address" in the journey back to the source

For many reasons, in early 1912, Duc Thanh School closed. To commemorate his contributions, at the end of 1978, the school was renovated, embellished, and restored to its original state by Binh Thuan province. Next to the school is a statue of Uncle Ho and an exhibition house about his life and revolutionary activities. At the end of 1986, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ) ranked Duc Thanh School as a National Historical and Cultural Relic. This place has become an indispensable "red address" in the journey to the source of every Vietnamese person.

Foreign tourists visit Duc Thanh School.

After more than 100 years of formation and many ups and downs of national history, after being restored and embellished, the architecture of Duc Thanh School still retains its original form. The school was built in an ancient style, with one room and two roofs, the roof covered with yin-yang tiles, the yard and house paved with Bat Trang tiles, and the surrounding area is made of diamond-shaped wooden bars to get natural light and wind from the outside. In addition to the classroom, there is also a dormitory for teachers and students from far away regions.

Many original artifacts from the time Uncle Ho taught are still preserved, such as: a set of painted sofas, a set of wooden boards, a desk, a standing cabinet, a document box, an inkstone, etc. These are sacred relics associated with the years of teaching in Phan Thiet of teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh. In the relic site, there is also a star fruit tree that teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh used to water, take care of, read books, and recite poems. With its tenacious vitality, today, the star fruit tree still flowers and bears fruit, and is affectionately called "Uncle Ho's star fruit tree" by the people.

Although this was the first time we set foot in the place where teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh taught more than a century ago, the echoes still linger. The historical and cultural relic site of Duc Thanh School is not only an attractive tourist destination but also a "red address" for traditional education for today's and future generations.

Under the warm sunshine of the coastal city of Phan Thiet, Truong Duc Thanh relic site welcomes thousands of visitors to offer incense and learn about the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh. Ms. Nguyen Hong Van, a tourist from Hanoi, said that she and 20 members of her group chose Binh Thuan as their tourist destination during this year's summer vacation. Everyone was deeply moved when they first saw the simple, rustic artifacts and listened to the tour guide tell stories about the simple life of President Ho Chi Minh, the national hero and world cultural celebrity.

In addition to Ms. Van, on the day we arrived, there were many foreign tourist groups coming to visit and learn about the Duc Thanh School Relic Site. Towards the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday on May 19 (1890 - 2025), this year the Ho Chi Minh Museum - Binh Thuan branch (the management unit of Duc Thanh School) organized an exhibition, displaying thousands of photos and historical documents about his life, life and revolutionary career. The event of teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh stopping to teach at Duc Thanh School has important historical significance, contributing to affirming his steadfast patriotism and determination to find a way to save the country.

Although this is the first time we set foot in the place where teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh taught more than a century ago, the echoes still linger. We, like any Vietnamese people, share the same feeling that the historical and cultural relic of Duc Thanh School is not only an attractive tourist destination when coming to Binh Thuan province, but also a "red address" to educate patriotism, fostering noble ideals for the young generation today and tomorrow to continue to live, study and work following the example of the great President Ho Chi Minh.

Hai Van

Source: https://baobacgiang.vn/den-truong-duc-thanh-nho-cong-on-nguoi-postid418360.bbg