Nguyen Thong - A patriotic scholar whose homeland is on the banks of the West Vam Co River

Talented patriotic intellectual

According to the work Tien Dai Phu Hanh Trang (Recounting the life of my father) by Nguyen Thong, his great-grandfather went to the South to reclaim the land in Phu Ngai Tri commune, Chau Thanh district, Long An province today around 1777-1789 when Lord Trinh conquered Thuan-Quang area (Thuan Hoa, Quang Nam (*)). Nguyen Thong's family is considered one of the typical representatives in the history of reclaiming and developing the land of Chau Thanh.

Chau Thanh was famous for its studious spirit because there were many people who were good at studying and passed the bachelor's and bachelor's exams. And those who passed the exams later became the core leaders of the local resistance movement against the French. It can be said that the history of the land as well as the family tradition had instilled in Nguyen Thong a spirit of integrity, love for the people and integrity. Nguyen Thong's real name was Nguyen Thoi Thong, he was born in 1827 in a poor Confucian family. From a young age, he was famous for being intelligent, good at studying and loved by his neighbors. He passed the bachelor's exam in 1849, when he was only 22 years old. In 1851, he was appointed as the Phu Phong Instructor, An Giang province. In 1856, he returned to Hue to work in the Cabinet, compiled the book Kham Dinh Nhan Su Kim Giam and was appointed as a member of the Imperial Academy.

When Gia Dinh fell, he joined the army and became a powerful assistant to Ton That Hiep and Nguyen Duy (Nguyen Duy was Nguyen Tri Phuong's younger brother). When Ky Hoa citadel fell, Nguyen Thong returned to Chau Thanh with Phan Van Dat and Trinh Quang Nghi (Nguyen Thong's uncle) to organize an army to fight against the French.

When the three eastern provinces of Cochinchina fell into the hands of the French, Nguyen Thong returned to work as the education director of Vinh Long province. The French continued to occupy the three western provinces, so he returned by sea to Binh Thuan . He was assigned to many different positions in the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Rites, Tay Nguyen, Quang Ngai, Binh Thuan,... and took on many different tasks. No matter what position he held, Nguyen Thong devoted all his energy to taking care of the people and the country. In many localities, people respected him wholeheartedly.

He was a patriot, loved his people, and thought of the people's interests in everything he did. Nguyen Thong was also a talented irrigation worker. For each project, he carefully studied the reality to come up with practical and effective solutions during the construction process. He was also an economist who paid great attention to planting trees and reclaiming land, a highly responsible historian, an educator, and a patriotic poet.

In his later years, despite his failing health, he still tried to develop agriculture and educate young people in Binh Thuan - where he was the Bo Chanh. He died in 1884, at the age of 57.

Continuing the tradition

Nguyen Thong was a respected intellectual of the 19th century. His life and career are a shining example for posterity. His children and grandchildren have promoted the proud tradition of the family. Following their father's footsteps, his two sons, Nguyen Trong Loi and Nguyen Quy Anh, founded Duc Thanh School, Lien Thanh Poetry Society and Lien Thanh Trading House - three economic and cultural innovation establishments in the early 20th century. Nguyen Trong Loi and Mr. Truong Gia Mo were the ones who introduced the patriotic youth Nguyen Tat Thanh to teach at Duc Thanh School. In addition, there is an opinion that the house where Nguyen Tat Thanh lived in Saigon before boarding the ship to France was also the headquarters of Lien Thanh Trading House at that time.

Lien Thanh Trading Company was “born with the purpose of building and developing industry and commerce in the direction of reviving the national economy, in the spirit of self-reliance and self-strengthening to fight against economic oppression and competition from foreign powers” (excerpt from Nguyen Thong’s Family and the Patriotic Struggle Movement in Binh Thuan in the Early 20th Century - Phan Hai). Mr. Nguyen Trong Loi was the founder and also the General Director of Lien Thanh Trading Company and was highly regarded for his integrity, dynamism, and diligence. Later, he fell ill and died on the way to build a new facility for Lien Thanh Trading Company.

Nguyen Thong Memorial Area in Phu Ngai Tri Commune, Chau Thanh District

In addition to Nguyen Thong High School, Chau Thanh also has a street named Nguyen Thong.

Today, in Phu Ngai Tri commune, Nguyen Thong Memorial Site is spaciously built in the area with the old house foundation, where Nguyen Thong lived during his childhood and the graves of his grandmother and parents. The project includes a gate, fence, stele house, exhibition house,... with a total cost of over 17 billion VND, and will be inaugurated in 2022.

Students visit Nguyen Thong Memorial Area

The memorial site has become a typical traditional educational site in Chau Thanh. Every year, members of the Youth Union, especially students of Nguyen Thong High School, come to visit the memorial site and learn about the life of patriotic intellectual Nguyen Thong. Huynh Uyen Nhi (grade 12 student, Nguyen Thong High School) said: "Since visiting the Nguyen Thong Memorial Site, I have felt especially proud to study at the school named after him. I think the best way to continue the tradition and show gratitude to our ancestors is to try to study well and contribute to building our homeland"./.

Guilin

(*) According to the article "Thuan Hoa and Quang Nam equal regions " (author Tran Viet Dien), the name Thuan Hoa dates back to 1307 when King Tran Anh Tong changed the two Chau O and Chau Ri to Chau Thuan and Chau Hoa. The name Quang Nam dates back to 1471 after the great victory of Dai Viet, when King Le Thanh Tong personally led an expedition to attack Tra Toan. From then on, historians called "Thuan Hoa and Quang Nam regions" or "the two Thuan Quang regions" when talking about these two lands.

- The article is based on the Nguyen Thong Memorial Site Relic Records.

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