Phu Yen Online - Historical celebrities of Tuy An land

O Loan water is as calm as a sheet of paper/ Pity the patriot who raised the Can Vuong flag/ Spread out his pillow on the ground and slept in the dew/ Wholeheartedly for the country, setting a heroic example.

Circulated among the people, those poems and songs are the endless regret of the people of Phu Yen in general and Tuy An in particular about the military commander Le Thanh Phuong - a historical celebrity of Tuy An in the Can Vuong movement.

Leader of the Can Vuong movement in Phu Yen

According to Phu Yen Gazetteer , Le Thanh Phuong was born in March 1825 (lunar calendar), in My Phu village, Xuan Vinh commune, Dong Xuan district (now My Phu village, An Hiep commune, Tuy An district), coming from a well-off middle-class farmer family. At the age of 30, Le Thanh Phuong passed the bachelor's exam, so the locals often called him Tu Phuong. Le Thanh Phuong both farmed and taught students. In the afternoon, he often took his students to O Loan lagoon to admire the scenery, recite poems, andteach patriotism and love for the people...

In 1885, the capital city of Hue fell, King Ham Nghi issued the Can Vuong edict. The Can Vuong movement was enthusiastically responded to by patriotic scholars in Phu Yen. Le Thanh Phuong issued a proclamation to recruit troops throughout the province and gathered a large number of social classes to respond. Many famous patriotic scholars at that time unanimously supported the proclamation of patriot Le Thanh Phuong.

From August to December 1885, his army captured many French colonialists and in a very short time controlled the situation in Phu Yen. From January to July 1886, Le Thanh Phuong continued to gather forces to attack the enemy's headquarters. He commanded two armies of Bui Giang and Le Thanh Binh (Le Thanh Phuong's son) to fight a decisive battle in An Tho citadel - the provincial capital of Phu Yen at that time, where the puppet government with the military units and a French expeditionary force commanded by Major Delaberde occupied. The victory at An Tho citadel affirmed the strength of the uprising in particular and the Can Vuong movement in general. Le Thanh Phuong's army destroyed the enemy's largest stronghold, liberating the entire Phu Yen province. King Ham Nghi appointed Le Thanh Phuong as Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs and gave him the authority to command the entire South Central region, with the task of liberating the remaining provinces in the region to open the way to the six provinces of Cochinchina.

Better to die than to be humiliated.

On April 22, 1886, the Can Vuong insurgents took control of Binh Thuan. On May 17 of that year, the insurgents continued to take control of Khanh Hoa. The French colonialists were terrified by the growth of the Can Vuong movement, and they used every trick to suppress it. On February 4, 1887, from the Southwest region, the great traitor Tran Ba Loc (Governor of Thuan - Khanh) was ordered to Phu Yen. He used every scheme and brutal trick to suppress the uprising. After many fierce battles, Le Thanh Phuong led his troops to retreat to the mountainous area of Cung Son to consolidate his forces to continue resisting the French. Tran Ba Loc occupied Ngan Son, ordered his soldiers to surround the supply routes of our insurgents and used every trick to capture Le Thanh Phuong. After many unsuccessful attempts to entice, bribe, and offer a reward for Le Thanh Phuong's capture, Tran Ba Loc used a unique trick to bribe the insurgents participating in the Can Vuong movement to destroy it from within. Dang Trach, the chief of Hoa Binh (Tuy Hoa) betrayed the insurgents and willingly became a lackey for the enemy. He wrote a letter to Le Thanh Phuong and sent someone to invite him to meet him to prepare for a counterattack to retake the north of the province. On the morning of February 14, Le Thanh Phuong rode alone to meet Dang Trach. Dang Trach welcomed Le Thanh Phuong to his private home and gave him Tran Ba Loc's letter of surrender. Le Thanh Phuong threw the letter on the ground and shouted loudly: "So you're with the enemy!" Dang Trach sent someone to rush in, tie him up and take him to Ngan Son to hand him over to Tran Ba Loc.

Le Thanh Phuong Festival is held annually on January 28 and attracts a large number of tourists and locals. Photo: PHAM THUY

Tran Ba Loc continued to entice and bribe him, but he firmly refused, so he ordered him to be imprisoned in the dark dungeon of An Tho prison and sentenced him to death. At 10:00 a.m. on February 20, the enemy brought him to the execution platform. On the execution platform, he boldly shouted: Ninh tho tu, bat ninh tho nhuc (I would rather die than be humiliated), then calmly accepted the enemy's sword.

The life, career and courageous sacrifice of Le Thanh Phuong are the pride of the people of Tuy An in particular and Phu Yen in general.

Red address for developing spiritual tourism

Le Thanh Phuong's tomb is located on Da Trang Mountain, in the Ba Bon Mountain range, halfway up the southern slope of Quan Cau Pass (My Phu Village, An Hiep Commune, Tuy An District). The tomb was built by the people with soil, shaped like a mushroom. Around the tomb was built a circular stone wall. In front of the tomb is a stele "Le Thanh Phuong's grave" engraved in Chinese characters. On the left and right sides are two parallel sentences: "National gratitude" and "Heroic martyrs".

Le Thanh Phuong Temple began construction on April 21, 1971 and was inaugurated on December 13 of the same year. The temple was built at the foot of Da Chong Mountain, where many fierce battles were fought under the direct command of Le Thanh Phuong and his son, and near the school where Le Thanh Phuong taught during his lifetime. The temple was built on a moderate scale, in a half-old, half-new style. On the roof of the communal house is a sculpture of “Two dragons facing the moon”. On the surrounding walls are parallel sentences, poems, proclamations… embossed or written in Chinese characters.

On September 27, 1996, Le Thanh Phuong's tomb and temple were recognized as a national historical relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Ban, born in 1951, the 5th generation descendant of the famous Le Thanh Phuong, who protects the Le Thanh Phuong temple, said: “I am very proud to be a descendant of Tu Phuong. Our generation now shows gratitude by serving incense, offering memorial services and preserving his history so that this place becomes a red address for educating traditions for the next generation”. Mr. Tran Van Phuc, born in 1952, who has participated in protecting the Le Thanh Phuong temple for more than 20 years, expressed: “I and the people here really admire the talent and virtue of the patriot Le Thanh Phuong. From then on, everyone has the responsibility to protect and educate their children to be proud of him”.

According to Director of Tuy An District Culture - Sports and Broadcasting Center Bui Viet Huy, Le Thanh Phuong's tomb and temple were built in a poetic and majestic location, with the famous O Loan Lagoon national scenic spot to the east. Therefore, in addition to its traditional educational value, this place is also a spiritual tourist destination, orienting visitors to their roots when coming to Phu Yen. 20km north of Tuy Hoa City, next to National Highway 1, at km1312, at the foot of Quan Cau Pass, visitors can easily reach Le Thanh Phuong's tomb and temple. In particular, every year on January 28, the Party Committee and People of Phu Yen organize an incense offering ceremony at this national relic. This is the time when tourists and people review the heroic history of their homeland.

Tuy An District People's Committee has directed agencies and units in the district to regularly propagate in many forms about the historical relic of Le Thanh Phuong's Tomb and Temple. Thereby raising awareness, enhancing the active participation of the community in joining hands to protect, preserve and promote the value of the relic, meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of all classes of people, educating traditions for the younger generation, serving visitors...

Vice Chairman of Tuy An District People's Committee Nguyen Van Hoang

PHAM THUY

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