Visiting Ham Ha

Amidst the nationwide emulation of achieving outstanding results to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam , we returned to the place where the first Party branch of Thanh Hoa province was established to feel the joy, excitement, and pride spreading throughout Ham Ha street.

The Ham Ha communal house, a national historical monument, has been restored and renovated to a magnificent state.

With each step taken at each historical site, the glorious history of Ham Ha is vividly recreated. In 1929, several bases of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association were attacked, but active members who escaped the enemy's pursuit persevered in their activities. During this time, Comrade Le Cong Thanh (from Mao Xa village, Thieu Toan commune, Thieu Hoa district) – after escaping to the North – participated in the "proletarianization" movement and was admitted to the Party in Northern Vietnam. Through Comrade Le Cong Thanh, the Northern Vietnam Regional Party Committee grasped the revolutionary situation in Thanh Hoa . To build a core force for the revolutionary movement, in April 1930, the Northern Vietnam Regional Party Committee assigned Comrade Le Cong Thanh the task of directing the establishment of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee.

Ham Ha communal house, a national historical site, is a "red address" for educating about revolutionary traditions.

After investigating and understanding the situation, Comrade Le Cong Thanh sent Comrade Nguyen Doan Chap from Hoang Giang commune (Hoang Hoa district) directly to Thanh Hoa to promote the development of the Party's grassroots organization. Comrade Nguyen Doan Chap went to Ham Ha village to make contact with members of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association in Ham Ha and admitted three comrades, Le Ba Tung, Le Oanh Kieu, and Le The Long, into the Communist Party. After a period of careful preparation, on June 25, 1930, under the chairmanship of Comrade Nguyen Doan Chap, the founding conference of the Ham Ha branch - the first Party branch of Thanh Hoa province - took place at the house of Mr. Le Oanh Kieu. Comrade Le The Long was elected secretary of the Ham Ha branch.

Immediately after its establishment, the Ham Ha Party branch raised the banner of revolutionary leadership. In particular, under its leadership, the "Red Peasant Association" was also established in Ham Ha and spread throughout the localities. The birth of the Ham Ha Party branch was a crucial turning point, opening a new chapter in the revolutionary movement in Dong Son district in particular, and Thanh Hoa province in general, making a significant contribution to the establishment of other Party branches in the province. From three small "sparks" – the Ham Ha (Dong Son), Phuc Loc (Thieu Hoa), and Yen Truong (Yen Dinh) Party branches – on July 29, 1930, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee was established at the house of Comrade Le Van Sy, Secretary of the Yen Truong Party branch. Comrade Le The Long, Secretary of the Ham Ha Party branch, was elected Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and became the first Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Thanh Hoa province.

In front of the communal house, there is a banyan tree and a well, creating a harmonious and peaceful atmosphere.

To preserve, protect, and promote its outstanding historical and cultural values, in 1994, Ham Ha communal house was recognized as a National Historical Relic Complex, comprising three sites: Ham Ha village communal house – a place that sheltered revolutionary soldiers during the war; the house of Mr. Le Oanh Kieu – where the Ham Ha Party branch was established; and the house of Mr. Pham Van Huong – where the newspaper "Tien Len" – the first official publication of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee – was published. By 2000, the Ham Ha communal house historical relic complex was renovated with a total investment of over 44.7 billion VND, including: the communal house area, guesthouse, village well area, the house of Mr. Le Oanh Kieu, the house of Mr. Pham Van Huong, and the Ham Ha road was widened, creating a spacious, clean, and beautiful landscape.

The road in front of the Ham Ha communal house historical site has been widened.

The restoration and preservation of the Ham Ha communal house historical site is an expression of gratitude from the Party Committee, government, and people of Thanh Hoa province to the generations of ancestors who came before. For 95 years, Ham Ha has remained a source of pride for cadres, Party members, and the people here, inspiring them to continue upholding the revolutionary tradition and building Ham Ha into a model neighborhood by 2020. From the first Party branch in the province, the Ham Ha Party branch now has 105 members.

In our conversation, Mr. Pham Van Sinh, Party Secretary and Head of the Ham Ha residential group, did not forget to mention the story of the 6 households that had to relocate and resettle to a new location to hand over the land for the construction of the Ham Ha village communal house grounds, and the 126 households that donated 3,360 square meters of land and dismantled many structures on the land to expand the Ham Ha road. “The pride of being born and raised in the revolutionary homeland of Ham Ha is the great motivation that helped the people agree to relocate and donate land to expand the Ham Ha Historical Relic Complex to its current beautiful state. We believe that successfully building a model street is a journey with only a beginning and no end. Continuing that journey with higher-level orientations, the Ham Ha residential area strives to become a developed, civilized, and modern urban area after the town of Rung Thong becomes Rung Thong ward and is merged into Thanh Hoa City,” said Mr. Pham Van Sinh, Party Secretary and Head of the Ham Ha residential area.

Upholding revolutionary traditions, the people of Ham Ha have donated land to expand the road, making it spacious, clean, and beautiful.

In anticipation of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Party and the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Snake 2025, the Ham Ha communal house historical site has become more bustling as numerous officials, Party members, and citizens come to offer incense and express their respect and gratitude to the ancestors, steadfast communist soldiers, heroic martyrs, and many generations of comrades and compatriots who have contributed to the homeland and the country. This provides them with further motivation to build a more prosperous, beautiful, and civilized Ham Ha.

Text and photos: To Phuong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ve-tham-ham-ha-237976.htm