Tien Dong base is located in Tien Luong commune, Cam Khe district, Phu Tho province, about 17 km from Cam Khe district center and about 53 km from Viet Tri city, near national highway 32C and Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway. very convenient for tourists near and far to visit and learn. This is a place associated with the name and merits of General Nguyen Quang Bich and the martyrs of the Can Vuong movement during the anti-French invasion period.
Temple of General Nguyen Quang Bich at Tien Dong base (Photo: Collectibles)
According to the book Literary Dictionary (new series) by author Nguyen Hue Chi published by The Gioi Publishing House in 2004, the entry Nguyen Quang Bich recorded that: Nguyen Quang Bich is a patriotic scholar, self-proclaimed Ham Huy , brand Ngu Phong. He was born on April 8, the year of the Dragon (ie, May 7, 1832) in Trinh Pho commune, Truc Dinh district, Kien Xuong district, Nam Dinh province (now Trinh Nhat village, An Ninh commune, Tien Hai district, Thai province). Jar). He was originally from the Ngo family, descended from King Ngo Quyen and founded the country, the god of the Later Le dynasty – Ngo Tu (the maternal grandfather of King Le Thanh Tong), but because his grandfather changed to his maternal surname Nguyen, history books often call him Nguyen. Quang Bich. In 1861, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and opened a teaching school. In 1869, he passed the Dinh Nguyen Hoang Giap exam and in turn held important positions in the imperial city of Hue, then promoted to Chief of Mission of the Son Room cum Tuan Phu of Hung Hoa province. In April 1884, Hung Hoa province was defeated, and Ngo Quang Bich’s government was recalled to the capital. He returned the seal and then led his army to Tien Dong (Cam Khe) to raise the flag of the uprising, responding to the Can Vuong movement. More than a year later, when the Can Vuong uprising movement was launched nationwide, Tien Dong became the guiding center of the whole Tonkin. During 7 years of leadership, as the leader of the Can Vuong Bac Ky movement, he practiced combined forces throughout the region on both sides of the Red and Da rivers into a powerful and powerful army, supported by many talented generals, relying on mountains and forests, using “guerrilla” tactics combined with war. “du soldiers”… made the enemy army lose their minds many times, and broke the island. The French colonialists were very afraid of the tactics of General Nguyen Quan Bich and the forces at Tien Dong Base growing stronger and stronger, so there were many times lured him out and promised perks; But with a deep hatred for the enemy, Ngo Quang Bich kept all his loyalty to the King, the country, and the people. Historian Pham Van Tan, writing in the book “Vietnamese history of Tan Bien” published in 1963, also said that Nguyen Quang Bich “firmly refused” to lure goods from the French colonialists. In “Answer to the French Army”, he stated firmly: “If you win and live, you will become a royal soldier, if you lose and die, you will also become a holy ghost to kill the enemy …”. In January 1890, Nguyen Quang Bich fell seriously ill and died at the Tien Dong base. His body was buried on Ton Son mountain, Yen Lap province (Phu Tho). Three years later, his son brought his remains to a temporary burial in Cat Tru village (Cam Khe, Phu Tho) – the hometown of the close general De Kieu (one of the generals who responded to the Can Vuong movement), Two years later, he was transferred to his hometown for burial in Thai Binh.
The Tien Dong base relic was built on a land area with a total area of 1.2ha, of which the work items have a total area of 1,230m2, including the following works: Relic gate, temple General Nguyen Quang Bich with two pavilions and harem, courtyard, garden, 30m2 high flagpole and campus system. In the temple, there is a statue of General Ngo Quang Bich, a tiger gun, autographs in Chinese characters of the emperor. King Tu Duc, inscriptions record the will and courage of him and the martyrs of Can Vuong.
The temple is located on the top of a high hill, with a flagpole with a red flag with a yellow star flying in the middle of a green and peaceful space. That was the place where the flag sacrifice ceremony of General Ngo Quang Bich took place during the days of the Can Vuong uprising movement. The space of the temple is quiet to the point of solitude, fruit trees are blooming and giving off a fragrant scent. The stone steles on the right and left of the temple, at the foot of the flagpole, were covered with ancient moss. On the stele, the management board of the relic site inscribed the admirable lines of the great minister Ton That Thuyet praising the will and patriotism of Ngo Quang Bich:
“Loyalty is not willing to leave Tay Chau
Hold on to Thao, the upper class Da strip
Gathering the army in the perspective
Hold the three-meter sword and cut the enemy.”
Even though those words were covered by an endless layer of time, in their hearts they still burned with the patriotism and sense of independence and sovereignty of General Ngo Quang Bich and hundreds of Vietnamese soldiers. King. That is the spirit and actions of General Nguyen Quang Bich and his soldiers determined to keep every inch of land and river, not to let the enemy encroach.
The epitaph records Nguyen Quang Bich’s will to fight foreign invaders at Tien Dong temple (Photo: collectibles)
Flagpole at Tien Dong base – where the flag-offering ceremony of General Nguyen Quang Bich took place (Photo: collectibles)
To affirm the value of Tien Dong base and the dedication of the famous Nguyen Quang Bich, on February 12, 1999, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 05/QD-BVHTT on the ranking National level historical relic for Tien Dong base (Tien Luong commune, Cam Khe district). On February 16, 2002, with the consent of the People’s Committee of Phu Tho province, the People’s Committee of Cam Khe district conducted a procession of the statue of General Nguyen Quang Bich and the martyrs to worship at the base area, agreeing to take The 16th day of the second lunar month every year is the main festival held at the Temple. The festival days take place both solemnly and jubilantly with folk games such as playing human chess, writing calligraphy on Ngu Phong’s works and sports activities such as volleyball,
Tien Dong base has beautiful scenery of mountains and hills interspersed with ponds, rivers, and many interesting and beautiful palm forests and tea hills, which is a landscape of the midland. At present, here still retain famous landmarks such as General Quan hill, Mai mound, Don mound, Moc mound, Co Trac hill, Co Trac hill, which are relics of the first resistance center against the French. in Tonkin.
Tien Dong relic is an outstanding tourist, cultural and historical site of Cam Khe district, having an important meaning in researching and learning about the Can Vuong movement in Phu Tho province, actively contributing to the local economic and tourism development. Every year, Tien Dong relic has attracted a large number of tourists for sightseeing, worship and research. This place together with historical sites such as: Tho Khoc Communal House, Ha Khe Communal House (Phuong Xa Commune), Ca Communal House (Pung Xa Commune), Trinh Khuc Communal House (Van Khuc Commune), and many traditional festivals and birth landscapes. Other sites such as: Ba Vuc Lake (Van Ban commune), Stone worship area (Huong Lung commune), Van Thang revolutionary war zone (Dong Luong commune) … will create Cam Khe potential for development of cultural tourism. ecotourism in the near future.
Source: Collected internet.