PANO – Located on Co Ty hill in Tham Tang hamlet, Dinh Bien commune, Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province, the revolutionary historical relic site, “Five-entrance trench”, the command post of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army from 1950 to 1954, has been recognized as a national relic.

This is the place where General Nguyen Chi Thanh used to live and work to consolidate the leadership of the Party over the army and helped build its political strength. Also in the base, the Party Central Committee and President Ho Chi Minh had issued guidelines and important policies leading the army and people to defeat French colonialists and prevent the intervention of American invaders in the Winter-Spring 1953-1954 Campaign, ending the nine year resistance war against French invaders with the historic victory at Dien Bien Phu.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia present with a portrait of late General Nguyen Chi Thanh to the Tham Tang culture house

 

At the ceremony, local people were moved to recall the days when they and their families helped troops of the General Department of Politics. Nong Van Tuyen, 84, recalled learning that troops went to Tham Tang, a deserted area, to build a post, people from other localities came to help troops dig trenches. Few years later, people moved to live near the post to make a security belt to protect the troops.

Addressing the ceremony, Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics inquired after local people’s health and reaffirmed the significance of their contributions to the revolution. The general said that the Vietnamese in general and troops of the Vietnam People’s Army in particular have always been proud of Viet Bac revolutionary base and hoped the relic to become one of the most attractive destinations for visitors, including officers and troops in the army.

In mid this year, the General Department of Politics built a culture house in Tham Tang hamlet, serving as a venue for locals to meet and exchange.

Translated by Tran Hoai