Memories of the "old man superior"

In 1945-1946, house number 6, lane 319, An Duong Vuong street, Phu Thuong ward, Hanoi (photo) of Mrs. Nguyen Thi An became a special stop for the delegation of cadres returning to Hanoi from the Viet Bac resistance base. Mrs. Nguyen Thi An's family, including her daughter Cong Thi Thu, wholeheartedly sheltered and welcomed the "old superior" - the guest who later became President Ho Chi Minh.

According to the historical autobiography of Mrs. Cong Thi Thu, Mrs. Nguyen Thi An (1897-2000) was from Vinh Phuc (now Phu Tho), married into Phu Thuong ward, living at house number 6, lane 319, An Duong Vuong street. Thanks to her hard work, she and her family continuously harvested silk successfully, not only selling it in Hanoi but also serving foreign customers.

He had four children, including Mr. Cong Ngoc Kha (born in 1922), Mrs. Cong Thi Su (born in 1930) - who later joined the revolution and took the name Cong Thi Thu.

Around 1941-1942, Mrs. Tran Thi Sau, a special liaison of the Central Committee at that time, often visited Mrs. Nguyen Thi An's house to enlighten and build a revolutionary base. Mrs. Tran Thi Sau connected people with the same revolutionary aspirations in Phu Gia village (including many relatives of Mrs. Nguyen Thi An) with revolutionary bases in the safe zone (ATK) to form a tight and secret communication line.

Later, Mrs. Tran Thi Sau introduced Mrs. Nguyen Thi An's family to Comrade Hoang Tung (in charge of the Central ATK) to use Mrs. Nguyen Thi An's house as a base for revolutionary activities. By the end of 1944, Mrs. Nguyen Thi An reserved a room for Comrade Hoang Tung to live and work, from then on her house became the ATK revolutionary base.

On the afternoon of August 23, 1945, Comrade Hoang Tung discussed with Mrs. Nguyen Thi An that the family was preparing to welcome a group of over 10 cadres from the war zone. On the same day, Comrade Hoang Tung led the group of cadres to Mrs. Nguyen Thi An's house. Uncle Ho was introduced as a "superior old man" and was arranged to rest on a solemn mahogany bed in the middle room. "During the days staying at my house, the "superior old man" was weak and tired, could only eat porridge, slept little and worked until late at night with a typewriter and an oil lamp on the sofa", Mrs. Cong Thi Thu recalled.

According to comrade Truong Chinh's account recorded in Nhan Dan newspaper on August 28, 1988 (currently on display at the relic), on the afternoon of August 25, 1945, comrade Truong Chinh returned to meet the "old superior", sat and worked together on the sofa of Nguyen Thi An's family, then took Uncle Ho back to the inner city.

Talking to SGGP reporter, Mrs. Cong Thi Thu said: “From early morning on September 2, 1945, I led a group of young people to attend the rally. Our group arrived early and was arranged near the grandstand, so we had a clear view of the people standing on the grandstand. After the ceremony, I rushed home and hugged my mother and said: Today, at Ba Dinh Square, I just learned that the “old man of high rank” who came to our house a few days ago was President Ho - the one who read the Declaration of Independence. My mother, with tears in her eyes, hugged me and said that it was the family’s blessing.”

On November 24, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh visited Nguyen Thi An's family again. That day, he had an intimate meal with Nguyen Thi An's family, and the bronze tray used in the meal was preserved by the family forever. With such great historical value, on December 3, 2021, Nguyen Thi An's house was ranked as a National Monument by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

On August 22, speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the restoration of the historical relic where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked at Nguyen Thi An's house, Mr. Bui The Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Thuong Ward, Hanoi City affirmed: "The historical relic of Nguyen Thi An's house is the pride of Phu Thuong people. This place is not only a "red address" for educating traditions for future generations but also a typical cultural and historical destination of the capital."

The house has 3 main rooms, 2 side rooms are photo galleries about generations of Vietnamese leaders and historical events of the country. Along with that are items such as the bronze pot that Uncle Ho used in 1945, the rattan suitcase and the typewriter that Uncle Ho brought back from the Viet Bac resistance base. In front of the house are four Chinese characters "Minh nguyet thanh phong". All artifacts are arranged and displayed according to historical events.

On August 23, exactly 80 years since Uncle Ho came to live and work at the family of Nguyen Thi An, at Pho Hang Coffee Shop (Hong Ha Ward, Hanoi), Mr. Do Anh Duc (owner of the shop) organized an exchange between Mrs. Cong Thi Thu, historian Le Van Lan and guests of the shop.

Stories about the revolutionary autumn of 1945 by historical witnesses help the young generation understand and be proud of national history.

HA NGUYEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ky-uc-ve-cu-gia-thuong-cap-post811284.html