Adjacent to the Au Co Temple, the ancient Dong Lam land (now Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district) still preserves an ancient school that is one hundred years old. Through many ups and downs, although there are no longer the voices of teachers lecturing or the sounds of children playing, the ancient moss-covered school is still steadfast with its unique architectural features as a witness to history, a pride in the tradition of studiousness and indomitability of the people here...
"Dong Lam tile school" is now the Cultural House of Zone 3, Hien Luong commune.
Witness of history
Located on a low-lying field, a meter lower than National Highway 32, recently, due to the impact of storm No. 3, the cultural house of Zone 3 in Hien Luong commune was flooded with mud and water for dozens of days. Looking at the peeling marks on the wall showing signs of loose mortar due to being soaked in water for a long time, Mr. Nguyen Van Truong - the person assigned to look after the cultural house, worried: "This was originally one of the first elementary schools in the province, hundreds of years old. Years of war and storms only caused the tile roof to shift, but there has never been such a loss or damage like this. Just like humans, the older they get, the weaker their health becomes, "the old man" also needs to be taken care of, rested and recuperated...". Born in 1954, having studied at this school, Mr. Truong, like many people in the commune, is always attached and proud when mentioning this ancient and unique work of his hometown.
Although its function has changed many times, sometimes as a warehouse, sometimes as a cultural house, the name "Dong Lam Tile School" has been used by people around the area for hundreds of years with pride in the first spacious tiled school building of Mau Ha Hoa land.
The history of Dong Lam Commune Party Committee (1930-2000) clearly states: “From the end of the 19th century until 1924, the French colonialists built Dong Lam Primary School. The whole Dong Lam commune had only one school and it was one of six schools in Phu Tho province at that time.”
The name of the French envoy who built the school and the year of construction are embossed in the middle.
According to the elders in the village, in 1923, the French opened the first class in Minh Khai hamlet, Dong Lam commune (now in zone 3, Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district) with 12 students. In 1924, the number of students began to increase, the French built a 3-room tiled house to serve as a classroom. In the 1924-1925 school year, the school was officially established with a system of classes from grade 1 to grade 3 under the name of Dong Lam Secondary School (ie primary school with all classes) with teacher Nguyen Quy Han as principal. At that time, the school was a place to receive students from the whole region: the northern communes of Ha Hoa district, the southern communes of Yen Bai province and some communes in the east of Nghia Lo province.
Dong Lam School is located right next to the main road, on the right bank of the Red River, built of bricks, cement, and roofed with tiles. The entire school consists of three tall, wide rooms with glass doors and shutters. The student desks are all made of sturdy ironwood. At the top of the school, there is also a room made of bamboo. The school grounds are moderately large, with enough space for about 120-150 students to play. In front of the school, there is a neatly trimmed hibiscus hedge, and a school pond at the top of the grounds. The school gate is built with sturdy pillars and a sign on it: ÉCOLE DE DONG LAM (Dong Lam School).
After a century of ups and downs, the tiled school that was once the most spacious and majestic in the region has now somewhat deteriorated with peeling walls, a few damaged wooden doors, and the entire main door system that used to face the fields has now been moved to the opposite side, facing Highway 32. But overall, the Western-style building still retains its original appearance and solid structure, from the tiled roof to the replacement of rails, purlins, and crossbeams. On the wall, the red words AE HUC KEL 1924 (the name of the French envoy who built the school) still stand out on a yellow background; on both sides of the main door are a pair of Chinese parallel sentences. In the bustling flow of modern life, Hien Luong homeland is changing every day, the ancient school still stands silently and steadfastly with the years as a living witness, a milestone for a painful yet heroic historical period of the nation...
Continue the traditional golden history
When building Dong Lam Military Academy, the French purpose was to train a team of lackeys to serve the rule and colonial exploitation in Vietnam. However, in complete contrast to this sinister plot, Dong Lam Tile School with dedicated teachers trained generations of students with good knowledge and patriotism, supplementing the revolutionary team with loyal and brave soldiers. Although the signboard is in French, the name of the French who built the school is embossed in the middle, the parallel sentences are in Chinese characters. But just the content of the parallel sentence composed by the Governor of Phu Tho in 1924: "Europe and America are developing science like a storm, they also started from elementary school knowledge/The descendants of the Dragon and Fairy must also try to study at this school to catch up with them" clearly shows the will and aspiration for independence, self-reliance, and building a rich and beautiful homeland of generations of Vietnamese people here.
Parallel sentences composed by the Governor of Phu Tho.
The history of the Ha Hoa District Party Committee (1930-1998) recorded: "In June 1940, comrade Tran Thi Minh Chau - Member of the Party Executive Committee of Zone D, operating in Cat Tru (Cam Khe) was assigned the task of developing the base in Nang Sa, Hien Luong. She contacted students of Dong Lam - Hien Luong Primary School to establish the Anti-Imperialist organization". This event is proof that there was a very close relationship between the school and the Party organization. As one of the important bases of the Party, at this time, a number of teachers and students of the school were enlightened and received direct leadership from the Party organization, becoming key factors in participating in the activities of the Viet Minh Front. Under the direct leadership of comrade Ngo Minh Loan and comrade Binh Phuong, the Au Co Guerrilla Team, Dong Lam Guerrilla Team, the suicide squad... were born one after another, followed by the establishment of the Van - Hien Luong War Zone. Students of Dong Lam Primary School were the main members of these organizations. On June 22, 1945, soldiers of the Van - Hien Luong War Zone organized an attack against the Japanese in the Deo Giang area (Van - Hien Luong land). On August 2, 1945, the Viet Minh army liberated the capital Ha Hoa, and the revolutionary government was established. Teacher Nguyen Luong Thuong - a teacher of the school at that time participated in the seizure of power and was appointed to the position of Vice Chairman of the Ha Hoa District Revolutionary Committee.
After 100 years, the building has shown signs of deterioration.
With the success of the August Revolution, “Dong Lam Tile School” continued its historical mission as a place to educate and train generations of citizens of an independent and free country. During the resistance wars against the re-invasion of French colonialism and the destructive war of the American Empire, the school had to evacuate and change location many times, and in 1977, when the school officially moved to Go Trong, the “Tiled School” was requisitioned as a warehouse, kindergarten, and cultural house, continuing to serve the people’s lives.
Principal Nguyen Luong Thuong (the man wearing a turban sitting in the middle) with teachers and students (photo taken in 1950, provided by family).
Grandfather used to let teachers stay, father used to be a student of "Dong Lam Tile School", teacher Nguyen Thi Thuy Diep is now the Principal of Dong Lam Primary School shared: "After 100 years of construction and development, generations of teachers and students of Dong Lam Primary School have written a very proud golden page of history with heroic martyrs, wounded and sick soldiers who did not hesitate to sacrifice and lose for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland; many generals, high-ranking officials, intellectuals, and workers have been and are contributing day and night to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. The glorious tradition of the school is the driving force that adds confidence, strength, and urges generations of teachers and students of Dong Lam Primary School today to strive to overcome difficulties, strive to compete in teaching and studying well, worthy of previous generations. The school has moved to a new location, invested in and built spaciously, but we still regularly remind and introduce to students about the location of "Dong Lam Tile School". We really hope that the "Roofed School" project will be preserved and become a red address for traditional education for students and people to be proud of the tradition of studiousness and indomitability of their homeland".
Sharing the same opinion with teacher Nguyen Thi Thuy Diep, comrade Nguyen Van Kien - Vice Chairman of Hien Luong Commune People's Committee shared: "Used as a cultural house in Zone 3 for many years, the building, formerly the Dong Lam Kiem Bi School, is now 100 years old and is showing signs of deterioration. The commune has a plan to move the cultural house to another location. With its special historical values, we really want to preserve the building as a place for activities and traditional education for children in the commune...".
Preserving the historical landmark as a red address for traditional education for the younger generation is the common desire of the government and people of Hien Luong so that the golden history of studiousness and indomitable perseverance of the people of the Motherland can continue to develop and spread.
Cao Khoi
Source: https://baophutho.vn/mai-truong-bach-nien-225043.htm
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