"If you want to get high marks, go to Co village"

The Southern region is the ancient Son Nam town, now the three provinces of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh. Hanh Thien village, now in Xuan Hong commune, Xuan Truong district, Nam Dinh province, has long been famous for its tradition of studiousness, and is a land of “spiritual land and talented people”. Hanh Thien is the hometown of General Secretary Truong Chinh and many outstanding revolutionary activists of our Party and State.

Xu Dong is the ancient Hai Dong town, located east of Thang Long, now belonging to the localities: Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Thai Binh.

Co Am (commonly known as Co village) is the hometown of Mr. Trang Trinh-Nguyen Binh Khiem and many high-ranking scholars of all times; typical ones are Mr. Tran Luong Bat, who passed the doctoral exam in 1664, under the Later Le Dynasty, and held the position of Right Minister of Infantry. When he died, he was posthumously awarded the position of Left Minister; Mr. Tran Cong Han, who passed the doctoral exam in 1733, under the Later Le Dynasty, held the position of Dai Che Vien Han Lam, went to suppress the enemy and died in battle, and was posthumously awarded the title of Dong Cac Dai Hoc Si...

A Party cell meeting of Party Cell 5 was held at Ha communal house (Co Am). Photo: DUONG THI BICH

In the 20th and early 21st centuries, many Co Am people continued to be successful in all areas of life. In the literary world, Co Am had two brothers, Tran Tieu and Tran Khanh Du (aka Khai Hung in Tu Luc Van Doan, author of two famous novels "Hon Buom Mo Tien" and "Nua Dang Xuan"). In the field of art, there was Professor Tran Bang, a famous Cheo researcher, artist Tran Luc... In the field of mathematics, there was Professor, Doctor Dao Trong Thi, former Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children. In the field of history, there was Lieutenant General, Professor, Doctor Hoang Phuong, former Director of the Vietnam Military History Institute. In the field of medicine, there was Dr. Tran Trong Hai, elected as an academician by the New York Academy of Sciences (USA)...

Many people are surprised because Co Am is the most remote commune in Hai Phong (not counting island communes) but has many students who won prizes in national and international competitions for excellent students. Only counting the people from Co Am who are recognized as academicians, professors, associate professors, and doctors, there are nearly 200 of them.

Explaining the saying “If you want to achieve high results, go to Co village”, many people think that it is due to feng shui, but according to the analysis of comrade Dao Nguyen Cu, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, the achievements of the children in the village originated from the tradition of loving to learn. In the past, Co village had a small land area, a large population, “chiem khe, rotten season”, so families tried to encourage their children to study, take exams to become mandarins, teach or go to work far away. In 1946, Co Am was honored to receive a letter of praise and a photo of Uncle Ho for his achievements in “eradicating hunger and ignorance”. Currently, Co Am still maintains a beautiful custom, which is to respect educated people more than rich people, people with high power and position. Families often do not show off their children's positions and wealth but show off their academic titles and degrees. The commune's Association for Promoting Education was established before the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education. Most of the clans in the commune have an education promotion fund. Children who study well are rewarded from their family to their village, commune, etc.

Birthplace of the first Communist Party cell of Vinh Bao

On August 8, 1938, at the private home of party member Trinh Khac Dan in hamlet 1, Co Am commune, with the participation of members of the Party Executive Committee of Hai Duong province (at that time Vinh Bao belonged to Hai Duong province), the Communist Party of Vietnam cell in Co Am was established with the first three party members: Trinh Khac Dan, Dao Trong Khoan and Nguyen Van Uoc. Among them, two party members Trinh Khac Dan and Dao Trong Khoan were from Co Am. This was the first Communist Party cell of Vinh Bao district and also the predecessor of the Vinh Bao district Party Committee today.

Under the leadership of the Party cell, the revolutionary movement of Co Am and Vinh Bao developed widely. During the years of resistance against French colonialism, Co Am guerrillas participated in many battles using homemade weapons and weapons captured from the enemy. Among them was a famous battle in which they pretended to be women going to Nam Am market and then suddenly used shoulder poles to attack European and African soldiers and took away the enemy's guns. Many people in the area still remember the poem warning the French at that time: "Co Am guerrillas are very good/ Pretending to be women in broad daylight/ Using shoulder poles to attack the French right at the market/ If the enemy wants to live, they must leave immediately".

During the years of resistance against the US to save the country, Co Am was always the leading flag of the Movement "Not a pound of rice is missing, not a soldier is missing" of Vinh Bao district. Almost all families in the commune had someone in the army, of which 15 families had from 3 to 5 children in the army; 13 families had two children who were martyrs. In the commune, there were 21 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers. Notably, there were 3 biological sisters, Dao Thi Nhu, Dao Thi Nhu, Dao Thi Tiu, who were all Vietnamese Heroic Mothers. All 3 had two children who were martyrs. Co Am was also the first commune of Vinh Bao district to receive the noble title of Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces.

DO PHU THO

*Please visit the Economics section to see related news and articles.