718th death anniversary of National Hero Tran Hung Dao celebrated

Former President Truong Tan Sang and delegates offer incense in commemoration of National Hero Tran Hung Dao. Photos: Thanh Chung

The Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of Hai Duong province solemnly celebrated the 718th death anniversary of National Hero, Hung Dao Great Lord Tran Quoc Tuan on the evening of September 25 (the 16th day of the 8th lunar month) at Kiep Bac relic.

In attendance were Mr. Truong Tan Sang, former Politburo Member, former President; Mr. Nguyen Manh Hien, Member of the Party Central Committee (PCC), Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee (PPC), Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Mr. Nguyen The Ky, PCC Member, Director-general of Radio the Voice of Vietnam; Mr. Tran Quoc Cuong, PCC Member, Deputy Secretary of the Dak Lak PPC; Mr. Bui Thanh Quyen, former PCC Member, former PPC Secretary, former Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, former Head of the Provincial Delegation of National Assembly Deputies; Mr. Vu Van Son, PPC Standing Deputy Secretary; Mr. Nguyen Duong Thai, PPC Deputy Secretary, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Delegation of National Assembly Deputies; members of the PPC's Standing Board; standing members of the Provincial People's Council; leaders of the People's Committee, Fatherland Front Committee, departments, boards, branches, unions, districts, provincial town, and city of the province; religious dignitaries; Buddhists; locals; visitors; etc.

A representative of the Festival Organizing Board delivers a speech in commemoration of National Hero Tran Hung Dao

In his speech to mark the 718th death anniversary of National Hero, Hung Dao Great Lord Tran Quoc Tuan, Mr. Luong Van Cau, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Festival Organizing Board, affirmed that Hai Duong is a land of profound historical and cultural traditions, was the eastern partition of the ancient imperial city of Thang Long, and has long been well-known as a sacred land of extraordinary people, typically Con Son – Kiep Bac special national relic site.

In the Tran dynasty, Commander in Chief Tran Hung Dao established Van Kiep general headquarters to together with Tran king and mandarins hold army festivals with a determination to fight, to win, and to smash the expansion intention of the Yuan-Mongol empire in the 13th century.

Commander in Chief Tran Hung Dao, whose real name was Tran Quoc Tuan, was born in 1228 to the Tran royal family. As a talented person knowing how to preserve the backbone of the nation, he was appointed to important posts through the reigns of four Tran kings.

Participants in the 718th death anniversary of National Hero Tran Hung Dao

In the 13th century, Yuan-Mongol troops three times invaded Vietnam. Under the skillful leadership of Tran Hung Dao, the Tran army overcame numerous difficulties and challenges to defeat tens of thousands of Yuan-Mongol invaders and win resounding victories.

Former President Truong Tan Sang, the leaders, delegates, officials, locals, and visitors respectfully offered incense in commemoration of the 718th death anniversary of National Hero, Hung Dao Great Lord Tran Quoc Tuan.

The ceremony also officially began the Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival.

This year's autumn festival is taking place from September 19 – 29 (the 10th - the 20th day of the 8th lunar month) with many traditional rituals.

Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Manh Hien gives seal marks to locals and visitors

After the anniversary, the Festival Organizing Board held the ceremonies of opening the seal of Saint Tran and granting seal marks.

Earlier, on the afternoon of the same day, former President Truong Tan Sang worked with leaders of the province.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hien briefly reported on the situation of the provincial economy, politics, and society after three years of implementing resolutions of the 16th Provincial Party Congress.

On the morning of the same day, the Organizing Board of the 2018 Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival celebrated the 576th death anniversary of National Hero, World Celebrity Nguyen Trai (1442 – 2018) at Con Son relic.

Locals and visitors offer incense in commemoration of National Hero Tran Hung Dao

The speech commemorating National Hero, World Celebrity Nguyen Trai delivered by Mr. Luong Van Cau stressed that this was a chance to show respect to history, review the patriotic tradition, independent spirit, self-strengthening, and national pride, educate the moral code uong nuoc nho nguon (when drinking water, remember its origin), commemorate and honor ancestors with merit in the cause of building and defending the country.

Nguyen Trai, whose pseudonym was Uc Trai, was born in 1380 in Thang Long imperial city. His father was Nguyen Phi Khanh, a native of Chi Ngai village (now in Cong Hoa ward, Chi Linh, Hai Duong).

During his childhood, Nguyen Trai lived with his maternal grandfather in Thang Long and Con Son.

Ming aggressors started dominating Vietnam in 1407. Indignant with the enemy, Nguyen Trai went to Lam Son, offered Binh Ngo Sach (Strategies to Defeat the Wu), and helped Le Loi. He became the soul of the resistance war against the Ming invaders for national liberation in the 15th century.

TIEN MANH