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'Roll call' some famous people born in the year of the Snake in Vietnamese history

VN (according to Vietnam+) February 3, 2025 15:00

On the occasion of the spring of At Ty 2025, let's review some people born in the year of the Snake who have left their mark in the history of the nation.

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Image of Lady Trieu in folk paintings

In Eastern thought, people born in the year of the snake are considered talented, quick-witted and flexible. In Vietnamese history, many talented people born in the year of the snake have appeared and left their names.

Lady Trieu (born in the year of At Ty 225 - died in the year of Canh Ngo 248)

According to the National Museum of History, Lady Trieu's real name was Trieu Thi Trinh.Trieu Trinh Nuong (also known as Nhuy Kieu Tuong Quan or Le Hai Ba Vuong, from Cuu Chan, Nong Cong district - now in Quan Yen mountain area, Dinh Cong - Thieu Yen area, Thanh Hoa) is a national heroine, leader of the uprising against the Ngo army during the Northern domination period.

She and her brother Trieu Quoc Dat recruited soldiers and established an army to fight against the oppression of the Ngo invaders. However, in 248, Trieu Quoc Dat died, the army was brutally suppressed by the invaders, she chose death to keep her integrity.

Later, during the reign of King Ly Nam De, a temple was built to worship her and she was posthumously awarded the title of Heroic and Talented Lady.

Cao Ba Quat (born in the year of the Snake 1809 - died in the year of the Tiger 1854)

Cao Ba Quat was a famous poet in the history of Vietnamese literature in the mid-19th century. His pen name was Chu Than or Cuc Duong. He was born in Phu Thi village, Gia Lam district, Bac Ninh province (now Phu Thi commune, Gia Lam district, suburbs of Hanoi).

Born into a poor family, he showed his talent for writing and poetry. Around 1834, he often had poetry and song sessions with famous scholars of Thang Long. After his death, he left to Vietnamese literature the book "Chu Than Thi Tap" - a collection of 1,531 poems and 21 prose works in Nom and Han scripts.

Nguyen Anh Thu (born in the year of Tan Ty 1821 - died in the year of Tan Mui 1871)

He was a martyr during the Can Vuong period against the French; born in Tan Son Nhi village, Tan Binh district, Gia Dinh province (now Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City). He responded to the movement under the flag of Truong Dinh's army, in 1864 he was captured by the enemy and sentenced to prison.

In 1868, after his prison term ended, he gathered an army to continue fighting the French. In 1871, his army killed the chief of Thuan Kieu station, but he also died in this battle.

Tran Trong Khiem (born in 1821 - died in 1886)

He was a patriot, the first Vietnamese to come to the United States, even before diplomat Bui Vien. Later, he changed his name to Le Kim; hometown: Xuan Lung, Son Vi (now Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province).

Around 1850, he traveled to the American West to join a multiracial gold-seeking team. He then returned to California to work as a contributor to the Alta California Morning Post, and then for a time as a contributor to the Daily Evening Post.

Around 1856, he returned to Vietnam, he and some people started to reclaim and establish Dinh An village in Tan Thanh district, Dinh Tuong province (now Dong Thap province). After that, he followed Vo Duy Duong to recruit troops to fight the French. In 1866, the French army swept through, the military post he commanded fell, he committed suicide to preserve his honor.

Dao Tan (born in the year of the Snake 1845 - died in the year of the Goat 1907)

Dao Tan was a famous Vietnamese scholar and modern playwright, descended from Dao Duy Tu, from Vinh Thanh village, Thoi Tu commune, Tuy Phuoc district, An Nhon prefecture, Binh Dinh province. His full name was Dao Dang Tan, an honest mandarin during the Nguyen Dynasty, holding the position of Governor of An Tinh, Minister of Public Works.

He was good at literature and was the one who created the profession of hát bội in Bình Định. In the art of tuong theater, he was the composer of the highest quantity and quality of tuong up to now.

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Dao Tan is considered the founder of Vietnamese Tuong art.

Nguyen Ba Hoc (born in the year of the Fire Snake 1857 - died in the year of the Fire Rooster 1921)

He is a writer, born in Nhan Muc village, Thanh Tri district, Ha Dong province (now Nhan Chinh commune, Tu Liem district, suburban Hanoi).

He pursued a literary career in 1918 by writing short stories, political essays, and translating Chinese and French articles published in Nam Phong Magazine and Dong Duong Magazine.

He is considered by the literary world to be one of the first two writers to write modern short stories in Quoc Ngu in Vietnamese literature.

Within three years (from 1918 to 1921), he wrote 7 short stories published in Nam Phong Magazine. Nguyen Ba Hoc is famous for the saying: "The road is difficult not because of rivers and mountains, but because people are afraid of mountains and rivers".

Tong Huu Dinh (born in the year of Ky Ty 1869 - died in the year of Nham Than 1932)

Tong Huu Dinh was the initiator of the reformed opera genre, with the name Tinh Trai, commonly known as Thay Pho Muoi Hai (because he was the deputy director and the 12th child in the family); his hometown was Long Chau village, Vinh Long province. He was famous for being a gallant person, passionate about traditional music. He was the one who initiated the birth of the "ca ra bo" singing style (in 1914) - the predecessor of the later reformed opera art.

In the history of Southern Vietnamese reformed opera, researchers have given him an important place in the formation and development of this art form.

Phan Phat Sanh (born in the year of Quy Ty 1893 - died in the year of Binh Thin 1916)

His given name was Phan Xich Long, and he was from Cho Lon. In 1911, he was honored as the leader of the religious-influenced anti-French peasant movement. He then established a base in That Son Mountain and printed leaflets and distributed them throughout the markets of Saigon, Cho Lon, Gia Dinh... calling on the people to rise up against the French to gain independence.

On March 21, 1913, he was captured by the enemy in Phan Thiet and sentenced to hard labor. After the prison break in February 1916, the French army brutally massacred 57 "Unknown Heroes", including 38 people who were publicly executed and 19 who were killed on the spot.

This tragic event is called by historians "The Red Dragon Drama in the South." This is also a heroic page in the history of our nation's resistance against foreign invaders.

Duong Bach Mai (born in 1905 - died in 1964)

A political activist, born in Phuoc Le commune, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. After a period of studying abroad in France and the Soviet Union, in 1932, he returned to Vietnam, lived and worked in Saigon. During this time, he also collaborated with the newspapers La Cloche fêlée, La Lutte, Mai, and Dan Quyen.

In 1945, he was one of the leaders who seized power in Saigon. In 1946, he was a member of the Vietnamese delegation to the Dalat Preparatory Conference and became famous for his very blunt opinions with the French members. After that, he was transferred to work in the Central Committee.

Mai Tho Truyen (born in the year of At Ty 1905 - died in the year of Quy Suu 1973)

He was a Buddhist researcher, born in Ben Tre. During his lifetime, he was one of the outstanding governors and contributed to the founding of Xa Loi Pagoda (Saigon) and the Southern Vietnam Buddhist Association. He wrote many treatises on Buddhism in both the North and the South as well as translated a number of Buddhist scriptures.

In the 1960s, he held the position of Secretary of State in charge of culture of the Saigon government and contributed to the restoration of a number of classical Vietnamese literary works.

Ho Van Hue (born in the year of the Fire Snake 1917 - died in the year of the Fire Dragon 1976)

He is a military doctor with the rank of colonel, from Tan An town, Long An province. Since 1947, he and many other doctors, physicians and pharmacists have opened the Pharmacy Department of Zone 7, successfully preparing many types of modern medicines to serve the prevention and treatment of dangerous diseases such as malaria, dysentery and worms.

He traveled through all the battlefields of the South and held the positions of Deputy Minister of Health of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam, Deputy Director of the Logistics Department of the South, Head of the Military Medical Department of the South...

Le Van Thoi (born in the year of the Fire Snake 1917 - died in the year of the Pig 1983)

He is a scientist with the title of professor, native of Go Dau, Tay Ninh. He received a scholarship to study in France in the 40s of the last century and was entrusted with the responsibility of researching many topics in organic chemistry, and was the Head of the pine tree research committee of the University of Bordeaux, France.

Since 1958, after returning to Vietnam, he held many important positions in the university sector, in scientific research and was especially interested in laying the modern foundation for Vietnamese terminology - a project initiated by Hoang Xuan Han.

Nguyen Tuan Trinh - poet Tham Tam (born in the year of Dinh Ty 1917 - died in the year of Canh Dan 1950)

Nguyen Tuan Trinh is a poet with the pen name Tham Tam, from Hai Duong town. In 1938, he painted and wrote literature. Since the 1940s, he has participated in journalism and writing and his articles have often been published in Saturday Novel, Today, Thursday Novel and National Language Propagation, and Popular Semi-Monthly.

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Poet-journalist Tham Tam (documentary photo)

After the August Revolution in 1945, Tham Tam participated in the National Salvation Culture Movement, and was in the Editorial Board of Tien Phong Newspaper (1945 - 1946); then he joined the army and worked as an editorial secretary of the National Defense Newspaper (later the People's Army Newspaper).

Among his works, "Farewell" is a famous poem with a poetic style that blends classical and modern, expressing a very high patriotic spirit.

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'Roll call' some famous people born in the year of the Snake in Vietnamese history