AN GIANG — The Cửu Long (Mekong) province of An Giang is hosting a festival dedicated to national hero Nguyễn Trung Trực (1838-1868) to celebrate Vietnamese patriotism and national pride and strengthen community solidarity.

The annual Nguyễn Trung Trực Temple Festival began in 1891 to honour Trực and his supporters, as well as people involved in his uprising against the French in the middle of the 19th century. It is held for three days, from August 26 – 28 of the lunar calendar.

This year, the festival commemorating Trực's 158th death anniversary is held from October 6–8 at the Nguyễn Trung Trực Temple in Rạch Giá Ward, attracting millions of visitors to express profound gratitude to the national hero.

The commemoration ceremony took place on October 6 with a procession of Trực’s spirit tablet to his temple and traditional rituals at the temple.

Addressing the commemoration ceremony, Lê Văn Phước, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, emphasised that Nguyễn Trung Trực was heroically sacrificed when he was young. His sacrifice was an immortal symbol of the Vietnamese people’s patriotism and indomitable spirit.

Phước said that his name, legacy and spirit has transcended the limitations of time and has been forever remembered with respect and affection in the memories of Vietnamese people, holding a special place in the hearts of people in An Giang and the Southern region.

He added that the festival dedicated to national hero Nguyễn Trung Trực is an occasion for the community to commemorate and express gratitude to the ancestors and educate the public, particularly the younger generation, about patriotism, national pride and revolutionary traditions.

In the framework of the festival, An Giang has also launched a series of cultural and entertainment activities from September 26 to October 10, to meet residents' and visitors’ needs.

The province hosted a special performing arts gala with the theme “Nguyễn Trung Trực – Dấu Son Bất Tử” (Nguyễn Trung Trực – An Immortal Icon) on the night of October 6.

The programme recreates the life and career of the national hero Trực, who is considered the heroic spirit of the South, raising national pride in the hearts of residents and visitors.

The province also organised quiz competitions to help young people to learn about the national hero, and the Youth Theater Festival with the theme “The Spirit of the National Hero”.

Volunteers and charity groups from provinces and cities in the region set up stalls to provide free water and food for local people and visitors coming to the festival.

Nguyễn Thị Sếu, a native of An Giang, joined her family to make and provide 15,000 pieces of bánh ít (sticky rice cakes) to locals and tourists coming to offer incense at the Nguyễn Trung Trực Temple from October 4.

Sếu shared that the people of An Giang, as well as the southwestern region, always show their gratitude to the ancestors, heroic martyrs, and those who have contributed to their homeland and the country. They have arranged time to participate in commemorative activities and volunteer work, such as serving meals and drinks for visitors, and cleaning the environment before and after the festival.

The Nguyễn Trung Trực Temple Festival was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2023.

Nguyễn Trung Trực was born as Nguyễn Văn Lịch in Tân An, today Bình Đức Commune of Tây Ninh Province.

In 1861, he gathered local farmers to fight against the French in Tân An and Rạch Giá (now in An Giang Province). They attacked and burned the warship L’Esperance of the French navy in Nhật Tảo village in Tân An.

When Vĩnh Long, An Giang and Hà Tiên were lost to the French in 1867, Trực withdrew his troops to Rạch Giá and established a military base in Hòn Chông.

In 1868, Trực’s insurgents attacked the French military station at Rạch Giá, killing the Rạch Giá provincial governor. The fight was a significant event that threatened the French colonial regime and was recorded in French military history.

The French later seized Trực’s mother and his soldiers’ families to force them to surrender. They had to surrender to save the lives of their families.

Facing the enemy, Trực stated with confidence: “Only when there is no grass in Việt Nam will there be no more Vietnamese fighting against foreign invaders.”

The French killed him at Rạch Giá Market on October 27, 1868. — VNS