Bắc giang
Vitality in a model resistance village
Remembering Lai forest, Am creek, Lim road
Am village is not far from Bac Giang city. It is the gateway of Nham Bien township - the center of Yen Dung district. The people here also call it Am Dai village because it measures 2km from the beginning of the village to the end, with 36 alleys, one away from the other by a pond. The village starts with Lai forest (also known as the forest head) - the gateway to the village.
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Than Van Meo (left) tells about the old resistance village. |
When building the resistance village, Am Tru's army and people dug trenches right next to this creek, underneath the bamboo ramparts. Above the creek is Lam road leading to the occupied village. With such a geographical position, during the years of resistance against the French colonialists, Am village was chosen to develop into a model resistance village.
At the age of 100, Than Van Meo is currently the oldest person in the village. In his story about the days when the people of Am village stood up against the French invaders, the old man said in those days, everyone was enthusiastic, actively digging secret tunnels, trenches and battlegrounds. While speaking, he took out a few stained papers with words written by him several decades ago.
“In June 1945, Am village’s self-defense team was established with 32 members. Immediately after its establishment, the team coordinated to destroy the granaries, retrieving more than 10 tons of rice to distribute to farmers in the village. At the same time, it appointed a number of members wearing leaf dresses with weapons hidden inside, pretending to be grass cutters and crab catchers to scout the situation," said Meo.
In addition to the self-defense team, in July 1945, the village established a guerrilla team consisting of 40 members, including young people and old men, and an old guerrilla team comprising 12 people tasked with encouraging the locals to build and strengthen the resistance village and to engage in fighting. The team also raised soldiers when they stationed in the village.
The Am Tru guerrilla militia force was always in a position of combat readiness, together with the people implementing the policy of destroying all facilities after leaving. Am Tru was rated as a model resistance village by the province. In 2003, Tien Phong commune was awarded the title "Hero of the people's armed forces in the anti-French period" by the State President.
New countryside today
The August Revolution was successful, bringing about many remarkable changes from urban to rural areas. So was Am Tru village. The traces of a long period of resistance have now faded over time. On the land marked with landmarks and relic sites, schools and factories have sprung up now.
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Am Tru new countryside today. |
Am Tru village is now divided into two villages, from the beginning of Lai forest to the middle of the village named Quyet Tien and the other half named Thanh Cong. Agriculture, which used to be the main source of income, now becomes secondary. Every household has traders or workers in companies and factories. In the village, there are about 1,000 workers renting accommodation. Many families have built houses for workers to rent, earning tens of millions of dong per month.
For the status of new-style rural area (recognized in 2020), the village completed a 2,200-sq.m cultural house at a cost of more than 2.35 billion VND (100,159 USD) donated by the State and the people.
The village has established the Northern Thuong River Quan Ho Singing Club, badminton, table tennis, air volleyball and yoga clubs, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere among the local people.
The war has gone away, in the homeland Am Tru, the traces of a painful time are no more, replaced by a cheerful picture with bright colors. The village is now peaceful, with increasingly improved material and spiritual lives.
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