RU AM CAVE AND BANIAN TREE IN TRU VILLAGE

About 100km from the center of Vinh city, Nghe An province to the west, the relic cluster of Ru Am cave and Banian tree in Tru village are known to tourists not only as a place with charming landscapes but also a red address to educate patriotic and revolutionary traditions. These are two places marking historical events of the Party Committee and People of Nghia Dan district during the revolutionary period from 1930 to 1945.

Ru Am cave in Nghia Duc commune, Nghia Dan district is the name of a natural rock cave located in Am mountain (in the local language called Ru Am), this is a place with a secluded location, surrounded by many hills and dense trees. In particular, behind the cave's entrance there is a large lake, in front of the cave is a temple to worship the earth god, people here often go back and forth to worship, which is very convenient for the secret operation of the organization, so Ru Am cave was chosen by local key officials as one of the secret locations for operation.

At the relic, in mid-October 1930, Comrade Vo Nguyen Hien on behalf of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee approved the decision to establish Cu Lam - Tho Loc Party cell consisting of 05 comrades, Comrade Phan Dinh Lai was secretary in charge of general; comrade Nguyen Dinh Thac as Deputy Secretary cum organization and keeping of monthly fees; Comrade Vo Thuoc as Secretary and liaises with superiors. This is the first Party cell established in Nghia Dan district, also one of the first Party cells in the West of Nghe An.

In January 1931, in order to strengthen the leadership role of the Party in the new period and carry out the direction of their superiors, Comrades Phan Dinh Lai and Vo Thuoc convened a secret meeting at Ru Am cave to split Cu Lam - Tho Loc Party cell into 2 separate branches. The formation of two new branches marked a new development step for the district's history of struggle, contributing to promoting the formation of a number of other branches in the district such as Yen Hoa, Tri Chi, Sen, Se,.. created the premise for the establishment of the Provisional Party Committee of Nghia Dan district in February 1931.

From 1932 to 1933, due to the persecution of the French colonialists, the party organizations in Nghia Dan district  disbanded themselves and went into secret operation. By the beginning of 1934, the party branches in Nghia Dan district had basically been restored and the organizational system improved. To have propaganda materials, the Party Committee of Nghia Dan district chose Ru Am cave as a place for printing documents and secret meetings. Here, many leaflets were printed, many secret instructions and documents were issued to revolutionary establishments in the district.

On the occasion of International Labor Day (May 1, 1939), at Ru Am cave, Nghia Dan District Party Committee held a rally to praise the revolutionary spirit of the farmers and working class in Phu Quy. This rally attracted a large number of people from all walks of life in the vicinity such as: Tho Loc, Cu Lam, Sen, Se, ... to participate, with banners, red flags printed with hammer and sickle, ... demanding freedom, democracy, and peace. At Ru Am cave, Comrade Tran Ngoc Can gave a speech praising the tradition of resilient revolutionary struggle and passionate patriotism of the working class and the toiling people of the country in general and Nghia Dan district in particular. At the same time, he called on workers and farmers to unite under the leadership of the Party, resolutely fight to protect their interests, and demand freedom, democracy and independence for the Fatherland. The rally has obtained many results as set out by District Party Committee's purposes and plans, making the masses more and more confident in the leadership of the Party Committee of Nghia Dan District.

Banian tree in Tru village now belonging to Tan Hop hamlet, Nghia Khanh commune, Nghia Dan district is the place to mark many historical events of the Party Committee and People of Nghia Dan district. Here, on the morning of August 22, 1945, under the leadership and organization of the Nghia Dan District Uprising Committee, thousands of people belonging to three ethnic groups such as  Kinh, Thai and Tho of regions: Cu Lam, Ha Su, Thach Khe, Nghia Hung, ... and a large number of workers in rubber and coffee plantations in Phu Quy area carried rudimentary weapons such as flintlocks, clubs, picks, spades, spears, ... gathered at the banyan tree in Tru village (Vinh Lai). Here, under the command of comrades: Tran Mat, Nguyen Dinh Thac, Lai Van But, the people raised the red flag with yellow star, chanted revolutionary slogans, loudly organized demonstrations of prestige, pulled into district hall, arrested district leader Hoang Mong Kham, confiscated seals, books, and funds, and at the same time opened prison doors, released prisoners, and overthrew the feudal system in Nghia Dan district, take power into the hands of the People. The date of 22nd August has become the traditional day of the Party Committee and People of Nghia Dan district and Ru Am cave, banyan tree of Tru village has become a historical and typical place of the Party and people of Nghia Dan district.

Every year, on August 22, the Party Committee and People of Nghia Dan district organize a festival to pay tribute to their predecessors, propagate and educate revolutionary traditions, preserve and promote the heroic history of the locality. Relics of Ru Am cave and Ban ban tree in Tru village have been classified as a provincial historical relic by People's Committee of Nghe An province on August 20, 2012.