Hoang Van Thu – Secretary of first Party cell in Lang Son

(LSO) – After the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) was established on February 3, 1930, under the Party’s leadership, the revolutionary movement spread across the country. In mid-1933, Hoang Van Thu arrived in Thuy Hung commune (Van Uyen distrct, Lang Son province) to select loyal revolutionaries for the Indochinese Communist Party and at the same time establish the first Party cell in Thuy Hung, with him being the Secretary.

The Thuy Hung Party cell was the first communist party unit in Van Uyen district and also in Lang Son. It was tasked with not only directing the revolutionary movement in Van Uyen but the entire Lang Son also.

The establishment of the Thuy Hung Party cell was the first milestone marking the growth of revolutionary movement in Lang Son. In his capacity as Secretary of the first Party unit in Lang Son, Thu and other members of the cell played the core role in developing the revolutionary movement in the province during the first stage of the national liberation struggle led by the CPV.

At the helm of Thu, the Party cell in Thuy Hung set the task of mobilising the masses in Van Uyen to join revolutionary activities, expanding loyal revolutionary agents among the people and the scope of Party activities, setting up secret communication trails for Party officers to travel between Vietnam – China border areas, popularising the Party guidelines to other localities, towards spreading revolutionary movement across the whole province.

A staff members at the Hoang Van Thu commemorative site introduces the origin and significance of artifacts to students (Photo: Tuyet Mai)

In mid-1934, the provincial Party Affairs Committee was established with Thuy Hung Party cell as its core. Thu was assigned by the overseas Party command to lead the committee. Later, the committee recruited and sent selected people in Van Uyen, That Khe to in Longzhou, China, to attend short-term political courses. The committee also directed revolutionary agents in Van Uyen to establish secret communications stations along the routes from Khua Da, Ma Meo, Tan Thanh to Tan Yen, Thuy Hung, Phu Xa, thus creating a safe route for Party members to travel, which contributed greatly to ensuring safety for delegates travelling to Macau, China, to attend the first Party Congress.

During 1936 – 1938, in compliance with the Northern Region Party Committee’s policy of further developing revolutionary movement in ethnic minority areas, especially border mountainous zones, Thu arrived in Bac Son and Trang Dinh to recruit loyal revolutionary agents among local people. Within a short time, Thu recruited Party members and established a Party cell in Bac Son in September 1936 and another in Trang Dinh in April 1938.

In mid-1938, Thu was assigned to work at the Northern Region Party Committee and took charge of restoring and developing revolutionary movement in Thai Nguyen, Vinh Yen and Hai Duong provinces.

From mid-1933 to mid-1938, in his capacity as Secretary of the first Party cell in Lang Son, Thu actively engaged in activities to develop the local revolutionary movement. From the first cell in Thuy Hung, he spread the Party network to Bac Son and Trang Dinh districts. He played an important role in popularizing the Party’s guidelines, developing the local revolutionary movement, making preparations for the fierce fight against French and Japanese invaders in the later period, towards the uprising to seize the power (1939 – 1945).