This December, I and my grade 11 fellow had the chance to visit Ton Duc Thang Museum with the instructions of our homeroom teachers as well as our History teachers. The museum was founded in the occasion of the commemoration of President Ton’s 100th birthday (20/8/1888 – 20/8/1988). This is one of the two museums in the country which had the mission of researching, collecting, preserving and introducing thoroughly and systematically about the information of President Ton Duc Thang’s life.
The first room at the museum was the memorial room decorated splendidly and formally. Next, we saw the “The life and the career of President Ton Duc Thang” exhibition room which was displayed chronologically in the order of Vietnamese history. What struck me the most was the rice-milling cellar where Uncle Ton used to be imprisoned. This is the place where he cooperated with the prisoners and led them to the path of revolution and encouraged them to fight against the ruthless invaders. There was also an impressive artifact of Uncle Ton waving a flag on the Black Sea to show his objection of the involvement from the anti-USSR empires and a view to protect the world’s first Dictatorship of the Proletariat.
The “Uncle Ton at ATK – Viet Bac” room helped me to understand more about the life in dangerous jungle throughout his 9-year resistance war. Finally, we visited the art exhibition room featuring numerous art pieces about him, which showed many the great humane values from many different materials made by various artists and craftsmen. These artworks represented the great values of the humanity to the future generations.
The field trip to Ton Duc Thang Museum taught me a lot of things which helped me to understand about the glorious history of Vietnam, especially our beloved President Ton Duc Thang – a humble and homely leader of who contributed his whole life to liberate our country.
Nguyen Hai Uyen – Student of grade 11
The field trip on November 21st has given us so many valuable lessons and experiences. At the museum, we had the chance to take a closer look at one of the greatest influencer in our history – Mr. Ton Duc Thang.
President Ton Duc Thang was the first man to be given a Golden Star Medal for his over-60-year contribution to the country revolution. The area of ATK Viet Bac and the other arduous events in his life were introduced at the museum. Another remarkable artwork which amazed and captured our attention was the painting of Uncle Ton made from beads, shirt buttons, and Palmyra palm leaves.
The most impressive creation in the museum was probably the architecture of Con Dao Prison, where he was sentenced for 15 years. The museum gave us a better understanding of the penal colony system of our invaders through wax models of prisoners working as slaves in the rice-milling cellar. However, in Cell 15, he was kept with the tough and dangerous prisoners who failed to escape this place. They teamed up, supported, educated and humanized each other which transformed the cells into a politics school that encouraged them to fight for the freedom and believed in a victorious day.
In my mind, I still remember the precious quotes of Mr. Vo Van Kiet, the former Prime Minister, for President Ton: “The life of today and in the future will make our dear Uncle Ton immortal.” Truthfully, the right moral and the patriotism of President Ton Duc Thang will live on forever in our heart.
Tran Ngoc Hoang Nghi – Student of Grade 11
