Demonstrating gratitude, educating on tradition

On November 27, provincial Organization Committee for Major National Holidays, in cooperation with provincial Buddhist Sangha and the Management Board of Hoi Khanh Pagoda, solemnly held the 95th death anniversary ceremony of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac, the father of the great President Ho Chi Minh (briefly called the "death anniversary ceremony") at the National Historical and Cultural Relic Site of Hoi Khanh Pagoda in Thu Dau Mot city’s Phu Cuong ward. The ceremony was organized to express the deep respect and gratitude of the people nationwide, especially of Binh Duong province, for the contributions of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac. He played a significant role in raising President Ho Chi Minh, who, with his intellect, cultural integrity and exemplary lifestyle, established a patriotic movement in the locality, cared for and helped the poor, contributed to the national struggle for independence.

The death anniversary ceremony was attended by Nguyen Van Loi, member of the Central Party Committee, Secretary of provincial Party Committee and Head of provincial National Assembly Deputy Delegation; Nguyen Loc Ha, member of provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of provincial People's Committee and Head of the Organization Committee for the death anniversary ceremony; Truong Thi Bich Hanh, member of provincial Party Standing and Head of provincial Party Committee’s Education-Propaganda Commission; Most Venerable Thich Hue Thong, Vice Chairman of the Executive Council, Head of the Central Legal Affairs Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Head of Binh Duong provincial Buddhist Shanga cum Head of Hoi Khanh Pagoda.

Hallmark of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac in Thu land– Binh Duong

Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac was born in 1862 in Kim Lien village, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province and passed away in 1929 in Hoa An Village, Cao Lanh city, Dong Thap province. During his revolutionary activities, from 1923 to 1926, Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac resided at Hoi Khanh Pagoda in Thu Dau Mot where he worked as a traditional healer, treating illnesses and spreading patriotic ideals. His activities during this time left a good impression on local people, helping propagandizing patriotism among them.

Nguyen Van Loi, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Head of provincial National Assembly deputy delegation and delegates visit the exhibition space at the 95th death anniversary of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac at Hoi Khanh Pagoda

Thu Dau Mot-Binh Duong is a place where Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac lived and worked for the longest time of over 3 years. It is also the only locality in the southern region and in the entire country where Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac officially founded a patriotic organization called as the Patriotic Honor Society, which operated both publicly and secretly. The land and people of this region warmly welcomed Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac, taking care of his accommodation and activities. In return, he imparted to them the moral teachings of life and the traditional values of the Vietnamese people, especially patriotism, love for the people, resistance to oppression and injusticeand the fight against foreign invasion and colonialism…

The ideology of serving the country and the people was also concretized by Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac through his actions of opening a herbal medicine clinic, taking pulses and prescribing medicines to treat people with illnesses…He believed that in order to help the people regain their health, they would be able to fully use their intellect to contribute to the nation’s salvation. Therefore, in every place across the southern region where Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac passed, he devoted his heart and soul. His use of medicine to cure the sick was not only a means to demonstrate the selfless, compassionate spirit of Buddhism, but also a clever disguise to shield his revolutionary activities from the enemy. Throughout his life, Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac embodied his love for the country and the people not through words or theoretical ideals, but through concrete actions.

Solemn death anniversary of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac

The contributions and sacrifices of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac are always deeply honored and remembered by the Party, the government and the people of Binh Duong province. Every year, on the anniversary of his death, Hoi Khanh Pagoda organizes a meaningful memorial ceremony. At the provincial level, Bui Huu Toan, Director of provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism shared that every five years, Binh Duong province will collaborate with provincial Buddhist Sangha and Hoi Khanh Pagoda to organize a solemn ceremony to commemorate the passing of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac.

Delegates visit the exhibition space at the death anniversary ceremony

To promote patriotism, the tradition of "Drinking water, remembering its source" and the deep gratitude of the people of Binh Duong towards Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac, this year, provincial Organization Committee for Major National Holidays, in collaboration with provincial Buddhist Society and Hoi Khanh Pagoda, solemnly held a death anniversary ceremony for Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac with traditional rites.

Speaking at the ceremony, on behalf of the Party, government and people of Binh Duong, Vice Chairman of provincial People's Committee Nguyen Loc Ha expressed deep respect and gratitude for contributions by Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac. He also recalled the biography and revolutionary activities of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac, especially during the period he lived and worked in Thu Dau Mot - Binh Duong.

The death anniversary ceremony also contributed to nurturing and promoting the spirit of self-reliance, national pride and self-respect among people from all strata, particularly young generations. It fostered patriotism, preservation, enhancement of national cultural identity and promotion of the historical and cultural values of the National Historical and Cultural Relic Site of Hoi Khanh Pagoda.

The death anniversary ceremony was conducted with traditional rites, including the offering of incense and other items to the altar of Deputy Junior Nguyen Sinh Sac. Leaders of provincial Party Committee, People's Committee, heads of departments, sectors, districts, cities of the province, provincial Buddhist Association, the Management Board of Hoi Khanh Pagoda, Youth Union members, monks, nuns and Buddhists in the province all burned incense sticks as a gesture of deep respect and gratitude for the contributions, noble character and moral integrity of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac in the cause of national liberation and homeland construction.

Reported by Hong Thuan-Translated by Kim Tin