In a field trip organized by Hoai An district Centre of Culture, Information and Sport with the aim at setting up a scientific file about the vestige of a temple worshipping the strong-willed patriotic scholar Tang Bat Ho, an offspring of Tang family, Tang Doan Kich, who is living at An Thuong 2 village, An Thanh commune, Hoai An district provided a document which helps us understand more about life of the scholar.
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A page of the Chinese script document
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The Tang family was originally from the southern region. They had moved to My Thanh village, Bong Son district, Hoai Nhon prefecture (modern-day My Thanh hamlet, An My commune, Hoai An district, Binh Dinh province) and settled there until the grandfather of Tang Bat Ho left to An Thuong village (present-day An Thuong 2, An Thanh, Hoai An). A branch of the Tang family tree was established at An Thuong.
The real name of the scholar Tang Bat Ho was Tang Doan Van, alias Su Trieu, also known as Dien Bat. He was born in 1858 at Cuu hamlet, Van Duc town, Bong Son district, Hoai Nhon prefecture (present-day An Thuong 2 village, An Thanh commune, Hoai An district).
He set up a military base at Kim Son (Hoai An) and joined Can Vuong (loyalty to the King) Movement which sought to expel the French colonial forces and installed the boy Emperor Ham Nghi at the head of an independent Vietnam.
As the movement failed in 1887 in Binh Dinh, he went abroad with a strong will of revenge for the oppressed nation. He returned Vietnam in 1904 and joined in the Association of Duy Tan (Association of Reformists).
A year later, he and another strong-willed patriotic scholar Phan Boi Chau raised and promoted the Dong Du (Advance towards the East) Movement. He died of sickness in 1906. His last resting place was in Hue city.
Binh Dinh Province Department of Culture-Information (now renamed Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism), HCM City Institute of Social Sciences organized a scientific workshop on life and achievements of Tang Bat Ho in 1995.
The workshop stated that Tang Bat Ho was truly an undaunted patriot. A temple dedicated to him was built in 2001 at Diem Mound, Cui hamlet, An Thuong village, An Thanh commune, Hoai An district where Tang Bat Ho had spent his childhood.
“The Tang family is keeping a Chinese script document which was written in 1880. Accordingly, the then Tang siblings agreed to share inheritance left by their parents,” said Tang Doan Kich.
“The document was written with black ink and was made of Nepal paper. It has 8 sheets with size of 18cm x 24cm, all of the pages have a black ink stamps on their adjoining edges.”
According to the translation of the cultural researcher Vu Ngoc Lien, the inheritance division took place in 1880. The inheritance was left to 5 people: Tang Doan Khac, Tang Doan Hai, Tang Doan Gia, Tang Doan Dien and Tang Doan Van (or Tang Bat Ho).
Tang Doan Van inherited a legacy of 9 properties, including a rice field at Phu Cau, a brass pot, silver-inlaid bowl, a face wash tub, a copper tray, a spittoon, a plate, a brass urn and a bookshelf.
The document also stated that Tang Bat Ho had an older sister. It didn’t mention name of the parents and the grandfather, who was just known as a mandarin. The document revealed that the Tang family was fairly rich in compared to other families in the region.
This is a valuable document which helps us understand more about life of Binh Dinh – born patriotic scholar Tang Bat Ho.
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