Comrade To Hieu was born in 1912; he was the youngest child in a poor Confucian family with the patriotic tradition in Xuan Cau village, Nghia Tru commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province. Promoting good traditions of his family and homeland, since the age of 14, while studying at the French - Vietnamese School in Hai Duong town, comrade To Hieu participated in student patriotic movements such as dropping out, the movement of paying tribute to and attending the memorial of Phan Chau Trinh,...

Comrade To Hieu was born in 1912; he was the youngest child in a poor Confucian family with the patriotic tradition in Xuan Cau village, Nghia Tru commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province. Promoting good traditions of his family and homeland, since the age of 14, while studying at the French - Vietnamese School in Hai Duong town, comrade To Hieu participated in student patriotic movements such as dropping out, the movement of paying tribute to and attending the memorial of Phan Chau Trinh,...

From 1927 - 1929, he went to Hanoi and stayed at his eldest brother To Tu's house to study at the elementary college. During this time, he continued to participate in revolutionary struggle activities. Undergoing challenges, in 1929, he was admitted to the Student Union, an organization of Vietnam Association of Revolutionary Youth .

At the end of 1929, he went to Saigon to work with his brother, To Chan, a leader of Vietnam Nationalist Party. In 1930, he was arrested by the French colonialists and sentenced to 4 years in prison and exiled to Con Dao. During his imprisonment in Con Dao, he steadfastly participated in the struggle in prison, actively studied revolutionary theories, and was trained to become an enthusiastic and steadfast communist party member.

In 1934, after completing his prison term in Con Dao, he was arrested by the French colonialists in Xuan Cau village. During his time under house arrest in his homeland, with a high sense of responsibility and concern for education and training of the revolutionary generation for the future, he mobilized people to contribute effort and money to build Kiem Bi Xuan Cau school. He also conducted teaching in his hometown.

Even though he was placed under house arrest, he refused to give up, building a revolutionary movement in his homeland and finding ways to struggle the enemy's siege and blockade to establish contact with the Party. In 1936, To Hieu, Nguyen Van Cu, Hoang Quoc Viet and Dang Xuan Khu (Truong Chinh) and many other comrades rebuilt the Party organizational system and directed the mass movement to demand people's livelihood and democracy in Hanoi and surrounding areas. At a meeting in the attic on Hang Bot Street, the Northern Party Committee was established, and comrade To Hieu was elected as a Standing Member of the Party Committee, taking charge of the coastal provinces centered around Hai Phong. He reorganized the steering committees of provinces and cities and led many major struggles in Hai Phong city.

On February 1939, he was assigned by the Party Central Committee to be in charge of Inter-Province B (including the Northern coastal provinces and Hai Duong, Hung Yen) and directly serve as Secretary of Hai Phong City Party Committee. Comrade To Hieu actively directed and accelerated the revolutionary movements here, causing strong resonance domestically and abroad such as the strike of 1,000 sawyers (April 1939) and 1,500 port workers (May 1939) and especially the strike of more than 3,000 workers of Hai Phong Silk Factory.

On December 1, 1939, when comrade To Hieu went to the printing facility in Thuong Ly workers' village (Hai Phong city) to check the printing of leaflets in preparation for the new struggle, he was captured by the enemy. Despite the enemy's brutal torture, bribery, and transfer from Hai Phong prison to Hoa Lo (Hanoi), it's impossible to lessen the tenacious revolutionary will of comrade To Hieu. At the end of December 1939, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison and exiled to Son La Prison. During this time, Son La Prison Cell was established. In February 1940, comrade To Hieu was appointed as the Party Committee member. In May 1940, the secret Party Congress was convened, deciding on policies and work, and appointing comrade To Hieu as the Party Secretary.

The prolonged arduous life in prison and illness devastated comrade To Hieu's health. In October 1941, while comrade To Hieu no longer held the position of Secretary of the Prison Party Cell, he was still a particularly trusted advisor to the Party Committee. Under the leadership of the Prison Party Cell, the organization of prison life was large-scaled and scientific. A Prison Party Committee has been established to provide leadership in all aspects. The Prison Committee again organized the other committees to take care of the material and spiritual life of the prisoners, to train bravery and enrich experience in the revolutionary struggle. At the end of 1942, Son La Prison Cell was recognized by the Party Central Committee and the Northern Party Committee as a special cell, in charge of Son La Prison and revolutionary movements in Son La province.

            Due to serious diseases and brutal prison mechanisms, at 10:15 on March 7, 1944, To Hieu died in Son La prison at the age of 32 amid mourning of comrades. He was buried in the cemetery of Son La prison.

To Hieu's example and spirit shine forever in the nation's history. To Hung Yen province, in addition to positive influences of To Hieu's spirit on traditional education, his revolutionary also makes an important contribution to building the Party and the homeland. After completing his prison term in Con Dao, and being put under house arrest by the French colonial government in Xuan Cau village, Nghia Tru commune (Van Giang district), To Hieu founded the National Language Propagation Association, Tuong Te Association, Martial Arts Training Association, Football Association, the book and newspaper reading group to gather people to propagate the revolution. The movement developed rapidly, and the comrades mobilized people to demand reformation of  their villages, combat obsolescence, and surcharges. When the movement reached its peak, he mobilized people to file a lawsuit against the chief of the village and replaced him with the member of his organizations. That was the premise for struggles in Van Giang and Van Lam areas later on.

Proud to be the hometown of comrade To Hieu, following the example of his contributions to the country, promoting To Hieu's spirit and creatively applying that spirit in the cause of innovation, Hung Yen Party Committee and Hung Yen people often pay attention to the work of Party building and taking care of local socio-economic development. After the re-establishment of the province (in 1997), from a low starting point, GDP per capita was 180 USD, the infrastructure was not developed, and the transportation system faced difficulties. Taking advantages of location strengths and abundant human resources, the province focused on  industrial breakthroughs, implemented policies to attract investment in industry and services, created favorable conditions for domestic and foreign businesses to invest, mobilized resources to build infrastructure, connect traffic in order to create a favorable environment for economic and social development. Up to now, major economic balances have been more firmly consolidated; the economic structure is shifting rapidly towards the increase in the proportion of industry and services. In 2023, GRDP increased by 10.05%; economic structure of agriculture, forestry and fisheries up 7.09%; industry and construction up 61.66%; services up 24.85%; Product tax minus product subsidy up 6.39%. Total product per capita in 2023 was VND 110.39 million ... Social policies are guaranteed, national defense and security are maintained. The work of building a clean and strong Party and political system is paid attention to and implemented effectively. The performance of governments at all levels has changed positively, in which focuses on building a government of integrity, creation, action, and service. The great solidarity block of all people continues to be consolidated and strengthened. People's trust in the Party has been raised; social order and discipline have been strengthened. Foreign relations are constantly expanding.

In order to express gratitude to comrade To Hieu for the Vietnamese revolution and Hung Yen province, the province has restored and built To Hieu Memorial Area. Many buildings and streets are named after comrade To Hieu. The Party Committee and People of Hung Yen province continue to promote revolutionary traditions, improve obtained achievements, overcome difficulties, launch patriotic emulation movements to accelerate the cause of industrialization, modernity, international integration, determine to build Hung Yen into a prosperous and civilized province, deserving to be the homeland of comrade To Hieu- an outstanding revolutionary leader of our Party and our people, an outstanding son of Hung Yen hometown.

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