A ceremony to unveil a plaque for a street named after Tran Kim Xuyen, the first journalist-war martyr of the revolutionary Vietnamese press and the first director of the Vietnam News Agency, took place in Hanoi on March 5.

The 550m Tran Kim Xuyen Street stretches 20m in width and is part of a new urban area in Cau Giay district.

Born in Huong Son district in the central province of Ha Tinh , Xuyen was appointed as Deputy Director of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Vietnam Information House after the 1945 August revolution. He was directly in charge of the Vietnam Thong Tan Xa, now Thong Tan Xa Vietnam (Vietnam News Agency). He was also a deputy of the first National Assembly.

Tran Kim Xuyen laid down his life on March 3, 1947 at the age of 26, becoming the first revolutionary journalist to die in battle.

Speaking at the event, VNA Director General Nguyen Duc Loi paid tribute to Xuyen for serving the country and its press, especially the VNA.

Deputy Head of the Hanoi Party Committee’s Department of Popularisation and Education, Phan Dang Long, said the fact that Hanoi has seen fit to name a street after Xuyen reflects his great contributions to national construction and development.

The honour is a milestone for both the VNA and his family, he said.-VNA