A memorial house dedicated to Tran Kim Xuyen, Vietnam’s first journalist-martyr during the resistance war against the French colonialists, was inaugurated on March 3.

The house, located in Xuyen’s homeland in Son My commune, Huong Son district, the central province of Ha Tinh , was built with support of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) which journalist Xuyen once worked for.

Addressing the function, VNA Deputy General Director Ngo Ha Thai said Xuyen was among 260 journalists of the agency who laid down their lives during the resistance wars against the French colonialists and US imperialists.

Participating in revolutionary activities since 1936, Xuyen was once a deputy of the 1 st National Assembly, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Information House (the predecessor of the now Vietnam News Agency) and Head of the Interior Ministry’s Office.

He laid down his life on March 3, 1947, becoming the first journalist in Vietnam who died in the anti-French war and also the first martyr of Son My commune in the anti-French struggle.

The journalist was posthumously presented with the State’s First-Class Independence Order, First-Class Anti-French Resistance War Order, and other noble titles.

Thai described the inauguration of the memorial house as a meaningful event for VNA staff, local authorities and people and revolutionary journalists of various generations to express their gratitude to the journalist-martyr.

He said he hopes the house will be an important venue for young generations to learn about the country’s revolutionary traditions and the martyrs’ contributions.

Sharing with Thai’s sentiments, a representative of the Huong Son People’s Committee said Huong Son is proud of being the journalist’s homeland, noting that his name was the first carved on the tombstone naming war fallen combatants in the commune.-VNA

On the occasion, VNA presented a number of important objects and documents featuring Xuyen’s revolutionary life for showcasing at the memorial house.