There's a Huynh Thuc Khang street in just about every city in Vietnam, and most people who live on one couldn't tell you much about him. Da Nang spent October 1 trying to change that, at least for its own native son.

The city held a ceremony marking the 150th anniversary of his birth, with National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man giving the main speech, VietnamPlus reported. Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, veterans, Heroic Mothers, Khang's family and students from schools named after him also attended, according to Bao Quoc te.

Who he was

Huynh Thuc Khang was born on October 1, 1876, in what was then Quang Nam province, which merged into Da Nang in July 2025. The Vietnam News Agency describes him as a patriotic scholar, cultural figure, journalist and political activist. His record, as summarized in its report:

  • In 1904, with Phan Chau Trinh, Tran Quy Cap and Luong Van Can, he launched the Duy Tan (modernization) reform movement.
  • The French colonial government exiled him to Con Dao in 1908. Bao Quoc te puts his imprisonment and forced labor there at 13 years. He kept up his political work, including in journalism, after his release.
  • After the 1945 August Revolution he served as Minister of Home Affairs in the provisional government.
  • From May 1946, while Ho Chi Minh was in France, he was acting president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
  • He died on April 21, 1947.

What the speakers made of him

Chairman Man called him an outstanding patriotic scholar of early 20th-century Vietnam. He said the qualities Khang modeled, including patriotism, intellect, integrity and a reforming spirit, are still needed, and that unity has to turn into concrete action and results. He also asked Da Nang to act as a regional hub for the central region.

City Party Secretary Le Ngoc Quang pledged that Da Nang would aim to become a modern, civilized city with its own identity and a high quality of life. The program included an art performance and a display of books and documents about Khang.

Why it matters locally

Anniversary speeches tend to sound alike, but the subject here is worth a second look. The Duy Tan movement that Khang helped launch was a Quang Nam idea at heart: modernize education and the economy, and argue in print. That's not a bad tradition for a newly merged city of more than 3 million to claim.

A practical suggestion for the next 150 years: tell people who he was where they'll see it, on the street sign.

Sources

This story was compiled by the Da Nang Voice news desk from the published sources listed above. Facts, figures and quotes are attributed to those sources; Da Nang Voice did not conduct interviews for it unless the text says so. Corrections are dated and noted at the top of the story. Read our corrections policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.