As a child, Nguyen Huu Tien followed his father, Nguyen Huu Lap, to Kien An (Hai Phong) to study and graduate from a primary school. He was educated in the national spirit, patriotism and was influenced by the poetry of Phan Boi Chau, the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc group,..., and his life experiences which had a strong impact on Nguyen Huu Tien's thoughts and feelings.
In 1924, after his father's death, with difficult family circumstances, Nguyen Huu Tien opened a private school in his hometown. With a cheerful and gentle lifestyle, Nguyen Huu Tien has instilled patriotism and gained affection from everyone, especially students and young people.
From 1925 - 1926, Nguyen Huu Tien was enlightened, provided revolutionary documents and books for reading and spread among the people by Tran Tu Yen (also known as a Vietnamese teacher), a student at Indochina College of Commerce (Hanoi) and a member of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association.
In November 1925, Nguyen Huu Tien and Nguyen Van Chuong attended the trial of patriot Phan Boi Chau at the Hanoi Criminal Council. In 1926, he mobilized some progressive-minded young people and students in Duy Tien district to bring the banner "Immortal spirit" to attend the memorial ceremony for Phan Chu Trinh at Bac Te cemetery, Nam Dinh city.
Being directly involved in patriotic movements, when returning to his hometown, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien paid attention to propagating and encouraging patriotism among the people in many forms, composing poetry affirming the responsibility of the youth to the country and widely propagating and motivating the youth and students of the district.
In 1927, Nguyen Huu Tien, together with Tran Tu Yen and Vu Hung (also known as Uyen) from Than Tu village, established the Youth Revolutionary Youth Association at Lung Xuyen communal house. This is the first Vietnam Youth Revolutionary Association in Ha Nam, led by comrade Nguyen Huu Tien as its Secretary. He led the Association and sought to divide and isolate the oligarchs, propagated and educated people with progressive tendencies facilitating the operation of revolutionary establishments; at the same time, he mobilized the people to abolish the old customs in the village such as aspiration and superstition. These actions are supported by the general public. Therefore, there are many organizations such as: Mutual Aid Association, Women's Union, Friendship Association, and Football Association were established.
In November 1929, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien became one of the first 6 party members and Secretary of the Indochinese Communist Party branch of Duy Tien district, including: Nguyen Huu Tien, Nguyen Doan Chap, Vu Van Uyen (Vu Uyen), Nguyen Huu Trac, Pham Van To, Pham Van Binh.
In September 1930, the Provisional Provincial Party Committee of Ha Nam was established, consisting of 3 comrades: Le Cong Thanh, Nguyen Duy Huan and Nguyen Huu Tien, led by comrade Le Cong Thanh as a Secretary; Mr. Nguyen Huu Tien was assigned to be in charge of propaganda work. The Provincial Party Committee decided to set up a printing facility and publish the Party newspaper named "Dan cay", the printing facility was located at the comrade's house for conveniently printing of propaganda materials. He directly wrote many articles exposing the bad habits and corrupt activities greedy officials, village authorities; propagating patriotism, educating the people against colonialism and feudalism... The newspaper "Dan cay" and many slogans and leaflets have been printed, hidden and secretly distributed to effectively serve the propaganda work of the Provincial Party Committee.
In September 1930, he participated in organizing and leading a meeting at Lanh temple (now in Moc Nam commune) which made a great impression, gathered a large number of people to participate. The meeting turned into a mass march, contributing to promoting the revolutionary struggle movement of the people in the whole province to a new step, the revolutionary prestige is deepening.
In January 1931, the meeting of Ha Nam Party Committee delegates was held in Lung Xuyen village to officially elect 7 members of the Provincial Party Committee; Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien was assigned to be in charge of propaganda and training of the party committee. He actively reprinted the newspaper "Bua Liem (Hammer and Sickle)" of the Party Central Committee, the book "The First Steps of Communism" and published the "Red" newspaper of the Party Committee of Ha Nam Province as propaganda materials.
On May 22, 1931, Nguyen Huu Tien, Pham Van To and Nguyen Duy Huan were surrounded by secret agents and a number of leaders of Tonkin provinces at house number 165 Gia Long Street - Hanoi and taken to detention in Nam Dinh, Hoa Lo, Son La. In prison, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien actively participated in the struggle against the harsh regime of the imperial prison, demanding improvement of life for inmates, fighting against beatings and forced labor; at the same time he takes advantage of time to study, improve the level of revolutionary theory, foster more cultural knowledge. The periodicals "Prison magazine", poems written and composed by the comrade during this time are important documents contributing to cheering and encouraging the inmates in prison to keep up the flame of the revolutionary struggle.
On December 5, 1933, the French colonialists took comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and nearly 150 political prisoners as comrades: Le Duan, Nguyen Duy Huan, Pham Van To...to Con Dao. In Con Dao, he was appointed to the leadership of the prison cell. In January 1935, he was arranged by the Party cell of Con Dao prison to escape from prison to return to the mainland to operate, but due to strong winds, he was lost, the boat drifted to the island and was captured and punished by the enemy, punished in the rice mill, suffered many tortures for escaping from prison.
In April 1935, Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and comrades Tong Van Tran, Pham Hong Thai, Ta Uyen, Nguyen Van Trong, Pham Van Tham, Tran Quang Tang were facilitated by the Party cell for the second time to escape and landfall Vinh Chau wharf, Bac Lieu safe, assigned to operate in Long Xuyen area. In his role as a teacher, he returned to teach in Long Dien hamlet with the alias Hue Lam and used this place as a stopover to implement the policy of "self-igniting fire" of the Con Dao prison cell.
After connecting with the Party facilities, he was assigned to work at the Long - Chau - Rach - Ha Interprovincial Party Committee (including Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Rach Gia, Ha Tien) of the Western Nam Ky Party Committee with the alias Hue Lam, in charge of propaganda work. The comrade organized a Chinese pharmacy and a carpentry workshop as a liaison between the Party Committee and the facilities... The revolutionary base developed more and more widely, merging with the general atmosphere in the city in the anti-colonial struggle, culminating in the Indochinese Congress movement. Responding to the movement, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien directed Party facilities throughout the localities of the Interprovincial Party Committee of the west Nam Ky region...to set up action committees to: Gather and reflect the urgent aspirations of the people to the French Popular Front government; held speeches to expose the French colonial rule; to guide the people in methods of fighting against high taxes and fees and against the oppressive and draconian policies of the colonialism and feudalism; organize libraries for reading, newspapers and mobile book and newspaper reading groups to propagate the Party's policies and guidelines to the people. By the beginning of August 1936, on the southwestern border strip of the country, over 100 Action Committees had been established. Through the Action Committees, he transcribed and printed the third open letter of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Indochina to widely propagate it to parties, friendship associations, social classes of workers, farmers, soldiers, women, students, the press, and merchants throughout Indochina.
At the beginning of 1937, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien was sent by the Long Xuyen Interprovincial Party Committee to Cho Moi, where the revolutionary movement was most active in the province, with the alias Hue Tien. He participated in organizing many rallies, propagandizing and mobilizing people to fight openly and legally for freedom, democracy, foods and peace. Thereby, gathering forces, developing organizations to make people believe in and participate in the revolution.
When the Second World War broke out (September 1939), Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien was appointed to replace comrade Nguyen Kim Nha as Secretary of the Long Xuyen Interprovincial Party Committee, including the provinces of Chau Doc, Long Xuyen, Ha Tien, and Rach Gia, Sa Dec (now in the provinces of An Giang, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu).
In March 1940, he was assigned to work in the Nam Ky Party Committee, was a member of the Party Committee of Saigon - Gia Dinh with the alias of “Hai ky su"; in charge of the Party's printing agency, participated in printing many important documents and made many contributions to the propaganda work of the Party Committee of Saigon - Gia Dinh. The comrade joined the People's newspaper with the new name Truong Xuan Chinh.
During this time, there were many opinions that Nguyen Huu Tien and his comrades in the Party Committee were assigned the task of drawing the Red Flag with a 5-pointed yellow star, which was used in the Nam Ky Uprising in November 1940. In one of his poems, he highlighted the meaning of the Red Flag with a yellow star, a very sacred symbol, the expression of red blood and yellow skin of the Vietnamese people, the solidarity of the officers, workers, farmers, merchants, soldiers…... is a banner calling, summoning, rallying and encouraging the spirit of patriots in the struggle against colonial and feudal domination:
In Vietnam, we are Hong and Lac's children
Red blood, yellow skin, four thousand years of glory
However, we have endured eighty years of bondage
Living under the cruel imperial shoes!
People with red blood and yellow skin
Let's fight under the sacred flag of the Fatherland
The flag background is soaked with blood for the country
Bright yellow star on the skin of the race
Stand up quickly! The soul of the country is calling us
Officers, farmers, workers, merchants, soldiers
We are united like a five-pointed golden star
Unity will increase strength
Determined to defeat Japanese and Western fascists
These twenty-five million Vietnamese patriots
We are united like a five-pointed golden star".
In the evening of July 30, 1940, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai - Secretary of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Party Committee came to work at a revolutionary base in Cha Va village, adjacent to the inner city of Saigon, 2 comrades were surrounded by French spies. When he was arrested, he tried to kill himself by biting his tongue to protect the Party and the revolution. The enemy used many cruel tortures, but he still endured and kept the communist temperament. When the enemy could not interrogate anything, they transferred him to the Kham Lon Sai Gon (“Maison Centrale de Saigon").
On May 17, 1941, the French colonialists opened a trial, forcing comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and a number of other leaders of the Party on the charge of “being mentally responsible for the Nam Ky Uprising" and sentenced to death. In the days waiting for the execution of the judgment of the colonial government, he still clearly showed the spirit of revolutionary optimism: exercising regularly, borrowing books and newspapers for reading, research, storytelling, and teaching revolutionary culture and theory for a number of brothers and comrades such as: Nguyen Van Cung (other name is Ba Cung, Ba Xe, an official of the Nam Ky Party Committee).
Before going to execution grounds, he also reminded brothers and comrades with emotional poems and believed in the inevitable victory of the revolution. Those poignant poems were deeply imprinted in the minds of comrades until later:
“Goodbye today, I have a few words
To comrades everywhere
The spirit sent back to the country
Hatred is written all across the country
The sentence in Ha Nam has been shaken off
The life of hard labor in Con Dao is over
Let's go all the way, brothers
Red flag with yellow star brings light to the future"
On August 28, 1941, Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien fell at the shooting range at the Gieng nuoc Crossroads, Hoc Mon, Gia Dinh (now Hoc Mon District Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City) along with comrades : Ha Huy Tap, Nguyen Van Cu, Vo Van Tan or Bien Tan, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai or Co Duy, Nguyen Van Tay and Nguyen Van Huan with the immortal chant: Long live the Indochinese Communist Party! Long live the successful Vietnamese revolution!
In recognition of his merits and contributions, many localities throughout the country have public works named after Nguyen Huu Tien; He was registered at Ben Duoc Temple, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City,The Gieng nuoc shooting range has become a historical relic site, with thousands of delegations visiting every year. At that place, there is also a road and school named after the revolutionary Nguyen Huu Tien and many comrades. In 1994, “Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien Commemoration House", invested by the District Party Committee, People's Committee of Duy Tien district and Yen Bac commune, was built on the family's own land. In 2014, it was built spaciously into “Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien Memorial House". In the revolutionary homeland of Duy Tien, the primary, secondary and high school named after Nguyen Huu Tien became the pride of generations of teachers, students and local people. In 2012, the family brought the remains of Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien to be buried at the hometown martyrs cemetery. On August 25, 2019, the District Party Committee and People's Committee of Duy Tien district together with his family and relatives inaugurated a bust of martyr Nguyen Huu Tien, located at the Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien Memorial House.
