# Mỹ Hào

Mỹ Hào is a district-level town of Hưng Yên province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.

## History
### Middle Ages

According to Đại Nam nhất thống địa dư chí, around the 9th century, on the left bank of the Red River, there was an administrative unit called Đường-Hào huyện (唐豪縣, "Đường Hào rural district"), which was under Annam Prefecture of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Its name implies emphasizing the central government's opening of the remaining lands.
Until 1885, Emperor Đồng Khánh immediately after the golden throne changed "Đường-Hào huyện" to Mỹ-Hào huyện (美豪縣, "Mỹ Hào rural district"). The reason for that decree was because the rural district's name has accidentally coincided with Emperor's alias "Chánh-Mông đường" (正蒙堂, "Chánh Mông hall") in the pronunciation of Annamese people.
Also in 1885, in the whole Hưng Yên province, there was a very serious storm that caused the Red River dike to be broken. Flood waters have flooded all districts along the river, making the terrain almost unable to live. From a large population for many centuries, the Southern domain of Hưng Yên province became a swamp with insignificant population density. A low-ranking official named Nguyễn Thiện Thuật relied on this factor to urge his relatives as well as the Sơn Nam people to build a basis to oppose the protect government. This event was still known in history as the Bãi Sậy Uprising (荻林起義, khởi nghĩa Bãi Sậy, "the uprising at the mop bund"), which originated from the typical flora of the domain for many years after the flood.
On February 25, 1890, to deal with the uprising movement in the East of Hanoi, Governor-General Jean-Luc de Saint Peauxpa has signed a decision to merge all the Red Riverside rural districts of three provinces Bắc Ninh, Hưng Yên, Hải Dương to form a new administrative unit : Địch-Lâm đạo (荻林道, "Bãi Sậy garrison"). Accordingly, this domain was organized according to the regulation like a special-military zone, which the head must be a French colonel (quan năm vành vàng, "fifth-level official with golden lines"). Since this time, Mỹ Hào rural district has been separated into two new districts Mỹ Hào and Yên Mỹ.
In 1891, right after the revolt movement was defeated, the Governor-General restored civil administrative regulations, but the two districts of Mỹ Hào and Yên Mỹ still exist.

### XX century

After the First World War, the "huyện" (rural district) regulation were abolished throughout the French Indochina to be replaced by the "quận" (district or canton). This locality has been called as Mỹ-Hào quận (美豪郡, "Mỹ Hào district") in Annamese language since then.
During the peak of the independent advocacy movement for Vietnamese people, while Hải Dương and Hải Phòng were considered as the bases of Vietnam Nationalist Party and Daiviet Nationalist Party, Hưng Yên was like the area of Việt Minh forces. Communists have continued to take advantage of the low humid terrain of Mỹ Hào district to operate secretly.
Until 1946, the Vietnam National Assembly issued a decision to restore the "huyện" regulation. Therefore, this locality has been called huyện Mỹ-Hào ("Mỹ Hào rural district") in the administrative documents.
When the Indochina War broke out, Bần Yên Nhân township (thị trấn Bần Yên Nhân) and its surrounding areas were almost placed in a curfew situation because of motor vehicle ambushes by Việt Minh guerrilla groups. The accident became particularly serious in 1951, when guerrillas strengthened sabotage activities to respond to the North-West Campaigns. The CEFEO had to mobilize several airborne and tanks to deal with the hope of being able to keep the security for Hanoi.
On March 11, 1977, the Council of Ministers issued Decision 58/CP consolidated a number of rural districts of Hải Hưng province. Accordingly, the two rural districts of Mỹ Hào and Văn Lâm merged into Văn Mỹ rural district (文美縣, huyện Văn Mỹ).
On March 24, 1979, the Council of Ministers continued to issue Decision 70/CP to adjust the boundaries of rural districts of Hải Hưng province. Accordingly, Văn Mỹ district merged with 14 communes in Văn Yên district to establish a new unit named Mỹ Văn rural district (美文縣, huyện Mỹ Văn).
By September 1, 1999, Mỹ Hào rural district was re-established under Decree 60/NĐ-CP of the Central Government.

### XXI century

On December 30, 2014, the Ministry of Construction issued Decision 1588/QĐ-BXD recognizing Bần Yên Nhân expanded township (including old Bần Yên Nhân township and 5 communes Nhân Hòa, Dị Sử, Phùng Chí Kiên, Bạch Sam, Minh Đức and part of Phan Đình Phùng commune) as a grade IV urban area.
On April 11, 2017, the whole Mỹ Hào rural district was recognized as a grade IV urban area. While waiting for the announcement of the official planning map, this locality was temporarily called as Mỹ Hào township (美豪市鎮, thị trấn Mỹ Hào) in administrative documents.
On March 13, 2019, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam National Assembly issued Resolution 656/NQ-UBTVQH14, which took effect from May 1, 2019. According to this decision, Mỹ Hào town (美豪市社, thị xã Mỹ Hào) has been officially established, based on the entire natural area and population of the old rural district.

## Geography
### Administration

Mỹ Hào town includes 13 administrative units :
* 7 wards : Bạch Sam, Bần Yên Nhân (or Phố Bần), Dị Sử, Minh Đức, Nhân Hòa, Phan Đình Phùng, Phùng Chí Kiên.
* 6 communes : Cẩm Xá, Dương Quang, Hòa Phong, Hưng Long, Ngọc Lâm, Xuân Dục.
According to the 2020 statistical yearbook of the whole province, Mỹ Hào town covers an area of 79,37 km$^2$. However, due to landslides, which was caused by illegal sand mining activities in the Red Riverside, this number has tended to decline slowly since the beginning of 2010s.
The terrain of the town is generally relatively flat, where has a shape similar to a triangle. Currently, national routes 5, 38 and 39 go through this locality.

### Population

The population of the town is fully registered as Kinh people.
According to the 2024 yearbook of the Thái Bình Cathedral Diocese, the Superiors decided to divide the Hưng Yên Deanery into two new deaneries Đông Hưng Yên and Tây Hưng Yên from 2014, taking the National Route 39B as the boundary. Accordingly, the territory of Mỹ Hào town is part of the Đông Hưng Yên Deanery (giáo hạt Đông Hưng Yên). It is often considered one of the traditional addresses of famous religious orders. Currently, the patron saint of the deanery is Saint Peter the Apostle.

## Culture

Throughout history, Bần Yên Nhân (貧安仁) was the only urban of Mỹ Hào district, even there were times when it has a very important position in the identity of Hưng Yên province.
This township was originally formed on the area of the two markets Phố Bần and Phố Nối, then gradually expanded to the whole district. Up to present, the name of Bần Yên Nhân corresponds to a ward (phường) of Mỹ Hào town.
Besides, in the area of Mỹ Hào town there are two famous families who contribute to the country a lot of merits. They are Nguyễn Thiện and Nguyễn Lân.
* Official Nguyễn Thiện Thuật (1844 - 1926) and his relatives Nguyễn Thiện Kế, Nguyễn Thiện Dương, Nguyễn Thiện Tuyển were the leaders of the Bãi Sậy Uprising.
* Professor Nguyễn Lân (1906 - 2003), who has 7 sons and 1 daughter. They were all given professors and university lecturers. One of his grandchildren, architect Nguyễn Lân Thắng, is a dissident and human rights activist, who was imprisoned by the Vietnamese government in 2023 for allegations of disturbance and overthrow the regime.
* Vũ Trọng Phụng, a journalist and writer.
* Trần Phương, the Vice Prime-Minister.
* Lê Quý Quỳnh, the Deputy-Minister of Agriculture.
* Vũ Văn Cẩn, the Minister of Health.
* Lê Quang Hòa, the Deputy Minister of Defense.

## Economy

Mỹ Hào town is basically a intensive rice cultivation area due to sunken terrain conditions. However, it is especially known in Vietnam for traditional crafts for centuries.
Phố Bần has a tradition of processing bean sauce (貧醬, tương Bần) since the 19th century. The spice has been registered as Mỹ Hào district's exclusive trademark since the 1990s.