The school was founded in 1907 by patriotic intellectuals including Nguyen Thong to promote modern education and patriotism.
Ho Chi Minh worked here as a teacher for several months between 1910 and 1911 under the name Nguyen Tat Thanh.
The school was closed in 1912 after the founders faced increasing pressure from French colonial authorities.
The star apple tree on the property was planted in 1910 and remains a focal point of the garden.
The architecture reflects traditional Vietnamese wooden construction techniques, notably lacking metal nails in many structural joints.
Dục Thanh School is a preserved 19th-century educational site where Ho Chi Minh, then known as Nguyen Tat Thanh, taught in 1910 before moving to Saigon. The school grounds feature original wooden structures, including a classroom and the Nguu Tu Hien residence, maintained in their historical state. It remains a significant site of Vietnamese revolutionary history, documenting the brief period the future leader spent in Phan Thiet. The museum grounds are shaded by ancient trees, including a star apple tree said to have been planted during the school's active period. Visitors can observe period-accurate furniture, teaching tools, and personal effects of the staff. The site functions as a living museum, illustrating the modest environment of early 20th-century Vietnamese education.
Walk through the garden areas to see the preserved well and ancient fruit trees.
Visit the small exhibition hall to view historical photographs and written documents explaining the curriculum of the time.
The site is compact; combine it with a visit to the nearby Phan Thiet Water Tower for a half-day historical tour.
Do not attempt to touch or lean on the fragile antique furniture displayed within the classrooms.
Dress modestly as this is a site of historical and national significance; maintain a quiet demeanor inside the wooden structures.
