(VOVWORLD) - Nghe An province in central Vietnam has produced numerous Vietnamese heroes and prominent figures, including President Ho Chi Minh. A large collection of documents and artefacts from Uncle Ho’s earliest years are on display in his home village.
The Memorial Site of President Ho Chi Minh (a.k.a the Kim Lien relic site) is located in Nam Dan district, 15 kilometers from Vinh City. The highlights are Sen (Lotus) village, the village of Ho Chi Minh’s father and Hoang Tru village, the village of Ho Chi Minh’s mother, and her tomb.
The Hoang Tru village complex spans 3,500 square meters, containing the house of Uncle Ho’s maternal grandfather Hoang Xuan Duong, a clan worshiping house, and the house where Ho Chi Minh was born. The humble thatched cottage with three chambers was his home until he was five. In the outermost chamber, there is a table, an ink well, pen brushes, two chairs, and two bookshelves where Hoang Xuan Duong and his son-in-law Nguyen Sinh Sac used to trade verses and discuss literature. In another chamber, there is a loom on which Uncle Ho’s mother Hoang Thi Loan wove cloth to earn money. There is also a hemp hammock where the little boy fell asleep listening to his mother’s lullabies and his grandmother’s fairy tales.
 President Ho Chi Minh was born in his maternal village of Hoang Tru. (Photo: mytour.vn) |
Two kilometers from Hoang Tru village is Sen village, where Uncle Ho spent most of his childhood. The village has been well preserved through a century, including the humble thatched cottage of five chambers to which Uncle Ho’s father Nguyen Sinh Sac moved his family in 1901 after winning the title Junior Doctor in a national contest. In this cottage, Uncle Ho grew up, studied Confucianism, and met a number of scholars who developed his sense of patriotism.
In the Sen village complex is a teacher’s cottage, the cottage of Uncle Ho’s paternal grandfather, who was a blacksmith, a banyan tree, and a well.
Huy Hoang of Son La city told VOV: “This is the second time I’ve visited President Ho Chi Minh’s house and the Kim Lien relic site. My family and I are really moved to learn about Uncle Ho’s revolutionary career, and the simple lifestyle that created one of the world’s great leaders. In May, his birth month, people come here to burn incense and give thanks to President Ho Chi Minh.”
 Crowds of visitors head to Sen village. (Photo: VOV) |
The Kim Lien relic site has become an increasingly popular tourist site in Nghe An province.
Nguyen Thanh Thuy, a local resident, said: “On May 19, President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday, the Kim Lien relic site is more crowded than usual with tourists who have come to acknowledge the President’s enormous contributions. Born and raised here near the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh, I’m really proud to acknowledge his patriotism and follow his example to make my homeland more prosperous.”
As summer approaches, the villages become redolent with the mild fragrance of blossoming lotus flowers, a symbol of President Ho Chi Minh’s simple yet noble life.