Missing Uncle Ho on his birthday
From early morning, the Kim Lien Special National Historical Site is crowded with locals and tourists from across regions in the country — all carrying pure lotus and lily flower bouquets to offer at Uncle Ho’s ancestral altar.
Phan Van Hai, 43, from Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province, and his wife brought their son to tour each room of President Ho’s house, explaining to him the artifacts related to President Ho Chi Minh’s childhood life.
The family embraced a long journey from the eastern region to Nghe An Province, during which they had to take a bus trip from Binh Phuoc to Ho Chi Minh City, then a flight from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Vinh Airport. Hai said the trip was made to commemorate President Ho’s birth anniversary.
He shared that that this trip stirred his heart with the same profound affection for Uncle Ho as when he first set foot here about ten years ago.
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| The Kim Lien Special National Historical Site is crowded with locals and tourists from across regions in the country |
This year, at 85 years old, it was the first time Hoang Van Nhuong and his wife, Nguyen Thi Hang (80, from Y Yen District, Nam Dinh Province), visited Uncle Ho’s homeland. Nhuong said after so many years, he finally fulfilled his wish to visit Uncle Ho’s birthplace.
“I am very happy, excited, and emotional. Uncle Ho devoted his entire life to saving our people from oppression and misery, turning our country from a colony into a free and independent nation,” he shared.
Meanwhile, his wife said: “Standing in front of Uncle Ho’s family home, seeing the belongings closely connected to his family, and hearing touching stories about him from the tour guides moved me to tears.”
Visitors who come to the Kim Lien Special National Historical Site are impressed by the female tour guides dressed in traditional pink lotus-coloured Ao Dai, with their sweet voices rich in the Nghe An accent.
“Dear uncles, brothers, and sisters, in these historic days of May, we return here on a very meaningful journey to commemorate the birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh,” said Bui Thi Dam to a group of more than 20 visitors from Cao Bang Province.
Having worked as a tour guide at the Kim Lien Special National Historical Site since she was only 17, Dam is now the Head of the Communication and Education Office of the site.
Over more than 30 years, she has lost count of how many groups she has guided, but she is still passionate about this job.
Dam shared: “We consider ourselves in the position of representing Uncle Ho’s family to welcome guests. It is a happy and proud feeling to speak from the heart to help visitors understand Uncle Ho’s noble life and the lives of his family members.”
Efforts made to boost development in Uncle Ho’s homeland
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| Tour guides at the Kim Lien Special National Historical Site always convey deeply the stories about Uncle Ho’s family and childhood. |
Based on its cultural and tourism potential and advantages, in 2017, after being recognised as the new-styled rural district, Nam Dan was selected to pilot the model of a new-styled rural district focusing on culture and tourism development in the 2018-2025 period
On December 13, 2020, the Nghe An Provincial People’s Council passed a resolution stipulating special mechanisms and policies to support Nam Dan District’s socio-economic development from 2021 to 2025.
Nguyen Hong Son, Chairman of the Nam Dan District People’s Committee, shared that during his lifetime, despite being busy with national affairs, his Nam Dan homeland was always a heartfelt concern of President Ho Chi Minh.
Twice returning to his homeland and through letters sent home, President Ho Chi Minh always encouraged and entrusted the homeland’s authorities and people to promote patriotic emulation movement to make Nam Dan District, and especially Kim Lien Commune, more developed.
His messages have always been regarded by the Party, authorities, and people of Nam Dan, urging everyone to unite and strive to overcome all difficulties to fulfil them.
To date, all 18 communes in Nam Dan District have met standards of new-styled rural areas; among them, 15 communes have reached advanced new rural standards, seven communes have achieved model new rural standards, and the township meets urban civilised standards, making Nam Dan the first district in Nghe An Province to be recognised as new-styled rural district.
The district’s authorities and people are making every effort to develop Nam Dan into a model new-styled rural district focusing on culture and tourism development.
