There is a great love in the Central Highlands

WORKS OF THE PEOPLE'S HEART

Traveling over 800 km, we - the children of Uncle Ho's hometown - arrived in Gia Lai province in the last sunny days of March. Passing through the center of Pleiku city, where there is the Great Unity Square with its unique and rare features, having been recognized by the Vietnam Guinness Organization as the square with the "largest bronze statue of Uncle Ho", the emotions of the children of Nghe An seemed to burst.

After more than 10 years of completion and use, the Great Unity Square and the monument "Uncle Ho with the ethnic groups of the Central Highlands" have become a place not to be missed by anyone when coming to the sunny and windy land of Pleiku.

Beyond its architectural significance, this has become a “red address” witnessing many cultural and historical events of the Central Highlands; it is also a work expressing the respect and gratitude of the people here towards beloved Uncle Ho.

Is it because of this special sentiment that the Great Unity Square project also owns many very special records? After completion and putting into use, the Vietnam Guinness organization recognized this as the square with the "Largest bronze statue of Uncle Ho" using modern pressing technology (10.8m high); "Largest gong set"; "Largest stone relief" (area 600m2). The Ministry of Construction recognized the project as winning the Gold Medal for quality; the Central Propaganda Department recognized the Square as winning the A prize for the project "Studying and following the moral example and style of Ho Chi Minh"...

Understanding these values, on March 17, 2023, the People's Committee of Gia Lai province announced the Decision and awarded the Certificate of ranking as a provincial-level relic and scenic spot to Dai Doan Ket Square (Pleiku city). This is an important milestone to further affirm the role and significance of this special project.

Another special feature that attracts many visitors when coming here is the letter “Uncle Ho sent to the Congress of Southern Ethnic Minorities” in 1946, carved on a stone block weighing more than 100 tons. The letter carved into the stone is short but full of love and deep concern of Uncle Ho for the ethnic minorities in the South and Central Highlands.

The overarching idea of ​​the letter that Uncle Ho conveyed was the spirit of solidarity among ethnic groups in the whole country: “The Kinh or Tho, Muong or Man, Gia Rai or Ede, Xe Dang or Ba Na and other ethnic minorities, are all descendants of Vietnam, are all blood brothers. We live and die together, share happiness and suffering together, help each other in hunger and fullness”. Each paragraph, each sentence of Uncle Ho always mentioned the issue of solidarity among ethnic groups to fight against the enemy's divisive plot. The words "we" and "us" were repeated by Uncle Ho many times as if to affirm and emphasize a "common", a truth that solidarity creates strength.

Remembering Uncle Ho's teachings, the people of the Central Highlands are always united, taking Uncle Ho as a spiritual support to overcome all difficulties and hardships together. That spirit of solidarity has contributed significantly to gradually building the Central Highlands land to become increasingly prosperous.

In addition to the above meaningful works, Gia Lai province is also the only place in the Central Highlands that preserves the ideological values ​​of Uncle Ho through images, documents, and artifacts, which are called by the people of the mountain town with an intimate and affectionate name, closely associated with the childhood and memories of many generations: "Uncle Ho's Memorial House" - now called the Ho Chi Minh Museum, located in the Gia Lai Provincial Museum, put into use since 1984.

From a distance, the museum looks like a communal house. This is a typical architecture of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands. The museum's exhibits are divided into 8 themes, introducing the homeland, family, career of President Ho Chi Minh, and the affection of President Ho Chi Minh for the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands in a comprehensive and complete manner.

The museum also displays a number of unique images and artifacts that deeply depict the feelings of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands in general and Gia Lai province in particular for Uncle Ho. It is the longing, respect and gratitude for the leader who devoted himself to the country and the people. This unique combination helps the Ho Chi Minh Museum in the Central Highlands to have both the common features of the system of museums about Uncle Ho nationwide, and also have its own unique features.

LIGHT UP LOVE FOR UNCLE HO IN THE RHYTHM OF DAILY LIFE

Every windy morning in the mountain town of Pleiku, visitors often stroll to the Great Unity Square and the complex of buildings here to feel the peaceful, simple yet vibrant atmosphere.

In the midst of that peaceful scene, the workers here quietly prune each tree branch, take care of each flower and grass bed every day. It is indeed not a simple job when the complex of works has a total area of ​​over 12 hectares, with over 2,000 trees and over 23,000m2 including 205 grass plots. The team of more than 30 workers not only cleans and takes care of the trees but also has to decorate the pots and basins to suit the landscape of the area, especially on holidays and Tet; trim and prevent trees from falling when storms come.

"It has been nearly 7 years since I started working in this job. I have personally witnessed the carefulness and meticulousness of the workers here. Rain or shine, they always ensure the work progress in the most responsible manner.

Beyond the meaning of making a living, being able to contribute a little bit to beautify and ensure peace for this meaningful project is truly an honor and pride for each person."

Mr. Pham Van Tam (born in 1959) - security officer at the Great Unity Square

Over the past decades, the Great Unity Square - Ho Chi Minh Museum complex has welcomed millions of visitors and people from the Central Highlands ethnic groups to visit and learn about his revolutionary life. This is also a "red address" to educate the younger generation about revolutionary traditions; where agencies, units of the Army, Police, and organizations come to visit and report to Uncle Ho every year on major holidays; where the Youth Union, teenagers, children, and students in the area come to attend the admission ceremony to the Youth Union, the Young Pioneers, etc.

With an extremely large campus, full of green trees, this place has become a favorite destination for people. Sitting down to rest under the cool shade of the trees, Mr. Dang Van Minh (born in 1953) finished his 40-minute jog at the Square. When seeing the guests from far away coming from Uncle Ho's hometown, he could not hide his joy, he shared that every day, he and his family members often come here to walk, enjoy the cool air and exercise. Every time they see Uncle Ho's statue, his grandchildren bring many questions about him. After each question, he tells his children and grandchildren touching stories about Uncle Ho. From there, he ignites patriotism in the children's hearts right from their first steps.

In the middle of a windy afternoon, the song “Uncle Ho lives forever with the Central Highlands” resounded, passionately: “Lay upon layer of people follow Him/ The glorious sunlight shines forever/ On the path to eternal victory there is Uncle Ho/ He lives forever with us/ He lives forever with the Central Highlands”…