Walking amidst the fragrance of lotus flowers

(Baonghean) - There have been concerns about Kim Lien becoming increasingly "concretized," and worries that Uncle Ho's hometown might lose its beloved image... But the saying "The most joyful thing is the scenery of our homeland/Kim Lien with its beautiful lotus flowers, Ngoc Dinh with its ringing bells" is being restored, after the efforts of the people of Kim Lien to build a friendly image for people all over the country...

Before learning about the lotus in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown, I suddenly remembered an article by journalist Huynh Dung Nhan many years ago in his series of travelogues across Vietnam. That time, when stopping in Nghe An and visiting President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace, he was surprised to ask: "Why is it called 'Lotus Village' but there's no lotus fragrance in his hometown?" This contradicts the folk song, because in the memory of Mr. Nguyen Van Thin from Tru 2 hamlet: "In the old days, there were many lotuses in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown; we called them wild lotuses because they grew naturally. The flowers bloomed profusely and emitted the most fragrant scent in the summer, right around President Ho Chi Minh's birthday."

As a member of the younger generation, Mr. Tran Le Chuong, Vice Chairman of the Kim Lien Commune People's Committee, has given much thought to this issue. Putting himself in the shoes of people nationwide visiting President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace, he believes everyone would be disappointed if they visited Lang Sen and didn't see a single lotus plant. Therefore, with the support of seeds and technical assistance, the Kim Lien commune leadership quickly implemented the project among the households. The plan is to completely plant lotus along the entire route from Kim Lien Primary and Secondary Schools down to the Commune People's Committee area and into the Ho Chi Minh Ancestral Homeland Historical Site. Similarly, the road from the Kim Lien welcome gate to Hoang Tru will also be covered with lotus. However, fearing a significant impact on the rice paddy land of the people, the commune decided to only utilize existing ponds and lakes within its managed land for lotus cultivation.

Lotus ponds along the road to President Ho Chi Minh's ancestral home. Photo: Sy Minh

The lotus plants used for cultivation are pink lotus varieties sourced from Dong Thap Muoi, the resting place of Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac, President Ho Chi Minh's father. After the lotus plants were successfully propagated and developed, the commune assigned each household to manage and care for them, with the income from the lotus being managed independently by the households. With approximately 4 hectares of water surface, about 15 households have now taken on the responsibility of caring for the lotus ponds. These households have also committed to not raising grass carp or using fishing nets to prevent damage to the lotus plants.

Having taken care of the lotus pond in front of his house since 2012, Mr. Duong Dinh Lam, from Tru 2 hamlet, considers it a blessing for his family. Therefore, he and his youngest son, who is studying at the University of Agriculture, work tirelessly day and night to ensure the lotus pond thrives and blooms in season. Even when building their house, the family carefully considered their options before deciding on a wooden house instead of a multi-story one to suit the rustic village setting. There's something Mr. Lam didn't say, but from his story, I understand that he does this work because, deep down, he is grateful to this land of Kim Lien. Previously, he lived in Binh Son commune, one of the most remote communes in Anh Son district, bordering Tan Ky and Quy Hop. In 1996, he and his wife moved to Hoang Tru to start a new life. Through hard work, the couple started from nothing and, after nearly 20 years of building a life in their new hometown, are not yet truly wealthy but have begun to accumulate some savings. Grateful to this land, he reminds himself, "I must be more responsible to my homeland than even the original villagers." Most recently, when the village was building a concrete road, he voluntarily contributed nearly 15 million VND to buy construction materials...

Mr. Tran Le Chuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Kim Lien commune, expressed his concern: "As the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh, the government and people of the commune have received many privileges. However, the more privileges we receive, the more we realize we still have to strive to meet the expectations and aspirations of the people nationwide. For example, building the image of Kim Lien village in the eyes of tourists from all over the world. Everyone understands that tourists coming to President Ho Chi Minh's hometown not only want to see the image of his birthplace and the place where he was born and raised, but also want to experience the setting of a Vietnamese village. But there is still chaotic planning and a lack of uniformity. There is still the increasing process of 'concretization'. Or, despite having ideas, Kim Lien has yet to build a cultural space for folk singing and traditional crafts, as many tourism professionals hope for."

In light of this, in the process of building "Kim Lien into a model commune," the commune is aiming to green the area, creating a new rural landscape without losing its pure, authentic Vietnamese character. Therefore, at this time, traveling along roads 539 and 540 in Kim Lien, one can already see the black star trees beginning to flourish. Within the commune's People's Committee grounds and along the road to Hoang Tru, in addition to trees like flamboyant, crape myrtle, and mahogany, there are now newly planted sour plum and sapodilla trees. The commune is planning to restore the fruit orchards, especially traditional varieties such as plum, guava, and camellia, to create green spaces and produce local produce for visitors.

Visiting Sen 3 hamlet, the first hamlet in the commune to have a uniformly built fence system, it's a friendly and welcoming place that maintains the privacy of each family while fostering a sense of community. Previously, to support this plan, residents in the hamlet voluntarily donated land for the road, with each person donating at least 20-30 square meters. Leading the land donation movement, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong shared: "Initially, we had to remove the old fence and lose some land. There were some complaints, but then we realized that building a new rural area benefits us, so why shouldn't we support it, especially when we are fortunate and honored to be living next to Uncle Ho's house? We have to sacrifice personal interests for the common good..." In her heartfelt words, Ms. Huong proudly recounted the story of her father, Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, one of the people once honored as an "unnamed hero," the first person to undertake the task of caring for and protecting Uncle Ho's house during the days of bombing and war. "In the past, my father and the villagers spared no blood and sacrifice to preserve Uncle Ho's relics intact. Now, as the younger generation, how could we not continue the tradition of those who came before?"

Currently, 18 out of 19 criteria for the new rural development program in Kim Lien have been completed, and the project "Kim Lien becomes a model commune" has been submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval. Amidst this shared joy, visitors from near and far who come to President Ho Chi Minh's hometown this May have felt the efforts of the local people, witnessed the positive transformation in building the image of the people of Kim Lien, and once again experienced the sentiment expressed in the old folk song: "The greatest joy is the scenery of our homeland / Kim Lien's lotus blossoms, Ngoc Dinh's bells ring."

My Ha