Deeply engraved the image of the person…

Every December, whenever I tell stories about President Ho Chi Minh visiting his hometown to tourists, I always feel like I am living in that space, welcoming Uncle Ho, listening to him talk about his childhood memories; listening to his compliments, encouragement, advice, as well as his subtle criticisms... I seem to see Uncle Ho's image here, in every tree, blade of grass, every simple house... extremely warm and happy!

Uncle Ho visited his hometown in 1961. Photo: Document

On the morning of December 9, 1961, Kim Lien's homeland was visited for the second time.welcome Uncle Ho to visit. The people's excitement and joy were no different from the first time they welcomed Uncle Ho back to his hometown (June 1957). Everyone was eager and eager to see him. This time, he visited his maternal home, Hoang Tru, first. In the humble thatched house built in the garden of Hoang Xuan Duong - his maternal grandfather, was where the boy Nguyen Sinh Cung cried when he was born. That place held countless memories of Uncle Ho with his grandparents, parents and aunt An.

Uncle Ho's father - Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac, was orphaned at the age of 4. Mr. Hoang Duong loved him and adopted him, gave him an education, and when he grew up, married his daughter Hoang Thi Loan. It was Mr. Hoang Duong and his wife who took care of and nurtured the talent of Pho Bang Nguyen Sinh Sac and also the ones who put aside all the conventions of the time to create a relationship that contributed to changing the fate of a nation. The family of Pho Bang Nguyen Sinh Sac and Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan lived in this land for more than 12 years, and the boy Nguyen Sinh Cung was attached to it from birth until he was 5 years old.

President Ho Chi Minh talks with the people of Nam Lien commune (Nam Dan). Photo: Document

When visiting his maternal hometown, Uncle Ho went to burn incense for his maternal ancestors at the Hoang Xuan family branch's church. At that time, he saw that the altar was intact but the house was more spacious. He asked: "When were the walls and roof tiles built in this church?". The church was built by his maternal grandfather, at first it was just a thatched roof and bamboo fence. In the 1930s, relatives built walls and roofed it with tiles. Stepping out onto the porch, that day Uncle Ho was surprised to seegrandparents jackfruit treestill there, Uncle said: “Is grandma’s jackfruit tree still here? This tree used to bear a lot of fruit, many segments but very sweet…”. Perhaps the most touching moment, Uncle returned to visit his family’s small 3-room thatched house. Gently stepping in to visit, the souvenirs seemed to be intact but no one in the family was there anymore. Uncle fondled each souvenir of the family. From the loom where his mother wove cloth every night; the small bed where his siblings cried when they were born; the hammock where his mother rocked his siblings to sleep. Uncle was silent in front of the wooden chest, the “dowry” gift that his grandmother gave his mother when she moved out. The 71-year-old woman’s hands kept fondling it as if she wanted to find her childhood memories. Moved, he turned to Uncle and said to the relatives who were with him: “You guys are really good at keeping it. Mom’s old wooden chest is still there.” Back then, what my mother worked hard all night to weave into smooth fabrics, she often neatly stored in there. Uncle Ho's first steps were also often followed along the wooden chest to practice walking.

In the old house in Kim Lien village, Uncle Ho was moved to recall his childhood memories. Photo: Document

After visiting the beloved relics in the house, Uncle Ho went to the front porch to talk with the neighbors. It was a very touching moment when Uncle Ho met Mr. Nguyen Thuyen, a close friend who had flown kites and fished with him in his childhood. Holding Mr. Nguyen Thuyen's shoulder and humorously touching his ear, Uncle Ho asked: "Old friend, do you remember me? The scar from the past is still there today". Mr. Thuyen immediately remembered the old story. Once, when the two of them went fishing together at Mr. Tua's pond, Mr. Thuyen felt the buoy move and pulled it hard, unfortunately the hook got caught in Uncle Ho's ear, causing bleeding. Mr. Thuyen was scared and frantic, but Uncle Ho calmly removed the hook and found a net leaf on the pond bank to stop the bleeding. The wound was small but left a scar. Uncle Ho touched his ear and recalled the old memories, both of them were moved to tears.

Saying goodbye to dear Hoang Tru, Uncle Ho visited Sen Village and then went to the stadium to talk to the villagers. He praised Kim Lien for its progress: “The last time I came back, “each family had its own light”, “each family used its own pot”, and they did business on a small scale. Now the village has organized a cooperative, the villagers are united, always helping each other. That is a big change. The last time I came back, there weren’t many schools like this (a brick-and-tile-roofed secondary school next to the stadium), but now there are schools for the children in the village and surrounding villages to study, forming a small cultural center. So culture has progressed. The presence of soldiers, militia and self-defense forces, in neat ranks here, also proves that our national defense force has progressed”.

Domestic and international tourists visit Uncle Ho's hometown. Photo: Canh Hung - PV

Visiting his hometown this time, Uncle Ho advised the people to build good cooperatives, upholding the spirit of mastery: Mastering the village, mastering the cooperative, mastering the country. Each person considered the work of the cooperative as his own work and had the responsibility to make the people rich, the country strong, and the national defense strong. He had to help single-parent households, the elderly with poor health. In maintaining order and security, the Army, the Police, and the Militia and Self-Defense Force had to rely on the people, the people had to help them to the fullest and always be vigilant.

The stories end but the emotions remain intact, the admiration for a son of the homeland who sacrificed his whole life for the independence and freedom of the country, the happiness of the people, only spending a short time for his family and his homeland.

Exactly 60 years since the winter of 1961, this is the second time President Ho Chi Minh visited his homeland and also the last time his homeland welcomed him, but his images, impressions, feelings and instructions are always imprinted in the hearts of the people of Kim Lien, the motivation for the Party Committee and people of Kim Lien to be determined to build their commune into a successful one.Model new rural communeof Nam Dan district as Uncle Ho always wished. And for me personally, I feel extremely lucky.

A corner of Sen Village, Kim Lien Commune, Nam Dan District. Photo: Nguyen Sach