A son of Nghe An preserves the memorial space dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in the heart of France.
Every Saturday morning, from the outskirts of Paris (France), a man from Nghe An province carries a red flag with a yellow star and runs nearly 15 kilometers to clean up the area around the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Montreuil. That man is Cao Ba Khanh (born in 1988, from Tan Chau commune). His actions stem from his deep respect and love for President Ho Chi Minh, and are also a way for Vietnamese people living abroad to express their love for their homeland and national pride.
In the lush green Montreau Park in the city of Montreuil, there is a special space dedicated to commemorating President Ho Chi Minh. Beneath the shade of bamboo trees reminiscent of Vietnamese villages, a bust of him stands in the heart of France as a symbol of history, of Vietnamese-French friendship, and of the affection that many generations of overseas Vietnamese have for their beloved leader.
Recently, many images and videos have appeared on social media showing a Vietnamese man running long distances to clean up the area around President Ho Chi Minh's statue. Behind these simple scenes lies a touching story about the affection of a son of Nghe An province for President Ho Chi Minh.
In 2009, Cao Bá Khánh enlisted in the army. After completing his military service in 2011, he returned to his hometown to learn to drive and participate in local economic development. In 2019, he went to France to work as a chef. Currently, he and his wife live and work in the suburbs of Paris.
Though far from his homeland, he always harbored a special affection for President Ho Chi Minh. Khanh confided: “I am a son of Nghe An – the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh. My years in the military helped me understand more deeply the history of our nation and the value of independence and peace today. Therefore, no matter where I live, I always remind myself and my family to maintain our love for our homeland and our respect for President Ho Chi Minh and the heroes and martyrs.”
In 2024, while reading the newspaper, he learned about the Ho Chi Minh Space and the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Montreuil. This is a complex of historical sites associated with the period when Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh) was active in France more than a century ago. The Ho Chi Minh Space was inaugurated on May 19, 2000, to commemorate the 110th anniversary of his birth. Five years later, a bust of President Ho Chi Minh was added to the site. For many years now, this location has become a place for the Vietnamese community in France, delegations from Vietnam, and international friends to commemorate and express their respect for the leader of the Vietnamese nation.
Khanh recounted that the first time he visited Montreau Park and saw the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in the heart of France, he was deeply moved. Amidst the peaceful European-style park, the image of the Father of the Nation appeared both familiar and sacred. In particular, the green bamboo grove beside the statue evoked a strong sense of nostalgia for his homeland. "At that moment, I felt like I was rediscovering a part of my homeland," he recalled.
The statue is placed outdoors, so leaves fall thickly on the walkway year-round. From his first visit, Mr. Khanh quietly cleaned the area around it. Initially, it was just a natural act stemming from his respect for the President, but that attachment gradually became a habit, an urge whenever he thought about President Ho Chi Minh in a foreign land.
Starting in April 2025, amidst the atmosphere leading up to the anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country, he began his own "special journey." Carrying the red flag with a yellow star, he ran from his home to Montreuil – a distance of about 15 km – to "visit Uncle Ho." Almost every Saturday morning, he tried to arrange his work schedule to undertake this familiar journey. For Khanh, it was not just a running session for exercise, but also a time to find inner peace amidst the hustle and bustle of life in a foreign land. Each time he visited the area around Uncle Ho's statue, he quietly picked up leaves and swept and tidied up the surrounding area so that the memorial site would always be clean and solemn.
During those trips, he had many unforgettable memories. Some French people strolling in the park, upon seeing the Vietnamese man diligently tending to the statue of President Ho Chi Minh, stopped to ask him questions. From initial curiosity, they learned more about the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh - the leader who dedicated his entire life to the liberation of the Vietnamese nation.
Khánh remembers most vividly a recent encounter with a French man of Algerian descent. After a conversation by the statue of President Ho Chi Minh, the man expressed his respect for President Ho Chi Minh and his admiration for the Vietnamese people's struggle for independence. What moved Khánh even more was that some time later, this man and his wife returned to Montreau Park to help him clean up the area around the statue. "I'm happy that through these small actions, many foreigners have come to understand more about President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam," Khánh shared.
Watching the videos shared by Mr. Cao Bá Khánh on social media, many people were moved by the perseverance and sincerity of this man from Nghe An in France. Amidst the hustle and bustle of European life, amidst the worries of making a living as a migrant worker, regularly dedicating time to caring for a memorial space dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh has become a quiet, precious beauty.
Khanh said that initially, he posted those images simply to let more people know that there is a very meaningful memorial space dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in France. Surprisingly, from those simple posts, many Vietnamese people living in Sri Lanka, Mexico, Argentina, and other countries messaged him, expressing their growing interest in the monuments and memorial spaces dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in their areas, and even volunteering to care for and maintain these sites.
In May, leading up to the 136th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth, Cao Ba Khanh embarked on his familiar run to Montreuil; accompanying him was still the red flag with a yellow star and his boundless affection for Uncle Ho.
In distant France, Cao Bá Khánh's quiet actions made many realize that the reverence and love for President Ho Chi Minh are present in small things. It is from these simple things that his image silently lives on in the hearts of Vietnamese people everywhere.
