Homeland is a place of great love and respect.

President Ho Chi Minh was born and lived his childhood in Hoang Tru village (1890-1895), and his youth in Kim Lien village (1901-1906). Both periods were just 10 years, but his feelings for his homeland Kim Lien and Hoang Tru were very deep! Whenever a Kim Lien, Hoang Tru or Nghe An person met Uncle Ho, he kindly asked about all aspects of the situation in his homeland.

At 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 27, 1946, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh visited Uncle Ho at the Presidential Palace (Hanoi). This was the first time Ms. Thanh and Uncle Ho met since he left his homeland to travel the world to find a way to save the country. In a story full of sisterly affection, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh asked Uncle Ho: "You have been away for so long, do you miss your homeland? Do you still remember your sister sitting in the hammock rocking you to sleep, singing lullabies to the mountains and rivers? Back then, our family had a hard time." Speaking of this, Ms. Thanh cried again. Uncle Ho's tears were filled with emotion. He used a handkerchief to wipe his eyes. While smoking, he looked out the window and said: "Sister, the homeland has a heavy meaning and deep gratitude. Those decades have been filled with so much love. True revolutionary soldiers are all filial children with deep love for their homeland. Sister, when abroad, sometimes in the quiet of the night, suddenly hearing a lullaby from your family, your heart aches even more with longing for your homeland and country"...

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh asked Uncle Ho again: "When will you be able to visit your hometown?". A moment later, Uncle Ho replied: "I also want to visit my hometown, but it will definitely take a long time, because the country's affairs are still very heavy!".

Exactly one week later, also on Sunday (November 3, 1946), Mr. Nguyen Sinh Khiem went to Hanoi to visit Uncle Ho. In a happy conversation filled with brotherly affection after decades of not seeing each other, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Khiem asked, "When do you plan to return home to visit?". Uncle Ho leisurely replied, "Coming back here means coming home, the current situation and work do not allow us to think about it, it will probably take a long time!"

As Uncle Ho predicted, it was not until 11 years later (1957) that Uncle Ho had the opportunity to visit his hometown.

For his hometown Kim Lien, Hoang Tru and Nghe An province, from the time he became President until his passing, Uncle Ho had 35 documents in the form of letters, speeches, and telegrams to encourage outstanding events such as good production, good fighting, good people, good deeds, including a letter to the provincial leaders written on September 17, 1945, exactly half a month after he read the "Declaration of Independence" giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945), a letter to his uncle Hoang Phan Kinh and uncle Tran Le Huu (April 1949) and his last letter to the Party Executive Committee of Nghe An province (July 21, 1969).

In 1957, the domestic and international situation was favorable. After three years of economic recovery and healing the wounds of war, the North had achieved many great victories. The country was stable and developing strongly in foreign affairs. Uncle Ho wanted to visit fraternal and friendly countries around the world. Before going on a long business trip, he wanted to return to his homeland to create a new mindset. Therefore, the Politburo had a plan to arrange for Uncle Ho to visit Nghe An and some provinces in Zone IV.

After more than 50 years of separation, on Sunday, June 16, 1957, the 19th day of the 5th month of the year of the Fire Rooster, Uncle Ho returned to his homeland for the first time.

When the leaders of the commune and the villagers invited Uncle Ho to the guest house, he happily said: "The guest house is for receiving guests, and I am the host, let me visit home." Having said that, Uncle Ho walked towards his house. When he arrived, the bamboo gate was already open, everyone invited him into the house, but he raised his hand and pointed and said: "The old gate is at the other end." His feet had returned home following the footsteps of his youth.

Uncle Ho went into the outer house, where the ancestors were worshiped and where a portrait of Mr. Pho Bang Nguyen Sinh Sac was hung. Pointing to the newly rebuilt altar, Uncle Ho told the villagers: "In the past, my family was poor, the altar was only made of bamboo, without legs, but only used two pieces of wood nailed to the two sides of the pillars to support the altar, the bamboo frame, and a simple mat on top."

Entering the inner room, Uncle Ho saw the bed where Uncle Ho and Mr. Ca Khiem used to lie. He said: "Oh, this bed is still there, the villagers really kept it, but it seems shorter than before, right?". The villagers told Uncle Ho that before Ms. Thanh was imprisoned by the French colonialists, this bed was used by a family in the family. In the winter, it burned one end, so it had to be cut shorter. Uncle Ho saw a hammock woven from jute to cool off on summer days, a desk for reading and drinking tea, a wooden chest to store food, a two-compartment cabinet for bowls and plates, on the cabinet was a painted wooden tray, used by the family when there were distinguished guests, on the wall hung a disc lamp lit by vegetable oil. Uncle Ho went down to visit the three-room house, where the family cooked every day. The main housewife was Ms. Thanh, Uncle Ho and Mr. Ca Khiem also often helped her carry water and cook rice. Uncle Ho was moved to see all the family's belongings still intact...

Visiting the yard and garden. Some of the ornamental plants that the villagers brought to plant in 1901, when Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac passed the Pho Bang exam and returned home in glory, were lost and had not been replanted yet. Recalling the old scene, Uncle Ho was moved and said: "In the past, right at the entrance gate there was a guava tree with many sweet fruits, in front of the yard there was a grapefruit tree, on the side of the house there was an orange tree, behind the house there was a row of beautiful areca nuts".

The garden where the Vice-Principal's family used to grow seasonal crops was used by the family. A provincial official boldly asked Uncle Ho for permission to plant flowers in the garden to make it more beautiful. Uncle Ho pointed to the potato garden with flowers and said: "The potato flowers are still beautiful." Everyone understood what Uncle Ho meant.

When reaching the alley, Uncle Ho repeated once more: "The way to the house used to be this way." On the right, Uncle Ho pointed to the neighbor's fence, which was Mr. Nguyen Danh Uoc's house, which had a row of man hao trees. In his right hand, Uncle Ho held a man hao branch and shook it as if to emphasize for everyone to remember. On the left, he pointed to the inside of the house's garden, which was a hedge of hibiscus. Uncle Ho asked about Coc well, a historical site associated with the uprising of Bachelor Vuong Thuc Mau, where Uncle Ho often fetched water for his family when he lived in Kim Lien village.

Going to the left side of the gate, to the banana tree by the road, pointing to a path, Uncle asked: "Is the blacksmith of late Dien (Hoang Xuan Luyen) still here?". Late Dien was a diligent, honest, gentle and cheerful blacksmith, loved by the people in the area. During his time living in Kim Lien village, in his free time, Uncle often went to the blacksmith to play. Uncle respected late Dien and late Dien also loved Uncle very much. Uncle helped late Dien dig holes and hammer anvils. In particular, Uncle often asked, exchanged and discussed with late Dien and the villagers about social issues and current events that the people were interested in at that time.

Next, Uncle Ho went to the Nguyen Sinh family temple to burn incense and pay respect to his ancestors. When he was about to enter the temple, Uncle Ho pointed to the left and said: "In here is the house of Mr. Phuong. Does he have enough to eat today?". Hearing that, everyone was moved, because everyone knew that Mr. Phuong's family was the poorest family in Kim Lien village when Uncle Ho left his hometown to find a way to save the country.

That day, Uncle Ho talked to the people of Kim Lien commune and the people's representatives of neighboring communes under the banyan tree at the village stadium. He instructed the Party Committee and the government to correct mistakes in land reform, to promote the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance, and not to let "each family's light shine on its own". He reminded everyone to take care of and educate children, not to let them become skinny, sick, or suffer from trachoma. Uncle Ho mentioned almost everything and gave specific, practical advice. Before leaving, he also said: "If the cadres and people of Kim Lien do well, I will come back to visit!"

Keeping his promise, four years later, on December 9, 1961, Uncle Ho visited his maternal hometown Hoang Tru and paternal hometown Kim Lien. On this second visit, Uncle Ho went to Sen village temple to work with the Party Committee and People's Committee of Kim Lien commune. Then, under the banyan tree like four years before, Uncle Ho had a friendly talk with the people of his commune. He hoped that everyone would take responsibility for making the people rich and the country strong, promoting the spirit of solidarity, mutual assistance, building increasingly strong cooperatives, contributing to building social democracy in the North, creating a solid foundation for the victorious national democratic revolution, liberating the South, and unifying the country.

At the end of the talk, Uncle Ho led the song "Solidarity" for the whole crowd to sing together. Everyone sang enthusiastically to the rhythm of his hand.

During his first visit to his hometown, before returning to Kim Lien, on the morning of June 14, 1957, Uncle Ho spoke to the people's representatives of Nghe An province at the Provincial Party Committee hall in Vinh Citadel. He said:

"I am a son of my hometown who has been away from my hometown for more than 50 years. Today is the first time I have returned to visit my hometown. I can say: "My hometown is full of love and affection/ Those 50 years have been filled with so much love"...

Also on this occasion, Uncle Ho visited the construction site of Vinh Power Plant, visited unit 324 of Quang Ngai province's army gathered in the North and stationed at Ru Dun, Nam Dan district; visited the children of the Southern Children's Camp in Vinh...

During his second visit to his hometown on December 8, 1961, Uncle Ho worked with the Provincial Party Executive Committee and the Provincial Administrative Committee. He said: "Everything related to the national welfare and people's livelihood in Nghe An province is in charge of you. To do that, what principles must you firmly grasp?

One is: the principle of internal solidarity

Second: the principle of collective leadership and individual responsibility.

What else is needed to do well? Internal democracy. What else is needed to have good internal democracy? Criticism and self-criticism...".

When talking to the people and cadres of the province (also in Vinh Citadel, on December 9, 1961), Uncle Ho advised: "The people and cadres must be determined to strive to build our province into one of the best provinces in the North"!

During his second visit to his hometown, Uncle Ho met and talked with revolutionary soldiers participating in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement (1930-1931), visited a number of factories, schools, and localities, including Vinh Mechanical Factory, Nghe An Mountainous Pedagogical School, Thai Lao Martyrs Monument, Vinh Thanh Commune, and Dong Hieu Farm.

Visiting Vinh Mechanical Factory, Uncle Ho advised: "The working class is the leading class, we must act worthy of being leaders so that people can trust us... We must do well the four words: fast, much, good, cheap".

Visiting students and staff of Nghe An Mountain Pedagogical School, Uncle Ho said: "What is good learning? Good learning is that politics and culture must be closely linked to labor production, not too long. The purpose of learning is to make economic, political and cultural progress, and unite all ethnic groups. What else is learning for? To build socialism".

Many documents and stories about Uncle Ho's visit to his homeland can be cited, but just through some of the above mentioned contents, we can see quite fully Uncle Ho's feelings for his homeland. In that feeling, there are simple things like those of ordinary people, but overall, it is still the feeling of a great man, as Prime Minister Pham Van Dong said: "He humbled himself to the level of all Vietnamese people to raise all Vietnamese people to his level"!

The people of Nghe An, including Kim Lien and Hoang Tru villages, deeply appreciate Uncle Ho's deep and pure love and are willing to forever follow his kind instructions to build Kim Lien into a model commune and Nghe An into an exemplary province as Uncle Ho always wished.
Tran Minh Sieu