House of Mr. Pho Bang Nguyen Sinh Sac - father of President Ho Chi Minh
Following the inter-country road, we come to a village filled with the scent of lotus. That is Sen village, where President Ho Chi Minh lived during his childhood (1901 - 1906).
In the Tan Suu examination (1901), Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac passed the Pho Bang examination. He was awarded by King Thanh Thai with the plaque "An tu ninh gia" (King's grace for a good family) and the flag "Pho bang phat khoa" (Pho bang phat khoa), and was allowed to enjoy the ceremony of returning home to pay respect to his ancestors. The Governor of An Tinh at that time, Dao Tan, organized a solemn welcome and ordered the people of Lang Sen - Hoang Tru to prepare the ceremony to go to Vinh to welcome the Pho Bang official. With his humble nature, he told the villagers: "If I pass, it is of no use to the villagers that you have to welcome me", then he and the villagers walked back to his home in Hoang Tru.
Faced with the great honor of having a person pass the imperial examination for the first time in the village, the government and people of Sen Village contributed their efforts and money to buy a five-room thatched wooden house to build on a garden of 4 sao 14 thuoc and then went to Hoang Tru to invite the Vice-Chancellor to live there. His half-brother, Nguyen Sinh Thuyet, also dismantled his three-room granary and brought it over to build a house across the street to celebrate his brother's success.
Moved by the kindness of the villagers and following the long-standing tradition, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac and his three children said goodbye to their grandmother and Hoang Tru and returned to live in their father's village, Sen. In 1957, after more than 50 years of separation, for the first time returning to his hometown, President Ho Chi Minh told the villagers: "This is the house of the Vice-Chancellor."
In this simple, modest house, President Ho Chi Minh’s family had warm and happy years. Still here, sacred artifacts still retain the warmth of him and his relatives.
The space here is quiet, peaceful and shaded by green trees. The furniture in the house is beautifully and conveniently arranged. The two outer rooms are used for worship and receiving guests. There is a set of three wooden benches, covered with a mat. The west and south sides have windows, with curtains in front. In this quiet space, countless meetings and discussions of patriots at the beginning of the century took place enthusiastically.
At that time, Nguyen Sinh Cung was assigned by his father to fetch water, give medicine to guests and occasionally act as a liaison. Many times he witnessed the anguish and anxiety of his fathers and uncles before the fate of the country. The image of Phan Boi Chau with his broad forehead and resonant voice, Vuong Thuc Quy with his eyes blazing with hatred for the colonialists, Dang Thai Than, Dang Nguyen Can with their enthusiasm and passion, the thoughtfulness of Nguyen Sinh Sac... all were imprinted in the mind of the young Nguyen Sinh Cung.
Listening to the elders' discussions, with great sensitivity, Nguyen Sinh Cung soon realized the issues of the times. That was the initial basis for the formation of his patriotic ideology, love for the people, the will to liberate the nation and kindled many noble dreams. The memory of the fierce debates on the path to national liberation was the premise for Nguyen Tat Thanh to later contemplate and choose his revolutionary path.
The second room is the place to worship his beloved deceased wife and mother. The altar is decorated simply like her previous life. Next to the altar, the vice-president erected a sign "An tu ninh gia" and a flag "Phó bang phat khoa", certificates of success in the imperial examinations, expressing his intention to offer incense to the soul of his virtuous wife - the one who contributed half of the credit to his achievements. Every day, Nguyen Sinh Cung often came before the altar to burn incense in memory of his beloved mother, recalling the days he lived in her loving arms. On the day he returned to his hometown, President Ho Chi Minh was extremely moved, offering a stick of incense to express his infinite gratitude to his beloved mother. He 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 frame was made of bamboo, and a simple mat was spread on top."
The third room was the resting room of Nguyen Thi Thanh, the eldest sister of President Ho Chi Minh. The room was narrow and private, with a small bed made of garden wood and bamboo panels. Unlike other young ladies and young men, the children of the Vice-Chancellor lived like the children of ordinary families in the poor and hard-working neighborhood. But more than anyone else, they enthusiastically participated in contemporary patriotic activities. Not content with being a girl, Nguyen Thi Thanh had acquired a rich amount of Chinese knowledge as a child. Growing up in Lang Sen, she actively participated in Phan Boi Chau's national salvation movement, working in the violent faction with Doi Quyen and Am Vo.
The remaining two rooms were used for the family's rest, study and daily activities. Here, there were two medium-sized wooden benches. The bench in the fourth room was where Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac rested and read books. He often rested his head on the windowsill to catch the sunlight to read holy books and other documents. When he finished reading, he often put the books in a small, neat loft. Here, he explained to his children the meaning of difficult words and Chinese and Vietnamese anecdotes, helping them study well. Next to the bench was a desk used as a study place for Nguyen Sinh Cung and Nguyen Sinh Khiem. On the desk was a set of Nguyen Dynasty teapots and cups used for drinking water. On hot afternoons or moonlit evenings, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh often boiled green tea and invited neighbors to drink water, smoke and chat happily. The neighborly relationship between the family of the deputy board president and the farmers was very close, without any difference. He often taught his children: "Vt di quan gia, vi ngo phong dang", meaning "Don't take the style of a mandarin's family as your own style". Therefore, his children, although they are children of mandarins, understand the poor working class very well, sympathize, respect and always help them.
The bed in the fifth room was the resting place of two brothers, Nguyen Sinh Cung and Nguyen Sinh Khiem. The two were only a few years apart in age and studied in the same class, so in addition to their brotherly affection, they also considered each other as friends. Khiem respected him very much and Cung respected him very much. Studying, playing, eating, sleeping, the two brothers were inseparable, always loving and helping each other, warming the hearts of their parents and elder sister.
Household items were very simple and plain: a small wooden chest containing teapots, bowls and plates; a peanut oil lamp and a single red-lacquered wooden tray, which the family often used to receive distinguished guests. There was also a hemp hammock for use in the summer. After each use, the hammock and mat were placed on a discreet shelf mounted on a crossbeam, very neat and clean.
The three horizontal rooms are used as the family's living and dining area. There is a ceramic jar to hold water and a coconut shell to scoop water. Every day, Nguyen Sinh Cung often carries water from Coc well to pour into the jar for his sister Thanh. Next to it is a small kitchen, in the kitchen there is a common three-legged iron tripod. All cooking utensils such as clay pots, bowls and chopsticks are neatly arranged in a bamboo basket placed next to the wall. Like many other farmer families, this house also has a rice mill and a rice pounder. Although the kitchen is thatched, the neat arrangement makes the air here airy, cool and pleasant.
During his youth in Lang Sen, Nguyen Sinh Cung was sent by his father to study with Bachelor Vuong Thuc Quy and teacher Tran Than. In addition to his knowledge of Chinese studies, the teachers also instilled in him patriotism and love for the people. To broaden his children's intelligence and vision, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac also created conditions for Tat Thanh and Tat Dat to attend the preparatory class (preparatoire) of the French-native primary school in Vinh city. It was here that he came into contact with Western civilization and developed new thoughts:
"At the age of 13, I first heard the French words "Liberty - Equality - Fraternity", so I wanted to get acquainted with French civilization, to find out what was hidden behind those words."
In addition to studying in class, Nguyen Tat Thanh also attended many discussions of national affairs by patriotic scholars and the most progressive thinkers at that time. He also followed his father to teach and travel to many places in Nghe An, Ha Tinh and once even to Thai Binh. Those field trips brought him into contact with many famous figures, historical and cultural relics of significance, and witnessed countless scenes of misery and hunger of his compatriots, and the harsh oppression of the rulers. Those things had a strong impact on his thoughts and feelings, fostering great ambitions, strengthening his will and determination, and cultivating his necessary knowledge. Later, when recalling his childhood, President Ho Chi Minh said:
"The Vietnamese people - including my father - at that time often asked each other who would help them escape from French rule. Some thought it would be Japan, others thought it would be England, and still others thought it would be America. I felt it was necessary to go abroad to see for myself."
And in fact, during his time here, Nguyen Tat Thanh had initially engaged in patriotic activities, which was written about by Tran Dan Tien in his work.Stories about President Ho's life and work:When President Ho Chi Minh was a fifteen-year-old boy, he soon understood and was deeply saddened by the suffering of his compatriots. At that time, he had the will to expel the French colonialists and liberate his compatriots. He participated in secret work and took on the job of liaison.
In May 1906, the Hue court summoned Nguyen Sinh Sac for the second time to become an official. There was no reason to delay, so he had to leave his hometown and go to Hue to take up the position of Minister of Rites. The two brothers Tat Dat and Tat Thanh followed their father, while the eldest sister Nguyen Thi Thanh stayed behind to look after the house. Two years later, Tat Dat returned home to live with his sister. Both sisters actively participated in the anti-French movement under the flag of national salvation of Phan Boi Chau, working in the violent factions of Doi Quyen and Doi Phan. They were arrested and exiled many times by the French colonialists, the house was sold to many owners, and only after peace was restored was it redeemed and rebuilt on the old land as a memorial.
On the morning of June 16, 1957, the people of Kim Lien commune and Nam Dan district were excited and joyful to welcome President Ho Chi Minh, who, after half a century of searching for a way to save the country, returned to his hometown for the first time. When getting off the car, everyone invited the President into the guest house. He said: "The guest house is to welcome guests, and I am the host so I can visit home." And following the old way, he visited each sacred relic, associated with his youth and the lives of his relatives.
With an emotional face, after visiting each souvenir, He went out to the yard to look at the surrounding scenery. He said with emotion: "In the past, right at the entrance gate, there was a guava tree with many sweet fruits. In front of the yard was a grapefruit tree, on the side of the house was an orange tree, and behind the house was a row of beautiful areca trees."
When leaving the gate, a provincial official asked President Ho Chi Minh for permission to plant flowers in the garden to make it more beautiful. He pointed to the purple sweet potato flowers and said: "Sweet potato flowers are still beautiful". Everyone was touched and understood the practical meaning of his words. On the way to the stadium to talk to the people, he kindly asked them about Coc well, Co Dien forge, and the family of Mr. Phuong - the poorest farmer in the village when he lived in Lang Sen... After more than 50 years away from home, with so many things to think about and do, President Ho Chi Minh still remembered and cared about each person.
On December 9, 1961, the people of the homeland were honored to welcome him back to his homeland for the second time in the utmost joy. But no one among them knew that it was the last time President Ho Chi Minh had the opportunity to visit. However, his image, footprints, thoughts and feelings were deeply imprinted in the hearts of the people and the land of his homeland.