A special National Day celebration in Sen Village.

Listen to a moment of remembrance.

On the morning of August 30th, the roads leading to Lang Sen village were ablaze with red and yellow flags. In front of houses and along the routes to the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site, national flags fluttered in the wind. From early morning, convoys of vehicles with license plates from many provinces and cities made their way to President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace.

It was occasionally drizzling. Umbrellas appeared among the crowds, then closed again when the rain subsided. Elderly people, families with young children, groups of young friends, and visitors from afar passed through the gates of the historical site one after another. Some carried bouquets of flowers, while others walked silently alongside their parents and children.

The atmosphere outside still carried the bustling rhythm of the days leading up to National Day. But the deeper one went into the historical site, the slower many people's pace became.

The tour guide's voice echoed through the quiet space. Through stories about his family, childhood, and homeland, the image of President Ho Chi Minh emerged as familiar and simple, evoking profound emotions in visitors.

This year's National Day on September 2nd holds a special coincidence. The day the whole country celebrates 81 years of independence is also the 21st day of the 7th lunar month – the anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's death. He passed away at 9:47 AM on September 2nd, 1969, which is the 21st day of the 7th lunar month of the Year of the Rooster.

Therefore, this year's Independence Day holds special significance, as the joy of the country's independence is intertwined with remembrance and profound gratitude towards President Ho Chi Minh - who dedicated his entire life to national independence and freedom for the people, leaving in the hearts of every Vietnamese person a deep and lasting respect.

Among the crowds returning to Nghe An, Mrs. Le Thi Bac, 69 years old, from Dong Ky commune, Bac Ninh province, and her family made a trip back to their roots, a journey they make almost every year to return to Kim Lien.

After laying flowers, she walked slowly through each house, listening to stories about the President's family, hometown, and childhood years. For her, the trip already had the meaning of returning to her roots, but the coincidence of National Day and the anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's death made the emotions even deeper. "This year's National Day coincides with the anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's death, so I feel very sacred and moved," Ms. Bac said.

In Kim Lien, such return visits happen constantly. Some are visiting for the first time, while others have returned many times. Among these people are cadres and Party members from the Party branches of the Party organizations under the Hoi Hoan commune Party committee, Lang Son province.

The delegation visited Kim Lien to combine a tour of the historical site with a thematic activity on "Promoting the study and practice of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, methods, and style in the new development stage."

Set against the backdrop of President Ho Chi Minh's childhood, the content of the thematic discussion was viewed through specific stories and historical accounts. President Ho Chi Minh's simple lifestyle, work ethic, and spirit of closeness to and respect for the people were placed alongside the requirements for learning and practicing in today's work.

The trip back to the roots became an opportunity for reflection. The lessons about President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style were applied to the specific actions of each cadre and Party member, from their attitude towards work and sense of responsibility to their self-improvement.

Following in His footsteps with a sense of nostalgia.

This year, on the occasion of National Day, that journey is also recounted through a thematic exhibition space titled "Following in the Footsteps of Uncle Ho," for the benefit of the people and tourists.

Eight artistic models combine images, documents, artifacts, and infographics to recount the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh chronologically.

This journey is extended through eight exhibition spaces, from "The Origins of Uncle Ho's Homeland," "Hue: Fostering the Aspiration for National Salvation," "Nha Rong Wharf: A Historical Starting Point," "The Journey to Find a Path to National Salvation," "Returning to the Fatherland: Guiding the Revolution," "The Autumn of Independence," "The Aspiration for Unification," to "Following in His Footsteps," recreating each milestone on the journey from the homeland to the path of national salvation, achieving independence and national unification, and continuing the aspiration for national reconstruction today.

From a rural village in Nghe An province, the story expands into the journey of an entire nation. The footsteps of young Nguyen Tat Thanh leaving his homeland on June 5, 1911, at Nha Rong Wharf; his three-decade journey through many countries and undertaking various tasks in search of a path to national liberation; and then the autumn of 1945 at Ba Dinh Square, when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence – these milestones are connected in a continuous narrative.

Standing in front of the "Autumn of Independence" exhibition space, Ms. Dang Thi Bich Thao, from Kim Lien, held her 8-year-old son's eyes as he intently looked at images of Ba Dinh Square and the moment President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945.

"I want to take my child there, to see the pictures and listen to the stories so that she can have a deep understanding of Uncle Ho and National Day," Ms. Thao shared.

Along with preparations for the 57th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's death, Mr. Nguyen Bao Tuan, Director of the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site, said that this year's National Day celebration will focus on renovating the exhibition space; and at the same time, preparing additional decorative elements, especially displaying lotus flowers from the entrance area to better serve the needs of visitors and tourists.

Lotus flowers are arranged along the entrance, amidst the red of the national flag. The flowers create a gentle space within the festive atmosphere.

The scent of lotus flowers permeates the air, making the rural landscape even more reminiscent of a person who left this place to venture out into the world, and then became a symbol of the aspiration for independence and freedom.

Eighty-one years have passed since the autumn of independence. More than half a century since President Ho Chi Minh passed away, yet the footsteps returning to Kim Lien continue to grow.

In Sen Village, amidst the red flags, the scent of lotus flowers in late summer, and the simple houses that once held the memories of his childhood, history is still retold through simple stories.

Each step back home is also a moment to reflect on our roots, the place where the journey of a great man began, and from that journey, an entire nation rose up to gain independence, wrote glorious chapters in history, and continued to move forward on the path of building the country.