Touching memories of the day Uncle Ho visited his hometown.

(Baonghean.vn) - Throughout his life dedicated to the revolutionary cause of the nation, President Ho Chi Minh only visited his hometown twice (in 1957 and 1961). For the past 60 years, the people of Kim Lien (Nam Dan) have retained countless touching memories of his first visit to his hometown.

Tourists visiting President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace. Photo: Huy Thu

For Mr. Vo Hong Thao (74 years old), residing in Sen 2 hamlet - a former official of the Kim Lien historical site, it was a particularly memorable day in his life. It was special because, for more than half a century since "The Man Who Sought the Image of the Nation," his hometown welcomed President Ho Chi Minh back.

Mr. Thao recalled that some time before, the people of Kim Lien saw soldiers come to the village and set up a stage made of bamboo and wood, but absolutely no one knew what it was for. The stadium area was the center of the village, so children often went there to play. On the night of June 15, 1957, the moon shone brightly on the banyan tree, the hot Lao wind blew strongly, and the children in the village (including Mr. Thao) were still carefree, playing and frolicking by this stage.

Mr. Vo Hong Thao, a former staff member of the Kim Lien historical site, recalls the memories of the day President Ho Chi Minh visited his hometown. Photo: Huy Thu

On the morning of June 16, 1957, Mr. Thao and his mother were plowing sweet potatoes in the Sen field. This season, the villagers of Sen were entering the main sweet potato harvest, so they went to the fields early in the morning. While everyone was engrossed in their work, they heard the news that "Uncle Ho has arrived," so the whole village abandoned their unfinished sweet potato harvest in the fields and rushed back to the village. By the time the villagers in the fields learned of Uncle Ho's arrival, he had already been home for a while and had gone to the Nguyen Sinh family's ancestral temple. Mr. Thao and his siblings followed the villagers to the sports field, which was already crowded with people.

“My brothers and I were sitting near the front row, able to clearly see every gesture, glance, and word of his. He began his speech with the poem, ‘Homeland, a place of deep affection and profound love / Fifty years have passed, how much love there is!’” Mr. Thao recalled.

Seeing and hearing Uncle Ho speak for the first time, the people of Kim Lien all wanted to see him more closely and listen to him speak for longer. However, due to time constraints, he had to bid farewell to the people with reluctance. Mr. Thao recounted: "Before getting into the car, Uncle Ho gave the people a few packets of tea and some candy for the children. My siblings and I also received a gift from him – four small candies – which we held in our hands until we left."

The banyan tree at the Sen village stadium, where President Ho Chi Minh spoke during his two visits to his hometown. Photo: Huy Thu

In 1961, while studying at Huynh Thuc Khang School (Vinh City), she had the honor of welcoming President Ho Chi Minh back to her hometown for the second time. At that time, her younger sister, Vo Thi Minh Chau, a top student in the province, was assigned the task of presenting flowers to President Ho Chi Minh when he arrived in Kim Lien. After finishing high school, she enlisted in the army to fight the Americans. In 1970, she returned to her hometown and had the honor of working at the Kim Lien Historical Site until 2006.

Now, although her health has deteriorated and she has difficulty walking, recalling the memories of President Ho Chi Minh's visit to her hometown, Mrs. Thao cannot help but feel moved and emotional. She shared: "Years have passed, but I still vividly remember the image of President Ho Chi Minh visiting my hometown that year. Having welcomed him twice and worked at the Kim Lien Historical Site for 36 years, I have become even more deeply imbued with his ideology and always strive to learn from and follow his teachings."

For Mrs. Nguyen Thi Van, commonly known as Mrs. Thoan (95 years old) in Sen 3 hamlet, although her husband, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Thoan, was assigned to take care of President Ho Chi Minh at his home, she was still very surprised to hear that President Ho Chi Minh was visiting his hometown.

On the night of June 15, 1957, Mr. Thoan told everyone, "An official will be coming tomorrow," but he himself didn't know exactly who it was. The next morning, upon hearing the news that "Uncle Ho is coming," Mrs. Van immediately carried her young child and ran to Uncle Ho's house. However, when Mrs. Van arrived, Uncle Ho and the villagers were going to the stadium. The memory that Mrs. Van cherishes most is that while walking along the village road, the villagers kept shouting "Long live President Ho!" Seeing this, Uncle Ho told them, "Everyone, be quiet and keep walking," so no one shouted anymore.

Upon arriving at the stadium, the villagers had already formed inner and outer circles. Sixty years have passed, and although she is now considered one of the oldest people in the village, Mrs. Van remains sharp-minded, always recounting memories of Uncle Ho to her children and grandchildren. She couldn't hide her pride: "With 68 years of Party membership and decades as a women's affairs officer in the commune, I still remember Uncle Ho's words of advice during his visits to my hometown."

Visitors were moved to hear stories about President Ho Chi Minh's life while visiting his house at the Kim Lien historical site. Photo: Huy Thu

Although her family lived next to the stadium, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tam (95 years old, commonly known as Mrs. Suu) in Sen 3 hamlet only learned of President Ho Chi Minh's visit to her hometown while she was harvesting potatoes in the fields. The most memorable experience for Mrs. Tam was that President Ho Chi Minh visited that year at the Sen village stadium, which was packed with people, yet the young men and women, the elderly, and others were all standing and sitting in an orderly manner.

Especially after more than half a century since his return to his hometown, Uncle Ho still remembered the names of the hamlets and villages very clearly. In front of a large crowd of people, he pointed in different directions and recited the names of the hamlets very accurately: This is Ke Trac, this is Thanh Dam, this is Cuong Ky, this is Thien My...

For the people of Kim Lien, recalling the day President Ho Chi Minh visited his hometown exactly 60 years ago, each person cherishes a unique moment and emotion. Most of the people who had the honor of meeting President Ho Chi Minh that day are now of advanced age, and not a few have passed away. However, the stories and memories of President Ho Chi Minh continue to be passed down from generation to generation, flowing forever in the hearts and minds of the people of his hometown.

Huy Thu