(Baonghean.vn) - Throughout his journey to find a way to save the country until it achieved independence, and even in his final years, beloved Uncle Ho only managed to visit his homeland twice. Nevertheless, even today, the people of Nghe An still cherish the memories of those visits, filled with overwhelming emotion.
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| In 1961, Nghe An province gave President Ho Chi Minh a very grand welcome during his second visit to his hometown. The Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee had two old cars, so they had to borrow a new car from Military Region IV, which was covered with white sheets and decorated lavishly with flowers, to go to the airport to welcome President Ho. (In the photo: Welcoming President Ho at the airport (Mr. Vo Thuc Dong is on the left)) |
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| At exactly 12:30 PM on December 8th, President Ho Chi Minh's plane landed at Vinh Airport. Political Commissar of Military Region IV Chu Huy Man, Provincial Party Secretary Vo Thuc Dong, and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Trong An invited him into a flower-decorated car. Looking around, President Ho Chi Minh nimbly approached the UAZ vehicle of the security detail and sat in the front seat. He instructed them to remove the tarpaulin so he could wave to the people standing along the roadside to welcome him. (Photo: The car that transported President Ho Chi Minh from Vinh Airport to the Provincial Party Committee's guesthouse). |
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| People in Nghe An lined the streets, waving to welcome President Ho Chi Minh on his second visit to his hometown on December 9, 1961. |
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| Uncle Ho watched a cultural performance at Nguyen Ai Quoc School. |
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| During this second visit to his hometown, President Ho Chi Minh also had a meeting with the Executive Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee on December 8th, visited the Vinh Mechanical Factory, and spoke with representatives of the people in the province at a rally welcoming him back to his hometown at the Vinh town stadium. (Photo: President Ho Chi Minh posing with the family of a Nghe An Provincial Party Committee official). |
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| On the morning of December 10, 1961, President Ho Chi Minh visited the Vinh Thanh High-Level Cooperative, a leading example of the tree-planting movement throughout Northern Vietnam. While he was speaking with officials and the people, the sun rose high. A commune official went to a villager's house to borrow an umbrella to shield President Ho Chi Minh. As soon as he raised the umbrella, President Ho Chi Minh pushed it away and said, "I am not feudal." He pointed to the crowd below, also standing in the sun. Everyone was moved by his demeanor. (Photo: Veteran and journalist Nguyen The Vien had the honor of accompanying President Ho Chi Minh during his visit to Vinh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district on December 10, 1961) |
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| On December 9, 1961, during his second visit to his hometown, he took a photograph with the fighters of the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement of 1930-1931. |
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| On the morning of December 8th, Uncle Ho returned to Kim Lien, but unexpectedly, something not in the plan was his decision to visit Hoang Tru village, his maternal hometown, first. He met Mr. Luoc (Thuyen) - a childhood friend - and recalled a childhood memory of fishing where Luoc accidentally pulled the hook, tearing his ear, leaving a scar that still remains today. Everyone was astonished by his extraordinary memory. |
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| Upon returning to his ancestral village, Uncle Ho inquired about the plight of a poor neighbor, asking about the Coc well and the old blacksmith Dien's forge. At the guesthouse, he personally poured water for the elders. Speaking with everyone, he enthusiastically praised Nam Lien commune for successfully implementing his teachings, having received three medals from the Government for three consecutive years for its work in the labor exchange program, the agricultural collectivization movement, and the literacy campaign. (Photo: Villagers in Sen village, Kim Lien commune, welcoming President Ho Chi Minh back to his hometown). |
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| Upon hearing the news of President Ho Chi Minh's visit, tens of thousands of people from Nghia Dan district gathered at the farmyard early in the morning, all eager to meet and hear him speak. During that talk, President Ho Chi Minh instructed: "The farm has a strong technical advantage; it must support the local people with production techniques. The cooperatives and the people must also help the farm. We must support and help each other to progress together." (President Ho Chi Minh pictured with staff and workers of Dong Hieu Farm and journalists during his visit to his hometown (December 1961)). |
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