It was here that President Ho Chi Minh stopped over and met with Algerian patriotic intellectuals and nationalists. During these exchanges, he shared insights and forward-looking assessments on the path to national liberation for the North African country, reflecting his strategic vision and deep sympathy for anti-colonial movements worldwide.
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Trans Atlantic Hotel, now known as the AN Hotel, in Biskra province in southern Algeria. |
Nearly eight decades later, the physical space remains largely intact, despite changes in the hotel’s name and ownership. Once a colonial-era establishment, the Trans Atlantic Hotel is now the privately owned AN Hotel. Yet, the historical memories linked to President Ho Chi Minh have been carefully preserved. His portrait is displayed in the most prominent place in the hotel, while his name, alongside those of other world-renowned figures who once stayed there, is engraved on a large bronze plaque – a powerful testament to his global stature.
According to the hotel’s management board, the AN Hotel welcomes numerous international and Vietnamese visitors each year who come to stay, visit and pay tribute. Many Vietnamese visitors, including researchers, journalists and overseas Vietnamese, regard Biskra as a meaningful historical destination marked by President Ho Chi Minh’s presence. Diplomatic missions have also regularly visited the site to learn more about the historical figures associated with the hotel.
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A portrait of President Ho Chi Minh at the main hall of the AN Hotel |
Over the years, President Ho Chi Minh has become a lasting symbol of the friendship between Vietnam and Algeria, as well as of the revolutionary struggles of the two peoples. His thoughts, vision and profound empathy for Africa’s national liberation movements helped forge enduring bonds between Vietnam and friends around the world, including Algeria – a nation that shared the same aspiration for independence and freedom.
On the occasion of the 85th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s return to Vietnam to lead the Vietnamese revolution (January 28, 1941 – January 28, 2026), the journey back to the AN Hotel in Biskra is not only an act of remembrance and gratitude, but also an opportunity to reflect on his path, the values he left behind, and the solid foundation of Vietnam–Algeria friendship, nurtured by history and carried forward to this day.
Source: VNA