This is not only a spiritual spring trip, but also a journey of gratitude and tribute for the beloved father of the nation.
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Lots of visitors flock to Uncle Ho’s hometown on first days of the lunar New Year. |
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Visitors bring along fresh flowers to offer to Uncle Ho. |
On the second day of the lunar New Year, the roads leading to the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site, a special national relic site, in Kim Lien commune (called Kim Lien relic site in short) were crowded. The stream of people stretched out, everyone carrying a sense of respect when visiting the birth place of the great leader of the nation.
At the relic site, the simple thatched house of Uncle Ho's family appears simple yet familiar. Many people were moved to see with their own eyes exhibits that were closely associated with Uncle Ho's childhood such as the bamboo bed, the old wooden chest, the simple wooden bed, all evoked a simple life but full of love.
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Visitors on the road to Uncle Ho’s home |
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Many families choose Uncle Ho’s hometown as one of their first destinations in this year's spring trip. |
Nguyen Thi Hoa, a visitor from Hanoi, said that her family decided to visit Uncle Ho's hometown at the beginning of the lunar New Year to educate their children about the patriotic tradition and the leader’s moral example. “Seeing the place where Uncle Ho was born and raised, I am deeply touched by his simple but great life,” said Hoa.
To serve the increasing number of visitors during the Tet holiday, the Relic Site Management Board has applied many measures to ensure security, order and environmental sanitation. They decorated many corners with the colors of Tet and spring to serve visitors and their check-in needs. Passing through the main entrance of the relic site, visitors immediately feel the Tet atmosphere filling every corner. On both sides of the entrance, rows of national flags flutter in the wind. Pots of yellow chrysanthemums, peach and apricot blossoms are neatly arranged, adding to the solemn yet warm space.
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A view of the exhibition highlighting glorious journeys of the Communist Party of Vietnam |
Normally, on Tet holiday, Kim Lien Relic Site welcomes thousands of groups of visitors with a total of 30,000 - 40,000 visitors. This year, the Relic Site Management Board renovated the entire campus, ensuring a solemn space in harmony with the relic landscape.
The relic site is decorated with miniatures imbued with the national cultural identity and characteristics of Nghe An province. The Vietnamese countryside space is vividly reappeared through simple thatched houses, traditional farming tools, and familiar images of the traditional Tet holiday such as kumquat, peach, apricot, red parallel sentences, and banh chung.
The highlight of this year's decoration is the pink lotus color - the symbolic color of Uncle Ho's homeland.
Attentively, there is an exhibition themed “The Communist Party of Vietnam - 95 years of glorious journey."
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The countryside market is attractive to local people and visitors. |
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A girl poses for a photo at the relic site. |
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At the space for calligraphy writing |
A new and interesting attraction in this year’s Tet at the relic site is the countryside market, where many specialties of Nghe An are sold, promising to bring visitors nostalgic experiences, the traditional countryside market atmosphere, the warm, simple flavor of the old Tet, imbued with the love for the homeland.
The visit to Uncle Ho's hometown every lunar New Year has become a beautiful cultural feature, a sacred tradition in the hearts of every Vietnamese. This is not only a spring trip but also an opportunity for each person to review the profound lessons of patriotism, sacrifice and indomitable spirit of the great leader.
Translated by Chung Anh