National Day recalls memories of Nha Rong Wharf

“The country is incredibly beautiful. But Uncle Ho must depart

Let me become waves beneath his departing ship…”

(The Seeker of the Nation's Image - Che Lan Vien)

As the nation joyfully marks the 80th anniversary of National Day – when President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam – we paused to pay tribute to and remember Uncle Ho, recalling the days when young patriot Nguyen Tat Thanh left his homeland to travel abroad in search of a path for national salvation.

Youth Union members and young people visit the thematic exhibition "Independence Day in Gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh" at the Ho Chi Minh Museum's branch in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Ha

The fervent spirit of youth imbued with patriotism

In the final days of August, as the entire nation prepared with determination to step into a new era, the spirit of Independence Day seemed to be present everywhere. It can be seen from the preparations for the military parade and march-past in celebration of the 80th National Day on September 2 at Ba Dinh Square and central streets of Ha Noi Capital brimming with national pride, to Nha Rong Wharf (now the Ho Chi Minh Museum – Ho Chi Minh City branch) - the starting point of a historic journey. The journey, driven by the patriotic spirit and an ardent aspiration for national liberation, opened a significant chapter in Uncle Ho’s revolutionary life, inextricably linked with the destiny of the Vietnamese people.

I deeply respect and feel grateful to President Ho Chi Minh and countless heroic martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation's peace and independence that we enjoy today.

Nguyen Thi My Ly, resident of Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province

On the banks of the Sai Gon River, in the dynamic and warm-hearted city that bears Uncle Ho’s name, historical vestiges are still preserved at the Ho Chi Minh Museum – Ho Chi Minh City branch. More than a century ago, deeply moved by the suffering of his oppressed compatriots and realising the ineffectiveness of earlier resistance movements led by forebears, the young patriot Nguyen Tat Thanh was determined to travel to Western countries to understand them and seek a path to national salvation. He said: “When I was about 13, I first heard the three words of France: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity… I had a strong desire to get to know French civilization, to find out what lay behind those words… I felt compelled to go abroad to see for myself. After observing how they worked, I would return to help my people.”

On June 3, 1911, at the age of 21, under the name Van Ba, he applied for a job as a kitchen helper aboard the Amiral Latouche-Tréville, a large French vessel carrying both cargo and passengers, which was preparing to depart Saigon for France. Two days later, on June 5, 1911, filled with the fervent spirit of youth, Nguyen Tat Thanh left his homeland from Nha Rong Wharf to seek a path for national salvation.

During his years of traveling to many places and enduring hard manual labor abroad through various jobs to earn a living, he gained a deeper understanding and profound empathy for the working people at the bottom of society as well as for the plight of colonized peoples around the world. From that experience, he discerned the true nature of capitalist society and the ruling class. For him, the words ‘compatriots’ were a constant source of inspiration and strength, driving him to work, study, research, and engage in political activities in support of the workers' and labor movement.

During this period, it’s noteworthy that for the first time ever, the name Nguyen Ai Quoc was used by him to sign the “Demands of the Annamite People”, which was sent to the Versailles Conference on June 18, 1919. The petition not only brought the issue of the Vietnamese nation to the international stage, attracting widespread attention, but also had a profound impact on the Vietnamese both at home and abroad.

A particularly significant moment came in July 1920, when he came across Lenin’s Preliminary draft theses on the national and colonial questions. It was then that he discovered his ideal. “I was so overjoyed I burst into tears. Sitting alone in my room, I exclaimed as if addressing a large crowd: Fellow countrymen who are suffering in misery! This is what we need, this is the path to liberation.”

Thus, in nine years of tireless travelling, he found the direction and fundamental line for the national liberation movement. The event Nguyen Ai Quoc cast his vote to join the Communist International and became one of the first members of the French Communist Party marked an important milestone in his journey to find a path for national salvation. It was also a decisive turning point, a leap forward and a qualitative transformation in his ideological awareness and political stance – from being a genuine patriot to becoming a communist fighter.”

Uncle Ho’s life intertwined with the nation’s destiny

The 79 springs throughout his life were inseparably bound to the destiny of the nation. From the day he departed to seek a path for national salvation until the historic day on September 2, 1945 when he read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square, he was driven by burning love for his homeland, longing for the country free of invaders and for the people to live in freedom, liberated from the “chains of slavery”. Uncle Ho’s journey to seek a path of national salvation, find the truth of the revolution and become a genuine Communist was indeed “a lifetime dedicated to the country and its people.”

Nha Rong Wharf, where President Ho Chi Minh set out to seek a path for national salvation. In the photo: Children from Dong Nai visit Nha Rong Wharf (Ho Chi Minh Museum - Ho Chi Minh City branch). Photo: Nga Son

At the exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, held at Dong Nai Museum, Nguyen Thi My Ly (Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province) shared: "I have read many books, and when I picked up the book titled Ho Chi Minh's Cultural Behaviour, I was immediately drawn to it and read it right away. President Ho Chi Minh is a great man. Through reading, I better understood Uncle Ho, especially how he behaved in difficult situations. I also felt his warm, sincere care and love for the soldiers..."

Amid the streams of visitors returning to Nha Rong Wharf to learn more about him and his noble aspirations during the historic autumn days, Pham Tuan Anh, a student from Dong Nai, said: These days, travelling through the streets from Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City, everywhere is awash with nation’s flags and flowers. The spirit of Independence Day 80 years ago is spreading, urging the young generation to visit revolutionary landmarks to better understand the value of independence, so they can “continue writing the story of peace.”

He added: “I visited Nha Rong Wharf – Ho Chi Minh Museum – Ho Chi Minh City branch on the occasion of the thematic showcase titled ‘Independence Day in gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh’. After exploring the showcase, I could clearly envision his journey from the moment Uncle Ho boarding the ship in search of a path for national salvation to his fervent revolutionary activities abroad. The noble ideals of his youth and his unwavering determination to overcome all hardships, were vividly reflected in the artifacts on display at the museum, which deeply moved me and strengthened my respect and love for him.

By: Lam Vien - Nhat Ha