The life of Professor Nguyen Khanh Toan's daughter in China

Ms. Ngu Anna - daughter of Professor, Academician Nguyen Khanh Toan, currently living in China, shares about her father, her meeting with Uncle Ho and the Vietnam - China friendship.

Earlier this month, President Liang Qiang attended the 80th anniversary of the world people's victory over fascism and worked in China. During the working trip, the President had a cordial reception with representatives of the Chinese family of friendship personalities.

Among them were relatives of former Vietnamese and Chinese experts, advisors and cadres who had helped the Vietnamese people in the two resistance wars. Ms. Ngu Anna - daughter of Professor and Academician Nguyen Khanh Toan shared with VietNamNet after that friendly meeting.

I will always remember the meal with Uncle Ho

Please introduce yourself, your family and your father? How is the story of your parents meeting told to future generations?

My father is Mr. Nguyen Khanh Toan. In 1931, he joined the Party and became one of the best students of President Ho Chi Minh . In 1939, he was transferred from the Soviet Union to China to work with the Vietnamese Communist group in the city of Dien An, Shaanxi province.

At that time, the anti-fascist resistance war was breaking out in China, and my father had no way to return to Vietnam. The leaders of the Chinese Communist Party asked my father to stay in Yan'an and wait for an opportunity to return to Vietnam.

My father was invited to stay and teach at the Chinese Women's University in Yan'an City. After careful consideration, he agreed to work in the Department of World Revolutionary History and the Department of Russian Language.

There, he met a female student named Ngu Chan - our mother. After 2 years of dating, they got married. The leader of the Chinese Communist Party also attended their wedding. In March 1943, I was born. In December 1944, my mother gave birth to Bach Lan - my younger sister.

Professor Nguyen Khanh Toan with his two daughters Ngu Anna and Ngu Bach Lan in 1954

In 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He sent a telegram to my father, wishing him to return to Vietnam to work. In October of that year, my father returned to Vietnam. My father returned to the country to teach philosophy and Marxism-Leninism to cadre training classes.

In 1954, when the war against the French in Vietnam was coming to an end, my father returned to Beijing to look for my mother and me. My parents met again after 10 years of separation, when they each had their own family. Although both felt regretful, they were still happy that each had 3-4 children. My parents still maintained a close relationship as friends.

Professor, Academician Nguyen Khanh Toan is a famous teacher and scientist in Vietnam. Vietnamese people know him very well, his name is given to many streets in localities in Vietnam. So what is your impression of your father?

My father was once the President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and made many great contributions. Throughout his life, he wrote dozens of books and articles on Vietnamese history. He was also honored by the Soviet Union as the first Asian member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. He was fluent in French, Russian, Chinese, and English.

My father was extremely hard-working. Teaching in Yan'an City for 8 years, his rich knowledge of history, politics and philosophy was admired and respected by his students. He followed President Ho Chi Minh all his life, giving up his roles as a politician and diplomat to choose the path of education and science. He also loved his wife and children very much and cherished family relationships.

My father had noble qualities and had deep friendships with leaders such as President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap. He was a man of great thought and in every way, he was a role model for me to follow.

I am 82 years old. During his lifetime, I visited Vietnam 20 times, from elementary school to high school, college to work. When I was working as a consultant for a large Chinese state-owned enterprise, I visited Vietnam at least 30 times between 1992 and 1995.

I have many cousins ​​in Vietnam and we have a close relationship. Although we do not see each other in person often due to the context and the Covid-19 pandemic, I still cherish the relationships between relatives. We have a deep and close connection between dozens of people in 3 generations.

My family of three generations lives very happily. My two grandsons passed the university and junior high school entrance exams with excellent results. My children and grandchildren have studied hard and are determined to contribute more to strengthening the friendship between Vietnam and China.

You and your sister had many opportunities to meet Uncle Ho. Can you relive those meetings?

My sister and I met President Ho Chi Minh once in Vietnam and many times in China. The first time I met him was during his visit in 1957. My sister and I went to the airport to welcome him and give him flowers.

At that time, I wrote a letter to ask him to send to my father. President Ho Chi Minh was very surprised at that time...

The two sisters, Mrs. Ngu Anna and Ngu Bach Lan, gave Uncle Ho a letter to deliver to their father.

In 1959, my sister and I returned to Vietnam for the first time. We went with our father to the Presidential Palace. Uncle Vu Ky led us into Uncle Ho’s room - a small, simple, warm room. In the room, there was a folding bed with a thin blanket, a pair of sandals on the floor, two military-style jackets on a hanger and a simple clock on the desk.

Apart from the above objects, there was nothing else in the room. The room was about 10 square meters wide. The simplicity and rusticity moved my sister and I very much.

Then we went to the living room, which had some rattan chairs inside. Uncle Ho came in and hugged us. He showed us a photo album that Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and his wife had given him and explained in detail where the photos were taken, from inside the house to the garden. He also brought out Maotai wine and Chinese cigarettes, which were gifts he received from Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong and gave to my father.

We had a friendly meal with him, with traditional Vietnamese dishes, including pho. My sister and I both found the food delicious. To me, that meeting is an unforgettable memory.

Deeply engraved in the heart of the relationship between the two countries

Earlier this month, during his working trip to China, President Luong Cuong met with representatives of families and relatives of former Vietnamese and Chinese experts, advisors and cadres who had helped Vietnam during the resistance war. Could you share about that meeting?

On September 3, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Thanh Binh told me that on the occasion of attending the 80th anniversary of the world people's victory over fascism, President Luong Cuong will have a meeting with representatives of families and relatives of former experts, advisors, and officials from Vietnam and China.

On September 4, I, along with General Nguyen Son's son Tran Tieu Viet, General Tran Canh's son (who was the head of the Chinese military advisory group in Vietnam in 1950), Tran Tri Thu, and General Vi Quoc Thanh's son (who was the head of the Chinese military advisory group in Vietnam in 1950-1954), Vi Tieu Nghi, were present at the Embassy at 10:30.

About 10 minutes later, President Luong Cuong entered the room and shook hands with the four of us, then introduced the members of the Vietnamese delegation.

President Luong Cuong met with family representatives and relatives of former Vietnamese and Chinese experts, advisors and officials. Photo: VGP

The President shared with us his previous conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, about the Vietnam-China relationship and the importance of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. He also gave us gifts of Vietnamese specialties.

The President then met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in China, and then he invited us to a reception in the flower garden on the embassy grounds.

Everyone was very moved by that close encounter. I would like to express my gratitude to President Luong Cuong and the leaders and people of Vietnam.

The meeting with President Liang Qiang has deepened the Vietnam-China friendship and our confidence in cooperation between the two countries. A good relationship will certainly bring benefits to both sides.

We hope to work together in the future to protect and develop the friendship between our two countries. May the friendship between our peoples be ever stronger and everlasting. The contributions of previous generations are invaluable and I will always keep them in my heart.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/cuoc-song-cua-nguoi-con-gai-ruot-gs-nguyen-khanh-toan-tai-trung-quoc-2443231.html