The Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka solemnly celebrated the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh.

Đại sứ quán Việt Nam tại Sri Lanka long trọng tổ chức kỷ niệm 135 năm Ngày sinh Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh

Delegates take souvenir photos at Uncle Ho's statue.

On May 19, in the capital Colombo, the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka, in coordination with the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association and the Colombo Library, solemnly held a ceremony to celebrate the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025).

The event attracted the participation of nearly 250 delegates, including Speaker of the National Assembly Jagath Wickramaratne; Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Rizvie Salih; Minister of Buddhism, Religion and Culture Hiniduma Sunil Senevi; Minister of Transport, Highways, Seaports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake; Governor of Western Province Hanif Yusoof.

Also attending the event were leaders and representatives of ministries, agencies of the Sri Lankan government, political parties, socio -political organizations, media, Sri Lankan friends who love Vietnam, and a large Vietnamese community in Sri Lanka.

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam and the main guests offered flowers at Uncle Ho's statue.

The celebration began with a floral offering ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh Statue - one of the few statues of foreign leaders located in the heart of Colombo. Here, guests and representatives of Sri Lankan and Vietnamese agencies expressed their respect and remembrance of the great leader of the Vietnamese people.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam emphasized the great stature of President Ho Chi Minh - an outstanding revolutionary who devoted his whole life to the cause of national liberation of Vietnam and the struggle for peace, justice, national independence and social progress around the world, and was honored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a Resolution in 1987 as "Hero of National Liberation and Outstanding Cultural Figure of Vietnam".

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam expressed her deep gratitude for the sincere and lasting affection that the Sri Lankan people have had for President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam over the past decades, notably the erection of a bust of Uncle Ho in 2013, the issuance of a commemorative stamp set about Uncle Ho in 2014, and the translation and printing of his poetry collection “Prison Diary” into Sinhala with many reprints.

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam delivered the opening speech.

The Ambassador also said that Sri Lanka is a special country as President Ho Chi Minh visited it three times in 1911, 1928 and 1946 during his journey to find a way to save the country, the last time being in his capacity as President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

During his State visit to Vietnam just two weeks ago, the President of Sri Lanka was very moved when visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his Stilt House, which has welcomed many high-ranking Sri Lankan delegations when they visited Vietnam.

The Minister of Buddhism, Religion and Culture spoke in praise of President Ho Chi Minh's contributions to Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Buddhism, Religion and Culture of Sri Lanka as the chief guest and the Secretary General of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association both affirmed that President Ho Chi Minh is a symbol of the spirit of independence, freedom and humanity, a source of inspiration for the Sri Lankan revolution in the past and an example of revolutionary morality, simple lifestyle, and impartiality for the young generation of Sri Lanka today.

Sri Lankan leaders expressed their wish that the two countries continue to develop the good traditional friendship and extensive cooperation in various fields, worthy of his legacy.

Secretary General of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association spoke in praise of President Ho Chi Minh.

On this occasion, delegates enjoyed a photo exhibition about President Ho Chi Minh, the country and people of Vietnam and works drawn by Sri Lankan children about Uncle Ho. A short film about the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh prepared by the Embassy with English narration was screened, giving attendees a full and touching look at his revolutionary journey.

The poetry collection “Prison Diary” in Sinhala was a meaningful gift given to the delegates attending the event.

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam introduces paintings of Uncle Ho drawn by Sri Lankan children.

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam introduces photos of Vietnam's land and people.

In particular, the art performance program included songs about Uncle Ho performed by Sri Lankan musician Mohamed Iqbal, along with performances of famous Vietnamese songs and dances such as "Like having Uncle Ho on the great victory day", "My homeland Vietnam", "Bamboo dance" by students at Truc Lam Zen Monastery of Master Phap Quang, creating emotional and profound moments.

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam and the Secretary General of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association presented awards to the winners of the writing contest about President Ho Chi Minh.

Also within the framework of the ceremony, the Embassy awarded prizes to students who won prizes in essay writing and painting contests about President Ho Chi Minh and a quiz to learn about 55 years of Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations.

These are activities chaired by the Embassy, in coordination with the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association and the Colombo Library, to arouse interest and love for Vietnam, especially among Sri Lankan youth.

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam presents books donated by Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai to the Colombo Library.

On this occasion, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam presented books and Vietnamese cultural publications sent by Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai to the Colombo Library to develop the Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh Space in the library, contributing to enhancing understanding of the country, people and culture of Vietnam.

The celebration is not only an occasion to pay tribute to and remember a great man of the Vietnamese people, but also a vivid demonstration of the traditional and loyal friendship between Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The noble thoughts of President Ho Chi Minh - on peace, solidarity, cooperation and sustainable development - have always been a guiding principle and a source of inspiration for today's and future generations.

The event ended in a warm atmosphere as delegates enjoyed traditional Vietnamese dishes such as pho, fried spring rolls, banh mi, cha ca... prepared by Kim's Kitchen restaurant. This was also an opportunity for guests to exchange and learn more about Vietnamese culinary culture, while contributing to strengthening the relationship between the people of the two countries.