Pac Bo Relic Site: Emotions in the crowd of grateful people

Pac Bo National Special Relic Site is about 55km from Cao Bang city center. From early morning, private cars and passenger vans from localities across the country, especially Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Lang Son... have been stretching for kilometers on the roads leading to the relic site. The parking lot is always full, many groups of visitors have to wait quite a long time for their turn to travel by electric car to the main area.

This season, the mountain scenery is very green.

The impressive image at Pac Bo National Special Relic Site is a long line of people patiently standing in the hot sun, without any jostling. The relevant forces and the relic site management team have coordinated smoothly to ensure security, regulate traffic, and guide visitors.

Tourists move in batches and ensure order.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu from Hanoi shared: "My family waited for hours to enter the relic site, but everyone was happy and moved to visit the place where Uncle Ho lived and worked. The solemn atmosphere made everyone conscious of maintaining order."

Mr. Tran Vu Thanh, Chairman of the Vietnam Sea and Islands Association, and his family chose Pac Bo as their holiday destination.

Every visitor here often brings a gift to Uncle Ho. For Mr. Thanh, it is a special supplement of Nhan Dan Newspaper commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025). The newspaper is like a spiritual incense stick, respectfully offered to President Ho Chi Minh - the one who laid the foundation for the revolutionary cause, for peace, independence, and sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland. "Going to the sea and islands is the outpost of the Fatherland, but coming to Pac Bo is returning to the roots and origins of the nation," Mr. Thanh shared.

Special supplement of Nhan Dan Newspaper dedicated to Uncle Ho.

Veteran Le Van Hoa, 78 years old, from Nam Dinh expressed: "I have marched through many battlefields, but the first time I set foot in Pac Bo, I could not hold back my tears. Everything was so simple, familiar and yet great. I felt like I was reliving my youth, in the ideals that I was willing to sacrifice. I wish my comrades from back then were also here today, to bow before the starting point of a journey for national independence."

Many tourists lined up to receive the supplement of Nhan Dan Newspaper and brought it with them on their journey back to their homeland during the holidays.

James Anderson, 45 years old, a tourist from San Francisco, USA, shared: "When standing in the middle of Pac Bo mountain forest, I felt more clearly the stature of a man. President Ho Chi Minh chose a difficult place to start a great revolution. I did not think I would be so moved. His humility, wisdom and patriotism truly made humanity admire him. I will bring this story back to tell my children."

Lenin stream reflects the clouds and sky.

Many years have passed, but in the Pac Bo mountains and forests, every time visitors come here, they still feel like they are touching the breath of the early days of the Revolution. On January 28, 1941, Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc crossed the 108th milestone on the Vietnam-China border, returning to his homeland after 30 years away from the Fatherland. Setting foot on the cold land of Cao Bang in the middle of winter, just a short time later, he chose Coc Bo cave as his base for the first days of leading the Vietnamese Revolution.

The stream of people expressed their gratitude with deep affection.

Here, in a small cave only a few square meters wide, next to the blue Lenin stream, under the shadow of the towering Karl Marx mountain, Uncle Ho lived, worked, wrote documents, translated books and built strategies for a national liberation revolution. The image of him sitting at a stone table in the middle of the mountains and forests, in natural light, has become an immortal symbol of simplicity, intelligence and great patriotism.

Pac Bo National Special Relic Site has now become a historical relic complex, a sacred place where millions of hearts come to pay their respects, to understand and love more the value of national freedom. From the majestic Ho Chi Minh Temple on the top of the high hill, to Lenin Stream, Coc Bo Cave, Khuoi Nam Hut, each place name echoes a story, a vivid memory of an entire historical period.

The source of Lenin stream.

Milestone Km0 of the Ho Chi Minh Trail - the starting point of the vital road across the country - also begins from this place as evidence of the guiding light for the entire nation to enter the era of independence.

Every tourist was moved to tears when listening to the tour guide tell about the first days of Uncle Ho's return to the country. Some stood still for a long time by Lenin stream, imagining his silhouette walking lightly on the rocky slope. Some could not contain their emotions when listening to the poem "Majestic Pac Bo" that Uncle Ho wrote, simple yet profound: "Far away mountains, far away water/ It doesn't have to be vast to be called/ Here is Lenin stream, there is Mac mountain/ Two hands built a country".

The majestic Karl Marx Mountains.

Among those people, there were students coming to Pac Bo for the first time, old people from the lowlands coming to the mountains and forests, and even international visitors eager to discover the great revolutionary of the Vietnamese people. They came to visit, to listen, to understand and to absorb a lesson about perseverance, sacrifice and the ideal of living for the nation.

The relic of Mr. Ly Quoc Sung's house, where leader Nguyen Ai Quoc and his cadres lived and worked from the afternoon of January 28, 1941 to February 7, 1941, is also an attractive destination for visitors and many people who have the opportunity to learn about this relic for the first time. Mr. Ly Quoc Sung is a Zhuang ethnic, from Lung Nai, Tinh Tay, Quang Tay (China), who migrated to Pac Bo to make a living.

The relic of Mr. Ly Quoc Sung's house was restored to its original form.

Mr. Sung's family's house was built around 1937 from forest timbers, half stilt house, half earth house, with a thatched roof. The house faced north, divided into two small rooms and a lean-to, separated by bamboo walls. That house was a reliable revolutionary base.

Here, Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc welcomed the first traditional Tet after 30 years of absence, the Tet feast had all kinds of food according to the ethnic customs of this region such as: banh tet, banh chit, pork, chicken, even grilled dried venison and a jar of fragrant wine. Moved by the affection of Mr. Sung's family, he encouraged his comrades to eat well and eat with all their heart to make the family happy. He and his comrades stayed at Mr. Ly Quoc Sung's house until February 7, 1941, then moved to Coc Bo cave about 100m away to live and work to ensure secrecy.

The simplicity inside Mr. Ly Quoc Sung's house.

In 1942-1943, the French Empire carried out intense terror, hunting down revolutionaries, Mr. Ly Quoc Sung's family moved to build a house near Landmark 108 to live, so Mr. Sung's old house no longer existed. By 2019, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Cao Bang province restored Mr. Ly Quoc Sung's family house according to the location and shape of the old house.

Thanks to the investment, care and preservation of the local government, the relic site is increasingly spacious but still retains its original rustic features. The roads have been improved, the exhibition and explanation areas have been upgraded to modernity, but the natural landscape is still preserved to the maximum.

The milestone bears the historical value and sovereignty of the Fatherland.

Due to the sudden increase in visitors, accommodation areas in Cao Bang city and Ha Quang area are all "full", many tourists choose to contact through associations and groups to experience staying at local homes or travel further. Restaurants and eateries in Truong Ha area operate almost all night to serve the large number of visitors. Despite difficulties in human resources and materials, most service points try to maintain a friendly attitude and reasonable prices.

Statue of Kim Dong in the Pac Bo National Special Relic Complex.

The people of Pac Bo hamlet have always steadfastly preserved their memories. They provide tourism services, sell souvenirs, take photos for visitors… with respect for the land that has gone down in history. Each small stall, many friendly smiles, stories of everyday life… blend together to create a Pac Bo that is close, lively, and full of affection.

This is the ideal time to enjoy the beauty of the mountains and forests.

Pac Bo always touches the hearts of everyone with its simplicity. During major holidays, when thousands of people line up for kilometers to offer incense and listen to old stories, it truly opens a journey back to the roots. Because there, in the mountains of Cao Bang, the footsteps of the man still echo forever.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/khu-di-tich-pac-bo-xuc-dong-trong-dong-nguoi-tri-an-post876981.html