135th Anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's Birthday: Inauguration of the landscape renovation project around One Pillar Pagoda in Khon Kaen province

Delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the project to renovate the landscape and lotus pond around the One Pillar Pagoda in Khon Kaen province, Thailand.

Continuing the series of activities to celebrate the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025) in Northeast Thailand, on May 20, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Khon Kaen coordinated with the Khon Kaen City Council and the overseas Vietnamese community to organize the inauguration ceremony of the project to renovate the landscape and lotus pond around the One Pillar Pagoda in Khon Kaen province, Thailand.

Attending the event were Vietnamese Consul General in Khon Kaen Dinh Hoang Linh; Senior Lieutenant General, Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association; Acting Mayor of Khon Kaen City Wittaya Phooyosarn; President of the Vietnamese Association of Udon Thani Province Luong Xuan Hoa; President of the Vietnamese Business Association of Thailand Ho Van Lam; President of the Thai-Vietnamese Association of Bangkok and its vicinity Do Xuan Phuc, along with many overseas Vietnamese from several provinces and cities of Thailand.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Dang Thi Gai, President of the Thai-Vietnamese Association of Khon Kaen province, said that this is a meaningful activity to celebrate the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, expressing respect and infinite gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh, the national liberation hero, world cultural celebrity, the leader who devoted his whole life to freedom, national independence and happiness of the Vietnamese people.

The One Pillar Pagoda in Khon Kaen province was built based on the model of the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi and inaugurated in 2008. In 2023, with the encouragement of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Khon Kaen, the project to upgrade the lotus pond and surrounding landscape of the pagoda was launched. After 2 years, the project was completed with a funding of 4.3 million baht from the Khon Kaen City Council and nearly 1 million baht from overseas Vietnamese in Thailand and former Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.

Consul General Dinh Hoang Linh speaks at the event.

At the ceremony, Consul General Dinh Hoang Linh affirmed that the inauguration of a project imbued with national cultural values ​​in the overseas Vietnamese community with special respect for President Ho Chi Minh is a very meaningful activity to celebrate the 135th anniversary of his birth.

Consul General Dinh Hoang Linh emphasized that One Pillar Pagoda is a sacred pagoda with unique architecture and a history of more than 1,000 years in the center of Hanoi. Nearly 100 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh left many meaningful memories and deep affection in the Thai overseas community. The restoration and renovation of the landscape and surrounding lotus pond help make One Pillar Pagoda even more meaningful. Overseas Vietnamese feel like they are in Hanoi, close to beloved Uncle Ho.

The One Pillar Pagoda was built in the Kaen Nakhon Lake area in the center of Khon Kaen province. The completion of the One Pillar Pagoda has profound significance not only in preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identity and spiritual values ​​of Vietnam but also in promoting the friendly and cooperative relations between Khon Kaen and Hanoi in particular, and between Vietnam and Thailand in general.

Delegates attending the event.

On behalf of the local government, Mr. Wittaya Phooyosarn, Acting Mayor of Khon Kaen City, expressed his honor to attend the ceremony on the occasion of the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh.

The One Pillar Pagoda in Khon Kaen province was built by the cooperation of the Khon Kaen city government, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Khon Kaen and the Thai-Vietnamese community. According to Mr. Wittaya Phooyosarn, this represents the long-standing friendship and good relations between Thailand and Vietnam.

Also on May 20, at a working session with the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association delegation, Consul General Dinh Hoang Linh informed about the activities of the Consulate General as well as the situation of overseas Vietnamese in the Northeast region of Thailand.

Consul General Dinh Hoang Linh said that in recent times, the Consulate General has supported and promoted the movement of teaching and learning Vietnamese and activities to honor the Vietnamese language in the community. The Consulate General has just held a ceremony to launch the bilingual book “Uncle Ho in Thailand”, inaugurated the first Vietnamese bookcase serving the community in Udon Thani and the painting exhibition “The heart of overseas Vietnamese artist Dao Trong Ly with Uncle Ho” in Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom.

The Consulate General is planning to establish another Vietnamese Bookshelf in Khon Kaen to help people easily access printed products, books, and documents in Vietnamese.

On this occasion, overseas Vietnamese in Khon Kaen province reported on the association's activities and proposed a number of issues to the Consul General and the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association.

Chairman of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association Nguyen Van Thanh highly appreciated the spirit of mutual support and assistance among overseas Vietnamese in Northeastern Thailand; wished that overseas Vietnamese would become more united, have more activities contributing to promoting local economic and social development, as well as have meaningful activities to foster the friendly relationship between Vietnam and Thailand.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh announced the activities of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association delegation this time, especially the study of relic sites and the Memorial Site of President Ho Chi Minh in Northeastern Thailand; hoping that generations of overseas Vietnamese will always preserve the works at the places where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked in Thailand.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ky-niem-135-nam-ngay-sinh-chu-president-ho-chi-minh-khanh-thanh-cong-trinh-cai-tao-canh-quan-xung-quanh-chua-mot-cot-tai-tinh-khon-kaen-315061.html