A memory related to an article.

(QBĐT) - In my journalistic career, there are memories I will never forget, and fascinating topics that have inspired my writings. Among them, the day President Ho Chi Minh visited Quang Binh-Vinh Linh (June 16, 1957) is a topic that has always inspired me.

From the very beginning of my career as a reporter for Quang Binh Newspaper, I was fortunate and honored to write about President Ho Chi Minh's visit to Quang Binh-Vinh Linh. A significant advantage for us journalists was that when gathering information on this special topic, the witnesses—those who directly met and welcomed President Ho Chi Minh—were very enthusiastic in sharing their experiences with the writer. They recounted this momentous event clearly, with all the respect and admiration they had for the brilliant leader Ho Chi Minh . They greatly inspired the writer.

Monument of President Ho Chi Minh with the people of Quang Binh . Photo: ARCHIVE

I remember my first article on this topic was in 1997, titled: "Organizational work to protect President Ho Chi Minh during his visit." The source material was Mr. Lai Van Ly, the late Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Binh province.

On June 16, 1957, he was the Deputy Secretary of the Town Party Committee, a member of the Military-Political Committee of Dong Hoi Town, and a member of the Organizing Committee for welcoming President Ho Chi Minh. I was fortunate because at that time, the Quang Binh Newspaper office was located near Mr. Lai Van Ly's private residence.

In the story, Mr. Ly explained the special importance of protecting the leader at a time when the country was not yet fully unified, and Dong Hoi town had only been liberated three years prior. The Politburo emphasized that the President's trip had to be absolutely safe.

In addition to sending General Nguyen Chi Thanh to assist the Standing Committee of the Quang Binh Provincial Party Committee in directing the preparations, the Central Committee also sent Comrade Tran Quoc Hoan, Minister of Public Security, three days in advance to implement security measures for the leader. The Standing Committee of the Quang Binh Provincial Party Committee established an Organizing Committee to welcome President Ho Chi Minh, headed by Comrade Pham Thanh Dam, Standing Committee member and Head of the Provincial Public Security Department.

Comrade Tran Quoc Hoan's directive was to ensure absolute safety. When communicating with various levels and sectors, only the mention of welcoming the Central Committee delegation was permitted. The Organizing Committee had to use secret codes when arranging accommodation, work, and transportation for President Ho Chi Minh.

According to the schedule, at 8:00 AM on June 16, 1957, at Dong Hoi airport, aircraft number LIZ-203 slowly landed. Mr. Pham Xuan Tuynh, then the liaison officer of the international advisory group, officially announced that the aircraft was carrying President Ho Chi Minh on a visit. At that moment, the international group stationed in Dong Hoi was overjoyed to meet President Ho Chi Minh.

Upon entering the Đồng Hới citadel, President Ho Chi Minh immediately asked, "Why don't I see any people?" Comrade Nguyễn Tư Thoan replied, "There is a road for the people to travel on outside the citadel." President Ho Chi Minh instructed, "Open the citadel gates so the people can move around normally." After this article, we continued to meet with the family of Mr. Phí Văn Lưu to write about the photographer who took pictures of President Ho Chi Minh; we met with Mr. Nguyễn Văn Lình to write about the person who had the honor of cooking for President Ho Chi Minh; I also wrote the article "The Dream of Having a Monument to President Ho Chi Minh in Quảng Bình" along with several other articles.

Nevertheless, we still felt we lacked sufficient documentation to better understand President Ho Chi Minh's visit to Quang Binh-Vinh Linh. With the support of the Quang Binh Newspaper Editorial Board, in May 2002, we made a trip to Hanoi to hear Mr. Vu Ky, President Ho Chi Minh's devoted secretary, recount the historic visit of President Ho Chi Minh to Quang Binh-Vinh Linh.

Knowing that we were from Quang Binh province and had come to the capital, despite his frail health, Mr. Vu Ky still created favorable conditions to provide us with the necessary information. Joining us to listen were journalist Huy Chuong, an official from Bac Ninh Radio and Television Station, and Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang Nga, an official from the Hanoi Academy of Finance and Accounting...

Even though decades have passed, we still vividly remember Mr. Vu Ky's account: “During that historic visit (June 16, 1957), President Ho Chi Minh showered the people of Quang Binh and Vinh Linh with immense love, because this was a place that had endured much hardship during the war. In his conversations with the cadres and people of Quang Binh and Vinh Linh, he clearly stated: Quang Binh and Vinh Linh are the frontline of the North. Everything good or bad done by the people of Quang Binh and Vinh Linh will affect the South. If the enemy takes any reckless action, Quang Binh and Vinh Linh must confront them first, ensuring victory over them first...”

Handwritten letter by Mr. Vu Ky.

...There's a rather witty detail about culinary culture that President Ho Chi Minh mentioned: During a dinner, he spoke with General Nguyen Chi Thanh: "Do you remember the clam rice in Hue, or the pork offal porridge at Dong Ba Market? The clam rice in Hue is made with broken rice cooked with clams mixed with very spicy chili peppers." President Ho Chi Minh then turned to the leaders of the Quang Binh Provincial Party Committee and jokingly said: "And in your Quang Binh, you have the specialty shrimp paste, Dong Hoi shrimp paste. Why does Central Vietnam always bring out its chili-laden specialties to entertain guests?" Everyone laughed heartily after President Ho Chi Minh's jokes.

Mr. Vu Ky also shared many valuable stories. Before publishing them in the newspaper, I carefully showed them to Mr. Vu Ky. I was deeply moved by Mr. Vu Ky's letter to me: I would like to quote this letter as a concluding remark, expressing my gratitude to the person who provided the valuable materials that gave me the honor of writing an article about President Ho Chi Minh's visit to Quang Binh-Vinh Linh: “Ho Chi Minh Museum, May 23, 2002, Dear Comrade Phan Hoa, I am still receiving treatment in the room you visited. Because you trusted me and sent me the article for verification, I had to put my illness aside to revise it. Honestly, please don't be angry if I have to revise it a lot. Please try to arrange for it to be published in Quang Binh Newspaper on June 16, 2002. Print it clearly, brightly, and respectfully, if the newspaper agrees to publish it. Whether or not it is the newspaper's prerogative. You must still type it neatly and send it to me as documentation about President Ho Chi Minh. I was in the hospital, so I couldn't check my diary properly, therefore the date, time, and location are not specific. That's just how it is. If the newspaper publishes it, you and the staff in charge of the newspaper should revise it, adding or subtracting details to make it better and more accurate.” "It will be beneficial for the readers. Greetings and best wishes to all those involved with this article. Sincerely."

Phan Hoa

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202506/ky-niem-ve-mot-bai-bao-2227206/