Admire the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, nearly 5m high, made from more than 135,000 lotus seeds

Hồ Chí Minh - Ảnh 1. — Artist Moc Oanh next to a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh made from lotus seeds, on display at the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh City branch - Photo: HOAI PHUONG

On the afternoon of May 14, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh City branch, held the opening ceremony of the exhibition " The South forever remembers His gratitude" .

This is one of the activities to celebrate International Museum Day on May 18 and the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh on May 19.

Displaying valuable documents about Uncle Ho

The exhibition "The South forever remembers Uncle Ho" introduces more than 135 documents and images about Uncle Ho, as well as the affection of the people of the South for him.

The topic is divided into four main topics: Saigon - Gia Dinh in the 1910s, when Nguyen Tat Thanh came and left to find a way to save the country; He searched for the shape of the country; The South in His heart and Ho Chi Minh City, His name will forever shine.

The representative of the organizing committee said that the theme " The South will forever remember Him" will also be exhibited at the Nghe An Provincial Cultural Center within the framework of the 2025 Sen Village Festival to celebrate the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025).

Hồ Chí Minh - Ảnh 2. — A corner of the exhibition space of the theme "The South forever remembers His gratitude" - Photo: HOAI PHUONG

Hồ Chí Minh - Ảnh 3. — Precious images at the thematic exhibition - Photo: HOAI PHUONG

Portrait of Uncle Ho from lotus seeds

On this occasion, Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Ho Chi Minh Museum received artifacts donated by artists, collectors and musicians.

Painter Le Moc Oanh (Lap Vo district, Dong Thap province) donated a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh made from Dong Thap lotus seeds.

Moc Oanh told Tuoi Tre Online that the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh measures 4.8m x 2.4m and was made from more than 135,000 lotus seeds roasted by hand over a period of about two months.

Oanh was inspired to make the painting from two familiar verses: "The most beautiful lotus in Thap Muoi, the most beautiful Vietnam has the name of Uncle Ho".

That is also the reason Moc Oanh chose lotus seeds as the main material to create a special painting of President Ho Chi Minh.

Moc Oanh said she spent a lot of time choosing suitable lotus seeds and adjusting the roasting time to create 15 natural color shades. Of these, she chose 6 golden tones to use in the work.

Lotus seeds are selected to have bright colors and not darken when roasted. The difficulty is to ensure that the colors of each batch are uniform.

"Using the traditional roasting method not only helps prevent mold but also maintains durability and artistry compared to dyed lotus seeds. In addition, I also apply layers of glue to create adhesion and increase the longevity of the work" - Moc Oanh said.

Through this work, I hope to inspire the young generation with love for the country, national pride and the spirit of preserving the homeland's identity.

Artist Moc Oanh

Hồ Chí Minh - Ảnh 4. — Portrait of President Ho Chi Minh made from lotus seeds - Photo: NVCC

Regarding the composition of the painting, Moc Oanh shared: "The image of the lotus symbolizes the people of the whole country. The two large lotus flowers on the right intertwined symbolize the spirit of mutual love and solidarity. The cluster of blooming lotus flowers on the left represents a peaceful, developed and prosperous country.

The young lotus bud rising up symbolizes the young generation with the message "the youth constantly study and follow Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style".

The details of the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, his silver hair, and his gentle gaze are all expressed by me with respect and sincere affection."

In the near future, Moc Oanh plans to paint a portrait of Nguyen Sinh Sac - President Ho Chi Minh's father, to be displayed at the Nguyen Sinh Sac Relic Site in Dong Thap.

The exhibition " The South forever remembers His gratitude" will take place from May 14 to 31 at the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh City branch (No. 1, Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Ward 13, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City).

Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh City branch, also received 10 French books about President Ho Chi Minh donated by Mr. Philippe Chaplain - former deputy mayor of Bourg La Reine town, Paris (France); a gold-plated portrait of President Ho Chi Minh by Mr. Tran Cong Dan; the song "Love the May Gift" by musician Nguyen Van Hien (full rights to use without copyright).