People from Uncle Ho's hometown are involved in tourism.

Over the years, the appeal of tourism in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown has stemmed from very simple things: a fragrant cup of lotus tea, a handcrafted gift with a name engraved on it, or the simple stories told by the local people themselves.

Driven by love for their homeland and deep respect for President Ho Chi Minh, many people in Kim Lien commune are gradually transforming their village memories and culture into unique tourism products.

Unique gifts from Kim Lien

Despite being just over 5 square ^meters , Nguyen Dinh Loc's small stall, located right next to the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site, always attracts a considerable number of tourists.

Being both the owner and the "main craftsman," and always having 2-3 people assisting with sales, Mr. Loc rarely gets a break. His workspace consists of a small table and an engraving pen. In just a few minutes, with skill and meticulousness, Mr. Loc can quickly engrave letters onto wooden souvenirs.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Loc engraves inscriptions as gifts for tourists who buy souvenirs. Photo: My Ha.

Those who prefer simplicity often choose to have names engraved, while those who are more particular may request commemorative messages... A ruler, a pen, a keychain, a wooden or bamboo cup, or a commemorative photo frame, under his hands, have become unique gifts, only available when visiting President Ho Chi Minh's hometown. "Tourists often want a personal memento when they go somewhere. Therefore, I want each product I sell to be not just a commodity, but also a way for tourists to preserve memories of President Ho Chi Minh's hometown," Mr. Loc shared.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Loc, originally from the former Tan Ky district, began his connection with the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site 10 years ago. At that time, having just graduated from the College of Culture and Arts, he decided to open a small stall specializing in calligraphy to serve visitors. Through his interactions with tourists, he realized that many people visiting Ho Chi Minh's hometown still find it difficult to find a meaningful gift that also reflects the unique character of the region.

Tourists are delighted with the personalized engraved products. Photo: My Ha

Noticing that tourists increasingly preferred personalized souvenirs, in 2018 he began learning the technique of engraving names onto souvenirs. To be able to engrave directly on the spot for customers, he spent nearly a year diligently practicing on small pieces of wood.

To ensure his products are affordable and suit the tastes of tourists, Mr. Loc diligently researches and orders from reputable manufacturers. Therefore, although the items he chooses are priced between 20,000 and 100,000 VND, they are suitable for a wide range of customers. A common feature of all his items is the unique imprint of President Ho Chi Minh's hometown, such as the inscriptions "A visit to President Ho Chi Minh's hometown" and "Kim Lien historical site." Furthermore, after purchasing, customers can have their names or inscriptions engraved for free, creating a unique gift bearing each tourist's personal touch.

Proudly presenting "a product of Lang Sen Village"

Born Born and raised in Kim Lien commune, the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh, Ms. Hoang Thi Niem has always harbored a desire to create a unique product for tourists visiting his hometown. Therefore, despite having nearly 20 years of experience selling souvenirs at the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site, she decided to choose her own path by building a brand of lotus tea from President Ho Chi Minh's hometown: "His hometown is called Lang Sen (Lotus Village), but it lacks a distinctive lotus-based product that can truly attract tourists. I wanted to create a product that would be a pioneer, something I could proudly say: 'This is a product of Lang Sen,'" Ms. Niem recalled.

Her journey into the lotus tea making profession began with her visits to temples where she offered lotus flowers as a Buddhist offering. A monk knowledgeable about tea encouraged her to research products made from the lotus flowers of her hometown.

Ms. Hoang Thi Niem's ​​lotus tea production workshop is creating jobs for people in Kim Lien commune. Photo: My Ha

She decided to act on her idea. She traveled all the way to Bao Loc, Lam Dong province, to learn the art of tea processing. The trip lasted nearly 20 days, but it opened up a completely new path for her. In the beginning, she had to send lotus leaves from Nghe An to Bao Loc for processing before shipping the finished product for sale. While working and learning, she realized that if she wanted to build a long-term brand, she needed her own production facility right in her hometown.

To ensure a reliable supply of clean raw materials, she leased nearly 2 hectares of lotus ponds and partnered with local households. Believing that products for tourists must first and foremost preserve the purity of her homeland, she also requires local households to absolutely refrain from using pesticides. She also firmly believes that products from President Ho Chi Minh's hometown must be made with kindness and dedication. Despite the higher cost compared to conventionally packaged products, she chooses a meticulous production process to maintain quality and brand reputation.

Lotus flowers are being widely cultivated in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown to enhance the landscape and as an ingredient in lotus tea production. Photo: My Ha

From the lotus ponds of her hometown, her workshop now produces many product lines such as lotus heart tea, lotus leaf tea, lotus flower tea, Kim Lien lotus tea, and lotus seed cakes. Among these, Kim Lien lotus tea and lotus seed cakes have achieved OCOP 3-star certification. After more than four years of starting her business, the woman born in 1975 admits she hasn't yet considered profit. However, driven by a desire to promote the image of her hometown, she has achieved initial success. She also hopes that, from these small products, when mentioning Lang Sen (Lotus Village), tourists will not only remember the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh but also the products imbued with the soul of the countryside, made with the love and pride of the local people.

Preserving memories of President Ho Chi Minh's homeland .

More than 10 years ago, the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet The family's house is slated for relocation to restore the rural landscape of the 19th century within the Kim Lien Historical Site. Previously, the family's house was located very close to Uncle Ho's house, on a plot of land approximately 1,500 m².

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I am the daughter-in-law of Mr. Hoang Xuan Bien and the fourth-generation descendant of Mr. Hoang Xuan Tieng (commonly known as Mr. Dien). In the past, Mr. Dien owned a blacksmith's forge, and when Uncle Ho was young, he often came here to help him operate the bellows and hammer the anvil. On June 16, 1957, during a visit to his hometown, after leaving the house of the former high-ranking official, Uncle Ho pointed to Mr. Dien's house and asked, "There is Mr. Dien's blacksmith's forge here; is he still working there?" Currently, our family's land is located within the historical site and has been restored to become a neighbor's house of Uncle Ho's father.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet in her booth at the memorial house of the late Dien blacksmith family. Photo: My Ha.

In 2014, after the project to preserve and restore the relics associated with President Ho Chi Minh's childhood was completed, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet and two other relocated families were given the opportunity by the management board to sell goods and earn extra income. Each family was allowed to send only one representative, with a preference for young people. In addition to selling goods, they were also responsible for maintaining cleanliness, sweeping the grounds, and contributing to the preservation of the historical site's landscape.

Since taking on this special job, Ms. Tuyet says that the work is regular from morning to evening, with each day a unique experience connected to different groups of visitors coming to President Ho Chi Minh's hometown. Previously, Ms. Tuyet graduated in Tourism from Hanoi, giving her an advantage in communication and presentation skills. Therefore, she not only sells products but also becomes a storyteller about her hometown: Whenever tourists wonder why there's a stall in a recreated village setting, she gently explains the history of the village, the relocation process, and especially the story of President Ho Chi Minh's affection for the Dien family.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet introduces local specialty products to tourists. Photo: My Ha.

"Customers really enjoy listening to stories. Many people even wonder why there's a stall in a recreated rural village setting. Then, I tell them about the history of the house and the personal stories of Uncle Ho and the Dien family. After listening, many people often linger longer, ask more questions, and buy products to show their support," Ms. Tuyet recounted.

Although it's just a small stall, Ms. Tuyet and her colleagues are very meticulous in choosing only high-quality products, mainly specialties from Nghe An and some other regions. She herself confided that even though her income is only average, the most valuable thing for her is working in the land that was connected to President Ho Chi Minh's childhood, and she always feels proud to be contributing to preserving the memories of her homeland.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/nguoi-dan-que-bac-lam-du-lich-10337386.html