One of the younger generation who always admired the dedicated scientist , especially his philanthropic spirit and love for the people and the community, is Mr. Dong Luong Son - Chairman of the A. Yersin Admirers Association of Khanh Hoa.
Mr. Dong Luong Son (right) at Hon Ba Tourist Area - a place that commemorates the research journey of scientist Yersin.
PHOTO: TGCC
For a long time, the name Dong Luong Son has been familiar to the tourism industry in Khanh Hoa. He served as the General Manager of the Saigon - Yasaka Hotel ( Nha Trang ) for 18 years, and also initiated many large-scale and unique cultural and tourism activities during holidays, festivals, and the Nha Trang Sea Festival, contributing to the vibrant atmosphere of the coastal city.
Being a lover of community activities, he views his journey from a tourism businessman to a social and cultural activist as a matter of fate. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Philatelic Association and the Chairman of the A. Yersin Admirers Association of Khanh Hoa, continuing to spread the cultural and humanistic values that he cherishes.
A spring corner by the Nha Trang beach, created by Mr. Dong Luong Son.
PHOTO: TGCC
While working in tourism, Mr. Dong Luong Son developed an experiential product called "Following in the Footsteps of Doctor Yersin" for tourists. He renovated the area around Doctor Yersin's tomb complex in Suoi Dau (Cam Lam, Khanh Hoa) with many features such as waiting areas, resting areas, paving the courtyard, building steps, planting flowers, creating a more spacious and welcoming landscape.
Later, he took on the important task assigned by the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee to help revive Hon Ba – a place that marks the research journey of scientist Yersin from the beginning of the 20th century. Along with restoring Dr. Yersin's working house, his tourism unit built a flower park, wooden houses hidden in the forest, long stilt houses, etc., contributing to the revival of Hon Ba peak after more than half a century of neglect, making it a destination sought after by many people, known as "Little Da Lat" - Hon Ba of scientist Yersin.
A house built by Mr. Dong Luong Son for tourism purposes on Hon Ba Island - Khanh Hoa.
PHOTO: TGCC
Beyond developing tourism linked to the legacy of Dr. Yersin, Mr. Dong Luong Son has also devoted considerable effort to building the Yersin Admirers Association into a unique cultural organization, contributing to spreading the spirit of charity and love for humanity that the scientist left behind. Through activities such as providing free medical examinations for the poor and awarding scholarships to students, the Association has brought these humanitarian values closer to the community.
The association also connects with international organizations in France, Switzerland, and Italy that share a common admiration for Dr. Yersin to organize seminars, research activities, and promote the scientist's legacy.
Mr. Dong Luong Son with a corner of his Yersin Memorial House.
PHOTO: TGCC
Not only does Mr. Dong Luong Son spread the spirit of Yersin through community activities, but he has also transformed his private home into a "Yersin memorial house." According to him, although the Pasteur Institute already has a space to display information about the scientist, "Yersin spaces" for the public still need to be expanded so that people have more opportunities to learn about, appreciate, and feel the values he left behind.
Originally a collector, he spent many years searching for documents and artifacts related to Dr. Yersin. The memorial house currently preserves many paintings, sculptures, books, and memorabilia associated with the life and work of the scientist. In that journey, he acquired these artifacts through special circumstances.
On one occasion while visiting Hon Ba Island, he accidentally discovered an antique porcelain lamp in the ruins – the kind that Dr. Yersin had used while working there. This artifact is now respectfully displayed in a glass case at the memorial house. He also found a seal bearing Yersin's name, which the scientist had used to stamp documents, through a collector who was preparing to auction it in France. Knowing that Mr. Son was collecting artifacts to create a memorial space for Yersin, the collector decided to sell it to him at a more reasonable price.
He also collected two coins bearing the image of Dr. Yersin, issued by the French in 1944, along with a rare, flawed stamp featuring the scientist – artifacts that have become precious pieces in the story of a man who left a profound mark on Nha Trang.
Mr. Dong Luong Son stated that if the project to restore Dr. Yersin's working house in "Xom Con" - now Yersin Park on Tran Phu Street, Nha Trang - is implemented, he and other Yersin admirers both domestically and internationally are ready to contribute to recreating this special space. He would then volunteer to donate all the artifacts from the Yersin Memorial House to a major museum to further promote their value.
A student with a disability is being trained in beverage preparation.
PHOTO: TGCC
In addition to spreading the values of Yersin, Mr. Dong Luong Son also dedicates much of his efforts to the community. He invites disabled students to his home, connecting them with experts to guide them in learning restaurant management and beverage preparation. As a result, the children at the Khanh Hoa Center for Rehabilitation of Disabled Children have more opportunities to work and operate cafes and beverage shops to serve customers.
Mrs. Nguyen Thi My Kim (wife of Mr. Dong Luong Son) with the graduates of the beverage processing training class.
PHOTO: TGCC
Recently, Mr. Dong Luong Son collaborated with Yasaka Hotel - Saigon and experts to organize a restaurant management class for students of Yersin Secondary School, guiding them towards the spirit of "learning through play, and playing through learning".
He also frequently encourages children to collect stamps and learn about valuable objects, as he himself is a stamp collector and also collects many artifacts such as seashells, bottle openers, motorcycles, etc. For him, each item contains a story, contributing to nurturing a love of culture and a beautiful, useful way of life for the community.
Dr. Alexandre Yersin (1863 - 1943) was a renowned Swiss scientist belonging to the Pasteur scientific community. He discovered the bacterium that causes the plague (Yersinia pestis) and made many important contributions to the research of serums to combat this disease.
Yersin was one of the founders of the Indochina Medical School (the predecessor of Hanoi Medical University) and the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang.
He was also an explorer who contributed to the surveying of the Lang Biang plateau, playing a role in the later formation of Da Lat.
From 1891, he lived and worked in Nha Trang, remaining connected to the area until his death in 1943. In 2013, he was posthumously awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Vietnam.
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