Green leaves engraved with Uncle Ho's image

Nguyen Huan Thanh was born and raised in Linh Ho commune, Tuyen Quang province, and is currently a senior student at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Thai Nguyen University). Huan Thanh is known by his teachers and friends as a diligent and determined student. Thanh is also admired by many young people for his passion for depicting Uncle Ho's image on fragile and simple leaves.

The image of Uncle Ho will forever exist in the souls of Vietnamese people and in every art form.

Engrave Uncle Ho's teachings

What makes Nguyen Huan Thanh special in the eyes of teachers, friends and those who have had the opportunity to meet him is a very strange but beautiful passion: carving the image of Uncle Ho on tree leaves. To the Vietnamese people, "He is a father, an uncle, an older brother/A big heart filters hundreds of small bloodlines", to Thanh personally, Uncle Ho is not only a great leader of the nation, but also a symbol of simplicity, patriotism and extraordinary willpower.

Since childhood, Thanh has always admired when reading stories about Uncle Ho - a man who lived a simple life, close to the people but had the stature of a world celebrity. From the stories in the book Blue Lotus, Kim Dong Publishing House or the articles about Uncle Ho in Thieu Nien Tien Phong Newspaper, Thanh memorized them all. Until entering the lecture hall of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thanh kept in mind Uncle Ho's teaching "A good doctor is like a mother".

Thanh knows that he and many generations of medical students must always maintain the noble qualities of a physician, have talent, medical ethics, and compassion, love, and care for patients like blood brothers, and consider the pain of patients as their own pain. This teaching has become a guiding principle for Huan Thanh throughout his student years and beyond.

It was this deep admiration that urged Thanh to find a unique way to express his feelings and gratitude to Uncle Ho. And Thanh chose simple, everyday leaves as the material to depict his portrait.

Thanh explained simply: Leaves are symbols of life, of vast nature, and Uncle Ho is a symbol of patriotism, of great personality. I want to use the life of nature to preserve his immortal image.

Mr. Nguyen Huan Thanh meticulously carved every stroke of Uncle Ho's image on tree leaves.

No studio, no vibrant palette, Thanh chose familiar corners of cafes with green leaves to fulfill his passion for art and gratitude to Uncle Ho. Each carving, each incision was meticulously done by hand with concentration and boundless respect. Uncle Ho's gentle wrinkles, distant yet warm eyes gradually appeared through each leaf - fragile yet eternal.

For Thanh, it is not simply art, it is a sacred journey to preserve memories, to inspire the young generation to live beautifully and with ideals.

Live to contribute

Thanh's work depicting Uncle Ho's image on leaves was initially just a quiet passion, done in his spare time. But when Thanh shared a few works on his personal Facebook and Tiktok pages, he unexpectedly received attention and love from friends and the online community. Many people were moved by the meticulousness, ingenuity and especially the deep feelings that Thanh put into each carving.

Since then, the image of a student with a unique passion - carving portraits of Uncle Ho on leaves - has spread widely, becoming a beautiful source of inspiration for many young people. Many people are surprised to know that a busy medical student can spend hours just to complete a leaf carving.

Many young people enjoy the art of carving Uncle Ho's image on leaves by Huan Thanh.

When admiring the delicate leaves meticulously carved with the image of Uncle Ho, Le Tham in Cau Giay, Hanoi could not hide her emotion: I was really surprised. Every line is very delicate, expressing Uncle Ho's spirit. Looking at the work, I feel not only the talent but also the love for Uncle Ho from young people like Thanh.

Just like Tham, when holding the leaves with the image of Uncle Ho, Cao Hang, Group 41, Phan Dinh Phung Ward shared: The work is not only a unique work of art, but also a way to express gratitude and respect for the beloved leader of the nation. A small leaf but contains the enthusiasm and deep gratitude of the young generation. This is not only art, but a very special way to keep Uncle Ho's image in everyone's heart.

Each leaf - Thanh's artwork, though small, carries a great message of love for the homeland, the country, and deep gratitude. Depicting the image of Uncle Ho on the leaves, Thanh's quiet but inspiring journey makes each of us understand that youth is not only about high dreams, but also the responsibility of living with ideals, living to contribute and spreading good values.

Thanh's leaf and the image of Uncle Ho on the leaf reminds me of the simple yet profound verses of Poet Nguyen Si Dai: The one who mends the sky and fills the sea/The one who builds ramparts and walls/I am just a leaf/My job is to be green. Life is a colorful picture, each person can choose their own way of living and goals to strive for. Live like the leaves, though fragile, still keep their green color. And engrave kind things into your life, like the way Nguyen Huan Thanh is silently telling a beautiful story in everyday life.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202509/nhung-chiec-la-xanh-khac-anh-bac-ho-4386c73/