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| US President Barack Obama and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan visit the Ho Chi Minh stilt house historical site during his visit to Vietnam, May 23, 2016. |
In Washington, D.C., there are four national monuments dedicated to them. One of them is Thomas Jefferson. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson assumed the presidency at the age of 57. At the age of 46, he served as Secretary of State under the first President of the United States, George Washington.
Around this time, he submitted a proposal to establish the Democratic Party. Remarkably, at the age of 33, he was entrusted with the responsibility of editor-in-chief of the committee that drafted the American Declaration of Independence – a timeless masterpiece of the United States. The committee, consisting of five members, worked from June 11, 1776, to July 5, 1776. This means he wrote a world- famous work in less than a month, and since then his name has been inextricably linked to the American Declaration of Independence.
I had the opportunity to read the Declaration of Independence and see his memorial in Washington, D.C. This time, Tom and I visited Thomas Jefferson's home on his birthday (Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743).
It was fortunate, coming from a faraway land, for an ordinary person like me, to visit the home of this great man for the first time. He was not only a brilliant politician and cultural figure, but also a lawyer and philosopher. He was also an agriculturalist, inventing the plow and harvester for American farmers. He was an architect, designing many offices and mansions; in particular, he spent the last 15 years of his life designing and renovating many mansions in several American cities.
| On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (July 12, 1995 - July 12, 2025), and having had the opportunity to visit Montecello, I write a few lines in remembrance of two outstanding figures, two world-renowned cultural icons: President Thomas Jefferson and President Ho Chi Minh, as lotuses bloom in the pond of Kim Lien village and schools of red snapper swim playfully in President Ho Chi Minh's fish pond in the garden of Ba Dinh - Hanoi. |
He designed and built his home into the Montecello estate, the only private residence in the world to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. The Montecello estate has a curved dome, similar to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. Standing in front of his home, Tom asked me what I thought of the architecture he designed. Tom said Thomas Jefferson was a multi-talented man. He was the first bipartisan president, the first president to be sworn in in Washington, D.C., and to work in the White House.
In his inaugural address, President Thomas Jefferson declared: "Not all differences of opinion are differences of principle." Reading this, I was reminded of President Ho Chi Minh's words about democracy. I once strolled around Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., admiring the cherry blossoms in bloom each spring. I stood before his memorial, its reflection a solemn, majestic white – a characteristic color in the central architectural complex of Washington Square, D.C. That memorial was built with contributions from the people. And I suddenly thought that perhaps only when the people respect and erect a memorial will this intangible cultural symbol endure and last through time and history.
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| Montecello - the residence of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. (Source: Wikipedia) |
Visiting Montecello – the home of Thomas Jefferson – I was reminded of our beloved President Ho Chi Minh and the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, which gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Two hearts and two minds of two great men. Two men born in different places, times, cultures, skin colors, and histories... But there is an interesting coincidence: Thomas Jefferson died on the American Independence Day, July 4th, while President Ho Chi Minh died on the Vietnamese National Day, September 2nd.
These two individuals shared a common ideal: to fight throughout their lives for the noble goal of building a democratic society. Their sole desire was for all human beings to enjoy freedom, prosperity, and happiness. Those words, that voice, and that declaration were not just for the United States or Vietnam, but a common voice for humanity – the voice of the right to independence and freedom for each nation, and the human rights and democracy for each individual. And perhaps these two great men were the soft cultural thread connecting Vietnam and America, separated by half the globe, opening up a bright future of cooperation.
In fact, in recent years, relations between the two countries have developed very well in many aspects. The two nations have become strategic and comprehensive partners. Especially in the current trade and tariff negotiations, President Donald Trump and General Secretary To Lam have together ushered the two countries into a new era of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation. And at least, each ordinary person, like Tom and I, shares a warm friendship, sharing the culture and history of Vietnam and the United States as we prepare to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the two countries.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (July 12, 1995 - July 12, 2025), and having had the opportunity to visit Montecello, I write a few lines in remembrance of two outstanding figures, two world-renowned cultural icons: President Thomas Jefferson and President Ho Chi Minh, as lotuses bloom in the pond of Kim Lien village and schools of red snapper swim playfully in President Ho Chi Minh's fish pond in the garden of Ba Dinh - Hanoi.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/su-lien-ket-dac-biet-cua-quan-he-viet-my-320657.html
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