We had the honor of welcoming President Ho Chi Minh five times.
During the historic month of May, as the whole country commemorates the 134th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth, we visited the historical sites in Ninh Binh where Uncle Ho once visited and encouraged people. We realized that, although Uncle Ho has passed away, his image and feelings remain forever imprinted, because for every person in Ninh Binh: "Uncle Ho is the most cherished love in the hearts of the people and in the hearts of humanity"...
Over a period of about 15 years (1946-1960), Ninh Binh had the honor of welcoming President Ho Chi Minh five times. The first visit was on January 13, 1946, when President Ho Chi Minh visited Bishop Le Huu Tu and the people of Phat Diem, Kim Son district. Speaking to the people, he instructed: "All Vietnamese people, whether Catholic or not, Buddhist or not, must fight for the independence of our country." He told the Catholic people: "God sacrificed himself for humanity, He sacrificed and strived for humankind, and we sacrifice for the independence and freedom of our nation. We must respect God but also love our country. If the country is not independent, then religion is not free, so we must first work for the independence of our country."
On February 10, 1947, President Ho Chi Minh attended and chaired the Ninh Binh Province Landowners' Conference in Lang Phong commune, Nho Quan district, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, amidst the fierce and arduous resistance and national reconstruction against French colonialism. The conference was held at the house of Mr. Quach Dinh Hy (Chairman of the Resistance and Administrative Committee of Lang Phong commune).
On March 15, 1959, on his third visit, President Ho Chi Minh visited and encouraged the people of Khanh Cu commune, Yen Khanh district, to work diligently to combat drought and save the rice crop. Also in October 1959, President Ho Chi Minh attended the Conference on Winter-Spring Production (1959-1960) in Ninh Binh province.
The last time Uncle Ho visited Ninh Binh was on July 20, 1960. After visiting several state-owned farms in Nghe An and Thanh Hoa, on his way back to Hanoi , he visited Dong Giao farm in Tam Diep town (now Tam Diep city).
Each visit by President Ho Chi Minh to Ninh Binh was a great honor and a shared joy for the people of Ninh Binh province. It not only demonstrated his deep affection and thoughtful concern, but also reflected the important revolutionary tasks he wished and hoped the Party Committee and people of Ninh Binh would focus on. Among these, the general principle he always emphasized and reminded cadres, Party members, and the people of Ninh Binh was the need for national unity, unity within and outside the Party, unity between religious and non-religious people; and close unity to compete in increasing production and practicing thrift, competing in building socialism, and fighting for national reunification.
I vow to strive forward with You forever.
We visited Lang Phong commune (Nho Quan district) – a place honored with the honor of being chosen as the location to welcome President Ho Chi Minh during his visit and guidance at the Landowners' Conference (February 10, 1947). Leading us to visit the memorial monument to President Ho Chi Minh, built on the land that formerly belonged to the Quach Dinh Hy family, Mr. Quach Dinh Phuong proudly said: "My family has always been proud to have my uncle, Mr. Quach Dinh Hy, as one of the people who directly participated in the landowners' conference that year."
In 2011, the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Monument began construction, and I was honored to be chosen as the caretaker of the memorial site. Every day, I tend to the greenery, clean the environment, and maintain the incense burning, ensuring the memorial site remains well-maintained and welcoming. I always believe that fulfilling this duty is a responsibility of the children and grandchildren of my family and clan towards our beloved Uncle Ho. Through this, I contribute my small efforts to preserving and making the site a "red address" (a historical site of remembrance and gratitude) for the beloved leader of the nation, contributing to the education and reminder of future generations, especially the younger generation, to continuously learn and uphold the revolutionary traditions of our homeland.
Comrade Le Thi Hoa, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Lang Phong commune, said: In 2012, the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Monument was recognized as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic by the Provincial People's Committee. This is where every cadre, Party member, and citizen of Nho Quan district in general, and Lang Phong commune in particular, remembers Uncle Ho, reports their achievements to him on holidays, Tet (Lunar New Year), his birthday, National Day, etc. Every time we come here to offer incense and pay respects, we "self-reflect and self-correct," learn from and follow Uncle Ho's teachings, uphold a sense of responsibility, strive, and are determined to build our homeland into an increasingly developed place. One clear example of this is that in 2014, Lang Phong was the first commune in Nho Quan district to achieve the goal of building a new rural area. Eight years later (in 2022), Lang Phong commune was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a commune meeting the standards of an advanced new rural area. To date, the commune has 3 out of 9 villages that have achieved the standard of model new rural residential areas…
Along with Lang Phong, localities throughout Ninh Binh province have been remembering and upholding President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, always united, striving, and overcoming all difficulties and challenges to achieve great accomplishments. In particular, after more than 30 years since the re-establishment of the province, the Party Committee, government, and people of Ninh Binh have united, strived, and leveraged the potential and strengths of the locality, consistently and effectively implementing the orientation of "green and sustainable" economic development, taking the preservation and promotion of cultural and historical heritage values and the fine traditions of the people of the ancient capital as resources and driving forces for development. Thanks to this, Ninh Binh has achieved many important accomplishments. Notably, the economy has consistently maintained a relatively high growth rate. In 2023, the province's GRDP reached VND 53,389.8 billion, and the economic structure has shifted positively towards increasing the proportion of industry and services. Total budget revenue in the province reached 16,431 billion VND. Since 2022, Ninh Binh province has been able to balance its budget independently, with a contribution to the central government budget (9%).
The province's economy has developed several key industries and products, most notably: automobile manufacturing and assembly, electronics, and supporting industries, with the Hyundai-Thanh Cong joint venture leading the way in automobile manufacturing and assembly with a designed capacity of 195,000 vehicles per year, making Ninh Binh one of the three major automobile manufacturing centers in the country (along with Quang Nam province and Hai Phong city).
In 2023, the province is estimated to have welcomed 6.5 million visitors, a 1.7-fold increase compared to the previous year, generating revenue of VND 6,516.2 billion. In the first four months of 2024, the province welcomed over 4.9 million visitors, 1.3 times more than the same period in 2023; revenue reached over VND 4,621.2 billion, 1.5 times more than the same period in 2023. The people's living standards have continuously improved. Local defense and military capabilities have been strengthened; political security and social order have been maintained. Party building work has been emphasized. Foreign relations and international integration have been expanded, contributing to promoting Ninh Binh's land and people to international friends.
In May, commemorating Uncle Ho, every cadre, Party member, and citizen of Ninh Binh pledges to continue cultivating and improving themselves, striving to overcome all difficulties and challenges to successfully fulfill political tasks, contributing more, and building our country into a more dignified and beautiful nation, as Uncle Ho wished.
Text and photos: Mai Lan
Source
Comment (0)