'Here, I'm just a child of the village.'

Throughout his life, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong always cherished his homeland with deep and profound affection. Upon hearing of the General Secretary's passing, the officials and people of Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi, expressed their profound respect and boundless sorrow for this outstanding son of their homeland. For them, a great heart has just stopped beating.

"Here, I'm just a child of the village."

Although he doesn't have much time to visit his hometown – Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi – where General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong lived and grew up, each visit is a beautiful memory for the people there. Those who have met the General Secretary feel as if they are reuniting with a long-lost family member. The closeness, simplicity, and sincerity emanating from the heart of this communist warm the hearts of those who have met him. Each time he returns home, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sincerely says: "Here, I am just a son of the village."

Lai Da is located on the banks of the Duong River, about 8 km from the center of Hanoi. It is one of the villages that still preserves many ancient and familiar features of a Northern Vietnamese village, with its banyan tree, well, and communal house.

In Lai Da, the Nguyen Phu family is the largest and also the family that gave birth to the outstanding son of the homeland - General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The General Secretary's family home is located at the beginning of the village, with a neat and simple garden. The road in front of the gate is the main axis of the village, leading past a cluster of historical relics including communal houses, temples, and shrines, up to the Duong River dike. It is also the road that the General Secretary used to take by ferry across the river to attend Nguyen Gia Thieu School (Gia Lam district, now Long Bien district, Hanoi).

Despite being a high-ranking leader of the Party and State, when he returns to his hometown, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is very approachable and friendly. His manner of speaking is calm and exemplary. Although busy with many tasks, whenever possible, the General Secretary returns to his hometown to participate in village activities, such as celebrating the birthdays of elderly people and attending the annual traditional village festival. Whenever he returns home, upon arriving at the village entrance, the General Secretary gets out of his car and walks to the homes of elderly people to inquire about their health and chat with neighbors. The General Secretary also takes time to visit poor households and young children.

For the elders in the village, all those years of service meant all the time General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had dedicated his heart to his birthplace. Each time the General Secretary visited his hometown, the people had the opportunity to chat, shake hands, and hear warm words of encouragement. In each conversation, the General Secretary always reminded his relatives and neighbors to unite and strive to build their homeland together.

Not only the elderly, but also the younger generations of the village are deeply impressed by the simple, sincere, yet radiant demeanor of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. To them, the image of the General Secretary is that of a respected and kind grandfather.

When returning to his teachers and classmates, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong always remains humble and approachable: "Please allow me to leave all titles and positions outside this room. I am here forever as your former student." The General Secretary still attends his middle school class reunions, remaining as warm, gentle, and humble as ever.

For every citizen of Lai Da, the image of the Party and the country's leader remains simple and approachable.

Always grateful for the deep affection and kindness of my homeland.

To this day, many people in Lai Da still remember and recall that on the 9th day of the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Horse (2014), the villagers held a ceremony to celebrate the longevity of the elderly. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attended and received a flag commemorating his 70th birthday. After wishing the elderly in the village good health, happiness, and well-being, the General Secretary promised: "...I will strive to live up to the trust of the leaders and the villagers. I am always deeply grateful for the profound kindness and affection of my homeland. Wherever I go, I always think of myself as a citizen of Dong Anh, Dong Hoi, and Lai Da."

The General Secretary's statements—whether speeches or heartfelt reflections at conferences and meetings with constituents—all reflect his love for his homeland and country, which includes the land and people of Dong Anh, Dong Hoi, and Lai Da.

Not only does the General Secretary harbor deep and heartfelt affection for his homeland, but he also consistently shows concern, follows closely, and offers suggestions on many issues; encouraging cadres and Party members to uphold the spirit of pioneering, exemplary conduct, and unity in leading the people to develop the economy and build a prosperous and beautiful homeland.

The General Secretary's great faith and love for his hometown is a driving force for the Party Committee, government, and people of Dong Anh to strive for progress. Dong Anh has been at the forefront of many city movements. In particular, from a purely agricultural locality, by 2023, the district's economy maintained a growth rate of 9.4%, higher than the average growth rate of Hanoi and the whole country; ranking among the top districts in the city with budget revenue exceeding 10,000 billion VND, achieving financial self-sufficiency. After "reaching the finish line" to become an advanced new rural district and becoming a district in the near future, from 2024, Dong Anh will enter a new phase, realizing the vision of "Dong Anh - aspiration for development".

His deep gratitude and profound devotion to his homeland were such that when news of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's passing on the afternoon of July 19th reached his family and village, everyone was heartbroken and mourned the loss of a son who had dedicated his entire life to serving the country without a single day of rest. Everyone was choked with emotion, expressing their boundless sorrow at his passing.

A somber atmosphere permeated Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune. The humble church in the village – where the General Secretary was born, grew up, and spent his childhood – attracted many villagers who wished to light incense and pay their respects to this distinguished son of their homeland.

The hometown of Dong Hoi will now be without its beloved son, and will no longer welcome back an outstanding individual. But the image of a General Secretary who lived a simple, approachable, humble, sincere, and exemplary life will forever live on in the hearts of the people of Dong Hoi and Dong Anh in particular, and the people of the whole country in general.

According to the News Report

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/van-hoa/tong-bi-thu-nguyen-phu-trong-ve-day-toi-chi-la-con-em-trong-lang-130177.html