Visiting Duc Thanh, I fondly remember Uncle Ho.

As May arrives, the gentle, crisp golden sunlight stretches along Trung Nhi Street (Duc Nghia Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province). In this southernmost region of Central Vietnam, beside the tranquil Ca Ty River, groups of people from all over the country come to visit Duc Thanh School, where teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh (Ho Chi Minh) stopped to teach before embarking on his journey to save the nation. More than a century has passed, yet the place where he lived and taught still retains the essence of history and the deep respect of generations to come...

Reporters from Phu Yen Newspaper visited the Ho Chi Minh Museum branch in Binh Thuan to learn about the time President Ho Chi Minh lived and taught in Phan Thiet. Photo: THUY THAO

During the days when the whole country was commemorating the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025), the crowds flocking to the Duc Thanh historical site grew even larger. In that sacred space, each person felt a surge of reverence and an unceasing remembrance of Uncle Ho.

To the place where the footprints of the Great Man are left

In September 1910, on his way to Saigon to seek a way to save the country, teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh (the name of President Ho Chi Minh when he was young) stopped in Phan Thiet and taught at Duc Thanh School. At that time, he was only 20 years old, the youngest teacher teaching there.

Duc Thanh School was founded and operated from 1907 to 1912. It was a private school established by Mr. Nguyen Trong Loi and Mr. Nguyen Quy Anh (two sons of the patriot Nguyen Thong) along with other patriotic intellectuals in Phan Thiet, in response to the Duy Tan (Modernization) movement initiated by Phan Chau Trinh. The school taught Vietnamese, Chinese, French, and physical education to its students…

During his time teaching here, Teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh not only imparted knowledge but also instilled in his students a love for humanity, a patriotic spirit, concerns about the nation's destiny, and a yearning for independence and freedom. This was also the time when he secretly studied and researched the domestic and international situation, preparing for his journey to Saigon and across the ocean to find a way to save the country on June 5, 1911.

To commemorate, preserve, and promote the value of the historical site associated with President Ho Chi Minh's life and work, in 1978, the Duc Thanh School was handed over to the State by the descendants of Mr. Nguyen Thong for management, restoration, and renovation, which was completed in 1980. The school has a simple yin-yang tiled roof and is surrounded by rustic wooden walls. Today, Duc Thanh School still preserves many artifacts related to the time President Ho Chi Minh taught there. From the desks and chairs where he sat to teach, the writing desk where he often sat to grade papers, drink tea, and discuss with teachers after class; to the Fisherman's House - where he lived, read, and researched; the standing cabinet where he kept his personal belongings and the simple wooden bed where he rested every night… all have been preserved almost intact. Not only does this space evoke profound memories of the young teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh, but it also inspires a great ideology that shines through his simple, kind, and compassionate everyday life, full of love for humanity, especially for poor students and working people in the coastal region.

Walking through the grounds of the Duc Thanh School historical site, we felt as if the presence of President Ho Chi Minh was still lingering somewhere around us. Joining the crowds visiting Duc Thanh School that day, looking at the well where he once used the water, and admiring the starfruit tree he once cultivated and cared for, still lush and bearing fruit as it was in the past, 70-year-old veteran Nguyen Van Hung from Phu Cat district (Binh Dinh province) was deeply moved: “I was present on the Southern battlefield during the fierce years of the resistance war, and the image of President Ho Chi Minh, simple yet great, is always etched in my heart. Today, for the first time, setting foot in Duc Thanh School, where he taught in his youth, my heart is filled with emotion as if I have met him again. For me, this place is not just a cultural destination, but a place to remind future generations to live up to the sacrifices and achievements that President Ho Chi Minh made.”

Tran Ngoc Tam Nhu, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, shared: “Previously, I only knew through books and newspapers that Uncle Ho had stopped to teach in Phan Thiet before embarking on his journey to find a way to save the country. Now, seeing the artifacts and images about his life and career with my own eyes, I am even more grateful, respectful, and fond of Uncle Ho.”

The interior of Duc Thanh School. Photo: THANH HOI

Preserving historical landmarks in the heart of Phan Thiet.

Since 1978, the Party Committee and people of Binh Thuan province have begun restoring the Duc Thanh historical site. In 1983, the Ho Chi Minh Museum branch in Binh Thuan was started construction next to this site. On December 12, 1986, the Duc Thanh School historical site was classified as a national historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ).

Duc Thanh School and the Ho Chi Minh Museum branch in Binh Thuan have long been a significant landmark in Binh Thuan province, reflecting the gratitude, learning, and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style. This place is not only a center of political and cultural activity in Binh Thuan province but also a destination for visiting and learning about the revolutionary history and life of President Ho Chi Minh; a place for Vietnamese people, domestic and international tourists to visit and remember him.

Although Uncle Ho has passed away, his image and ideology remain deeply etched in the hearts of every Vietnamese person, not only for his great stature as a revolutionary leader, but also for the warmth, approachability, simplicity, and sincerity in his gestures, words, and daily life. Therefore, the historical sites associated with Uncle Ho, including the Duc Thanh Historical Site and the Ho Chi Minh Museum branch in Binh Thuan, are always sacred destinations, reminding people of revolutionary traditions and ideals. From the beginning of 2025 to the present, these sites have attracted nearly 53,000 visitors, including nearly 300 foreign tourists. This number not only speaks to the appeal of this historical site but also reflects the pride and affection of people nationwide and international friends towards President Ho Chi Minh.

More than a century has passed, yet the place where President Ho Chi Minh lived, taught, and left his first imprints on the journey to save the nation still retains almost entirely its original atmosphere, imbued with the breath of history and deeply ingrained in the hearts of generations to come a profound respect and reverence for him.

With the mission of preserving, enhancing, and promoting the heritage values ​​of Ho Chi Minh, the officials, Party members, and workers at the Ho Chi Minh Museum branch in Binh Thuan are dedicated to the daily work of preserving, maintaining, and enhancing the historical site. Not only the artifacts and documents, but also the starfruit tree, the betel nut tree, the betel clump… are all carefully tended, creating a cool, rustic green space imbued with the spirit and lifestyle of President Ho Chi Minh – simple yet profound, familiar yet sacred.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Nga, Head of the Professional Services and Interpretation Department at the Ho Chi Minh Museum branch in Binh Thuan, shared: "For me and my colleagues, working here is a great honor and source of pride. Every day we meet, guide, and introduce to the public and tourists the precious cultural heritage and documents about President Ho Chi Minh, fostering pride, love for our homeland, and gratitude for his great contributions to the nation. From there, each Vietnamese person can reflect on themselves, follow the path that President Ho Chi Minh paved, live with ideals, and continuously contribute to the Fatherland."

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/van-nghe/202505/ve-duc-thanh-boi-hoi-nho-bac-ed81930/