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President Ho Chi Minh's life in pictures

By Staff reporters   May 18, 2020 | 09:34 pm PT
More than 200 photos, artifacts and propaganda paintings are on display at a Hanoi museum to mark President Ho Chi Minh’s 130th birthday.

The items, which will remain on display until May 30 at the Ho Chi Minh Museum on Ngoc Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, trace the life and achievements of Vietnam’s late president since his birth on May 19, 1890.

The house of Uncle Ho’s maternal grandparents in Hoang Tri Village, Nam Dan District in the north central province of Nghe An. It was in this house that Ho Chi Minh was born as Nguyen Sinh Cung. He spent the first five years of his life here before following his father to move to the central town of Hue. Later on, he changed his name to Nguyen Tat Thanh.

The house of Ho Chi Minh’s maternal grandparents in Hoang Tru Village, Nam Dan District, the north central province of Nghe An. It was here that Ho Chi Minh was born as Nguyen Sinh Cung. He spent the first five years of his life here before accompanying his father to Hue in central Vietnam. Later he changed his name to Nguyen Tat Thanh.
On June 5, 1911, Nguyen Tan Thanh got on board the LAdmiral Latouche Tréville ship to go to France, starting his journey of looking for a path to save Vietnam from the French colonialists.

On June 5, 1911, Nguyen Tat Thanh boarded the ship L'Admiral Latouche Tréville for France as he began a quest to liberate Vietnam from the French colonialists.
A photo taken on November 22, 1933 that sees Nguyen Ai Quoc, as he called himself by that time, disguised as a rich Chinese merchant so that he could leave Hong Kong in secret. Prior to this photo, he was in jail in Hong Kong for taking part in communist revolution movements. Later he resumed contact with the Communist International, known also as the Third International, an international organization that advocated world communism, and safely returned to the Soviet Union.

A photo taken on November 22, 1933, shows Nguyen Ai Quoc, as he called himself by that time, disguised as a rich Chinese merchant so that he could leave Hong Kong in secret. 

He had been in jail in Hong Kong for taking part in a communist movement. Later he revived contact with the Communist International, known also as the Third International, an international organization that advocated world communism, and safely returned to the Soviet Union.
After almost 30 years operating abroad, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941 and launched the revolution in Vietnam. In this photo, he and members of the 1st Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam discuss tactics for the Battle of Route Coloniale 4, a battle of the First Indochina War. The battle took place along Route Coloniale 4, also known as Highway 4, a road used to supply the French military base at the northern province of Cao Bang. It lasted from September 30 to October 18, 1950 and resulted in a French defeat.

After living abroad for almost 30 years, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941 and launched the revolution in Vietnam. In this photo, he and members of the 1st Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam discuss tactics for the Battle of Route Coloniale 4.

The battle took place along Route Coloniale 4, also known as Highway 4, a road used to supply the French military base in the northern province of Cao Bang. It lasted from September 30 to October 18, 1950, and resulted in a French defeat.
A picture of President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap on December 6, 1953 as the president assigned the general on leading the Battle of Dien Bien Phu against the French, which saw Vietnam on the winning side on May 7, 1954.

A photo of President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap on December 6, 1953, before the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which saw Vietnam conclusively defeat the French on May 7, 1954.
President Ho Chi Minh speaks at the opening ceremony of the third Party Congress in Hanoi in 1960.

President Ho Chi Minh speaks at the opening of the third Party Congress in Hanoi in 1960.
President Ho Chi Minh and the people of Nghe An on June 14, 1957, a visit that marked his first homecoming in 50 years.It was during this visit, he said: I am a son of Nghe An who has been away from home for 50 years. Normally, people would have mixed feelings when coming back home after such a long time: they would be happy but at the same time, self-pity, for missing a series of events and developments when they were gone. But in my case, all I feel now is happiness because when I left, our hometown, our countries were still under the reign of colonists and our people were all slaves. Now, we have had our freedom.

President Ho Chi Minh with the people of Nghe An on June 14, 1957, his first visit home in 50 years.

It was during this visit, he declared: "I am a son of Nghe An who has been away from home for 50 years. Normally, people have mixed feelings when coming back home after such a long time: they would be happy but at the same time feel self-pity for missing events and developments that occurred when they were gone. But in my case, all I feel now is happiness because when I left, our hometown, our country were still under the reign of colonialists and our people were slaves. Now we have our freedom."
People of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, welcome President Ho Chi Minh as he paid a friendly visit on July 8, 1957.

People welcome President Ho Chi Minh in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, when he paid that nation a visit on July 8, 1957.
President Ho Chi Minh joined hands with people to bail water onto a drought-hit field in Dai Thanh Commune, Thuong Tin District, Hanoi on January 12, 1958.

President Ho Chi Minh joined hands with people to bail water onto a drought-hit field in Dai Thanh Commune, Thuong Tin District, Hanoi, on January 12, 1958.
A wooden portrait sculpture of President Ho Chi Minh made by Vietnamese soldiers during the time they were put in jail on Con Dao, an archipelago off Vietnam’s southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, in 1940s. The prison was built in 1861 by the French colonists to jail those considered dangerous to the colonial government.French bishop Paul Antoine Miniconi, who was assigned to work at the prison at that time, seized the sculpture. But then, with respect and admiration for the loyalty of those soldiers, the bishop decided to keep the sculpture. He even brought it back to France as a reminder of his time on Con Dao.Before he passed away, the bishop gave the sculpture to his son. Late last year, following his father’s last wishes, the son handed the sculpture over to the Vietnamese Embassy in France.On February 25 this year, the sculpture was given to the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

A wooden bust of President Ho Chi Minh made by soldiers when they were in jail in Con Dao Island in the 1940s. The prison was built in 1861 by the French to incarcerate those considered dangerous to the colonial government.

French Paul Antoine Miniconi, who was posted to work at the prison, seized the sculpture. But out of respect and admiration for the loyalty of the soldiers, he decided to keep it. He took it back to France as a reminder of his time on Con Dao.

Before he passed away he handed over the sculpture to his son. Last year the son handed the sculpture over to the Vietnamese embassy in France as his father had desired. Recently it was handed over to the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

 
 
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