Introduction

THE NATIONAL LEVEL HISTORY – CULTURAL RELIC, TEMPLE

OF PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH CHAU THOI COMMUNE, VINH LOI
DISTRICT, BAC LIEU PROVINCE

The temple of President Ho Chi Minh is located in Ba Chang A hamlet, Chau

Thoi commune, Vinh Loi district, Bac Lieu province, and it is far away about
18km northwest of Bac Lieu city center, that has been approved by the Ministry
of Culture and Information (now is the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
ranked the historical - cultural relic at the national level in 1998. Local people
still call it Uncle Ho's Temple

The main gate into the Temple

During his life, President Ho Chi Minh always cherished the people of the
South, the image of the South from the mountains and rivers, to the brave and
heroic Southern people, all seemed to blend into Uncle Ho's heart. Uncle Ho
always had thought that when the country was unified, the North and the South
were one, and would visit the people in the South. There was not a day Uncle
did not think of two words "Southern". When Uncle Ho was old and weak, in
the midst of the fierce war in the South, he only urgently asked to arrange
arrangements for him to visit his compatriots and soldiers in the South.
The people of the South in general and Bac Lieu in particular, although they
have never been invited Uncle Ho to visit, the people's affection was always
towards to him. They hoped that the determination to defeat the American
enemy, the South liberated, and the country unified, to welcome Uncle Ho to
visit.

But the wish was not fulfilled, the people in the whole country, Bac Lieu local
people were extremely painful when they received the news that their beloved
Uncle Ho had passed away on September 2, 1969, on the anniversary of
Vietnamese independent day. Facing great loss, Vinh Loi District Party
Committee temporarily borrowed the house of Mr. Tran Van Ten's family to
hold a memorial for Uncle Ho's funeral at 5 pm on September 3, 1969. After
that, this house became a memorial house for Uncle Ho. At the same time, Vinh
Loi District Party Committee launched the construction of a temple for President
Ho Chi Minh in the district. Thousands of officials and people in the commune
and district were not afraid of difficulties and hardships, contributing to the
construction of Uncle Ho's Temple day and night right on the land which was
full of smoke, fire, bullets, and bombs of the hero Chau Thoi.

The Temple of President Ho Chi Minh at Chau Thoi Commune, Vinh Loi
District, Bac Lieu province
In early 1971, the enemy swept into Ba Chang A hamlet to burn Uncle Ho's
temple, the enemy's action made the people too angry, condemned, and
protested fiercely. In April 1971, the Vinh Loi District Party Committee
assigned Chau Thoi Commune Party Committee to direct the commune guerrilla
forces to coordinate with the local army to attack Tan Tao fort, destroy the
strategic hamlet, take iron and gay wire, and took it back to the base for
preparation to buld the Temple in the place where the enemy had burned. When
the work was under construction, the enemy came to dismantle, take supplies
and take the women to Vinh Hung. On the way, taking advantage of the enemy's
loopholes, the women bravely carried supplies back to hide and wait for the
opportunity to continue building the temple.

On April 15, 1972, Chau Thoi Commune Party Committee decided to establish a
steering committee to build Uncle Ho's temple. Buying materials for
construction faced many difficulties due to having to go through many enemy
posts, but with the motivation of loving and missing Uncle Ho, Chau Thoi
commune people volunteered to buy materials, a little by many times. When the
preparations were complete, at 10:00 a.m. on April 25, 1972, Chau Thoi
Commune Party Committee held a groundbreaking ceremony for the
construction of Uncle Ho's Temple.

After 24 days and nights of hard construction, they were not afraid of enemy
shells, despite the enemy's grip, despite all dangers because of enemy bombs.
People and Chau Thoi Commune Party Committee were still determined and
had completed the construction of the Temple. On the morning of May 19, 1972
(Uncle's birthday), the inauguration ceremony of Uncle Ho's temple was
conducted with the joy and emotion of over a thousand people in Chau Thoi
commune and Vinh Loi district soldiers.

The construction of a temple in the middle of the adversary was challenging and
maintaining the temple's security was even more challenging. The enemy
frequently mobilized war resources to ruin the temple once it was finished, but
the guerilla forces, Local forces Vinh Loi, and the Temple Guard Team are
committed to defending Uncle Ho's Temple thanks to the love that the southern
children have for the nation's beloved old father.
To remember Ho Chi Minh’s great merit and his shining revolutionary moral
example, Bac Lieu province always had been interested in restoration and
upgrading over many years. Up to now, Uncle Ho's temple was built on a land
area of 11,000 m2 with main works such as Uncle Ho's Temple, Temple cover,
Gallery, Hall and office, and garden which was planted many kinds of trees.
Uncle Ho's temple in Chau Thoi is considered one of the most beautiful Uncle
Ho temples in the Mekong Delta.

Overview of Uncle Ho's temple in Ba Chang A hamlet, Chau Thoi commune,

Vinh Loi district (Fig: Phan Thanh Cuong)

Besides the main area of the Temple, there is also a garden and a hall to screen
documentaries to introduce visitors to an overview of Uncle Ho's background
and career. There are more than 300 documents and artifacts reflecting the
process of people in Chau Thoi commune fighting to protect the temple and
documents on the life of President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities are
kept in the gallery.

The temple of President Ho Chi Minh was ranked as a national historical relic
by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Sports, Culture
and Tourism) in 1998. This is the pride of the government and people of Bac
Lieu province. Every year on major holidays, special holidays, and Uncle's
birthday, there are many tourists and people visit. Visitors will see the heroic
spirit and ingenuity of the local’s army and people as well as the hearts of the
people of Bac Lieu towards the old Father of the nation when coming here.
In addition, when we come to the Temple of President Ho Chi Minh in the late
afternoon, we will witness a sacred scene that is heartbreaking because of during
all this time since Uncle Ho's death, happened every day, every month, for
decades, that is the image of people in Ba Chang A hamlet, Vinh Loi district,
Bac Lieu province taking turns to burn incense for Uncle Ho. Some old people
came there when they were young until now, but over the past decades, their
love for Uncle Ho had remained unchanged. In this place where the incense
smoke spreads, Uncle Ho has never come here, never touched it, but the people
of Ba Chang A hamlet, Vinh Loi district, Bac Lieu province still proudly light
incense for Uncle, as a way to remember the beloved old Father of the
Vietnamese nation.
Ngọc Mai