Vietnam builds Ho Chi Minh memorial
April 23, 2012 by Rapeepat Mantanarat
Filed under Mekong Region
BANGKOK, 23 April 2012: Vietnam is building a memorial complex in Khammouane, Laos that depicts the life and times of Vietnam’s first president and revolutionary leader, Ho Chi Minh.
Lao News Agency reported the Ho Chi Minh memorial complex was being built in Xiangvang village, Nongbouk district, in Khammouane province of Laos and should be completed within a year.
On 19 May, Vietnam celebrates the 122nd anniversary of the birthday of president Ho Chi Minh and 2012 is also the Vietnam -Laos Friendship Year. These calander events prompted the decision to build an heritage attraction that should attract Vietnamese tourists who travel overland to Laos.
The complex will cover 1.5 hectares and cost VND35 billion as non-refundable aid from the Vietnamese government. The complex is under construction on land where President Ho once lived and worked in Laos during the time he was declared a fugitive by French colonial forces occupying Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh
It will include a memorial house to retell the story of the life of President Ho Chi Minh as well as his impact on the Vietnam-Laos relations.
Also Ho Chi Minh spent some time in Thailand’s northeast region before returning to his home country.
Nakhon Phanom province holds an annual event, 19 May, to mark President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday at Nachok village where he lived for eight years. The Thai Cabinet, decided on 22 February to develop tourism at Nachok Village that focuses on Ho Chi Minh museum.
The house where he lived is now a national historical site and has been turned into a museum.
The opening of the third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and further infrastructure developments will open road links to make it easier for Vietnam tourist to visit Ho Chi Min birthplace in Nghe An, Vietnam and then to travel to Khammouane in Laos and Nakhon Phanom in Thailand to see the places where he lived during his fight for the country’s independence from the French.
In addition, Udon Thani opened a Ho Chi Minh Educational and Tourism Historical Site at Nong Hang Village, Chiang Pin sub-district, last year, where the president also lived. The project was funded by Vietnamese businessmen and Vietnamese descendants in Thailand. It has an indoor museum and a mock-up of the old house of President Ho Chi Minh.
35 Bil VND, imagine what that could do for VN infrastructure, i.e , schools , hospitals, etc, or at least some badly needed maintenance on the buildings, oh , hold on, that’s what the Foreign aid is for isn’t???