The Ho Chi Minh President Memorial Site in Kim Lien is located in Nam Dan District, Nghe An Province. The site is closely associated with the hometown, family and childhood of President Ho Chi Minh. It preserves houses, landscapes, documents and artifacts connected with his early life.
President Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969), born Nguyen Sinh Cung, was born on May 19, 1890, in Hoang Tru Village, now part of Kim Lien Commune. His father was Confucian scholar and scholar-official Nguyen Sinh Sac, and his mother was Hoang Thi Loan. His paternal hometown was Sen Village, while his maternal hometown was Hoang Tru, also known as Chua Village.
The memorial site includes two main groups of relics at Sen Village, his paternal hometown, and Hoang Tru, his maternal hometown, together with related sites in Nam Giang.
Sen Village
Sen Village is the paternal hometown of President Ho Chi Minh and is closely associated with his family and childhood.
The House of Nguyen Sinh Sac was built by the people of Sen Village to celebrate his passing the Pho Bang examination in 1901. The house includes the main building, an auxiliary house, courtyard and garden, and preserves household objects such as wooden beds, chests, cabinets and trays.
The House of Nguyen Sinh Nham, Ho Chi Minh’s paternal grandfather, was where the family of Nguyen Sinh Sac lived for a period of time.
The Nguyen Sinh Family Ancestral House was built on the family’s ancestral land and serves as a place of worship for the Nguyen Sinh family.
The House of Scholar Vương Thuc Quy belonged to the family of Vương Thuc Quy, who was Nguyen Sinh Cung’s first teacher.
Co Dien’s Blacksmith Workshop was a place where young Nguyen Sinh Cung often visited and played in his free time. The simple structure reflects the traditional rural life of the period.
Coc Well provided water for the daily activities of the Nguyen Sinh Sac family and is lined with stone with steps leading down to the water.
Chung Mountain is associated with Ho Chi Minh’s childhood, when he and his friends would herd buffaloes, fly kites and play games.
Sen Village Stadium was where President Ho Chi Minh met and talked with local residents during his visits to his hometown in 1957 and 1961.
Sen Village Temple is a traditional religious site where President Ho Chi Minh met and worked with local officials during his 1961 visit.
Hoang Tru Village
Hoang Tru is Ho Chi Minh’s maternal hometown and the place where he was born.
The House of Ho Chi Minh’s Family in Chua Village is a simple three-room thatched house where Nguyen Sinh Cung was born on May 19, 1890. It is one of the most important sites within the memorial complex.
The House of Hoang Xuan Duong, Ho Chi Minh’s maternal grandfather, is a traditional thatched house associated with his maternal family.
The Hoang Xuan Family Ancestral House was built by Hoang Xuan Duong in 1882 and is dedicated to the worship of the Hoang Xuan family.
The Tombs of Hoang Thi Loan and Ha Thi Hy
The memorial complex also includes the tomb of Hoang Thi Loan, Ho Chi Minh’s mother, located on Dong Tranh Mountain in the Dai Hue range, and the tomb of Ha Thi Hy, his paternal grandmother.
The two tombs are situated in quiet mountain surroundings and are visited by people who come to pay their respects to members of Ho Chi Minh’s family.
Historical and Cultural Significance
The Ho Chi Minh President Memorial Site in Kim Lien preserves not only buildings and artifacts associated with his family but also an important part of the traditional rural landscape of Nghe An. The houses, wells, gardens, Chung Mountain and religious sites form a cultural landscape of significant historical and educational value.
Every year, especially around May 19, Ho Chi Minh’s birthday, people and visitors from across Vietnam come to Kim Lien to visit, pay their respects and learn about his life. The Sen Village Festival is also an important cultural event, helping preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of Nghe An.
Recognizing its outstanding historical, cultural and scientific values, the Prime Minister officially designated the Ho Chi Minh President Memorial Site in Kim Lien as a Special National Relic on May 10, 2012, under Decision No. 548/QD-TTg.
