The Memorial House of President Ho Chi Minh’s Childhood in Dương Nỗ Village

The Memorial House of President Ho Chi Minh’s childhood is part of the memorial complex dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in Dương Nỗ Village, located in Dương Nỗ Ward, Huế City. Together with the Dương Nỗ Communal House, Am Bà and Bến Đá, the memorial house helps recreate the life of Nguyễn Sinh Cung and his family in the countryside of Huế during the final years of the 19th century, from 1898 to 1900.

Two Years of Life and Study in Dương Nỗ

In 1898, after failing the second Hội Examination, Nguyễn Sinh Sắc, the father of President Ho Chi Minh, was invited by Nguyễn Sĩ Độ to teach in Dương Nỗ Village. His two sons, Nguyễn Sinh Khiêm and Nguyễn Sinh Cung, accompanied him. This arrangement helped ease the family’s financial burden on their mother, Hoàng Thị Loan, while also giving Nguyễn Sinh Sắc an opportunity to personally educate his two sons.

In Dương Nỗ, Nguyễn Sinh Sắc was provided with a three-room thatched house with two lean-tos, which served both as his family’s residence and as the place where he opened a class. It was here that Nguyễn Sinh Cung and his elder brother Nguyễn Sinh Khiêm received their first lessons in Chinese characters from their father, who was also their first teacher.

The characters “Nhân” (Humanity) and “Nghĩa” (Righteousness) became among their earliest lessons about morality and the way to live as a human being. During the two years he studied with his father, Nguyễn Sinh Cung learned quickly and became one of the outstanding students in the class. The knowledge he acquired in Dương Nỗ provided an important foundation for his intellectual development in later years.

Impressions of Rural Life During His Childhood

Living in Dương Nỗ also brought Nguyễn Sinh Cung closer to the everyday life of the village community. It was a peaceful rural area with rich cultural traditions, where he had the opportunity to experience community life and observe the daily activities of an agricultural society.

During these years, Nguyễn Sinh Cung was surrounded by the warmth, kindness and generosity of local villagers and witnessed the diligent work of ordinary farmers. These experiences became an important part of his childhood memories and contributed to his deep attachment to his homeland and country.

Today, the memorial house and other sites within the Dương Nỗ complex preserve memories of President Ho Chi Minh’s childhood and provide visitors with an opportunity to learn more about his family, rural surroundings and the early years that contributed to the formation of Nguyễn Sinh Cung’s character.

Historical Significance of the Dương Nỗ Memorial House

The Memorial House of President Ho Chi Minh’s childhood in Dương Nỗ Village was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information under Decision No. 296/VH-QĐ dated March 26, 1990.

On December 31, 2020, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2280/QĐ-TTg, recognizing the System of President Ho Chi Minh Relics in Thừa Thiên Huế, now Huế City, as a Special National Historical Relic. The system includes four sites that had previously been recognized as national relics: the Memorial House of President Ho Chi Minh on Mai Thúc Loan Street, the site of Quoc Hoc Hue High School, the Memorial House of President Ho Chi Minh’s childhood in Dương Nỗ Village, and Dương Nỗ Communal House.

A visit to Dương Nỗ can be combined with visits to other sites within the memorial complex, allowing visitors to gain a broader understanding of Nguyễn Sinh Cung’s life and education in Huế before he embarked on the later journeys that became part of Vietnam’s history.

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