Formal ceremony celebrates President Ho Chi Minh's 125th birthday

A grand ceremony was held at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on May 18 to mark the 125th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890-2015).

The event saw the presence of high-ranking leaders including Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung among others.

The ceremony began with a special art programme entitled 'Forever Shine - President Ho Chi Minh' which honoured the life and proud revolutionary career of President Ho, and showed the love and gratitude of Vietnamese people for the leader.

Senior leaders at the ceremony (photo: Dang Khoa)

Addressing the ceremony, Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong reviewed the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh - the leader of the Party and Vietnamese people, the master of the Vietnam Revolution, Vietnamese hero of national liberation and man of culture.

Party leader Trong emphasised that President Ho entirely devoted his life to the revolutionary cause of the Party and nation and left future generations a vast legacy and precious heritage including Ho Chi Minh Ideology, Ho Chi Minh moral example and Ho Chi Minh style.

He called on everybody to continue to learn and follow the moral example of President Ho Chi Minh.

At the event, 83-year old Colonel Truong Vinh Thang, a former official of the Ministry of Defence shared his unforgettable memories of the two times he met Uncle Ho. Despite his old age, Thang is currently providing free acupuncture treatment for thousands of people, following Uncle Ho's moral example.

The ceremony, jointly held by the Party Central Committee, NA, Government, Presidential Office, Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Hanoi city, was broadcast live on the VTV1 channel and on Radio the Voice of Vietnam.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)