Nghe An – the land of “talented people of genius”, the birthplace of many geniuses in history. Nghe An tourism is often mentioned with many landmarks and scenic spots such as: Cua Lo, Tham On cave, Thanh lake, Phan Boi Chau memorial area … but perhaps the most prominent is Sen village – the hometown of Nghe An. President Ho Chi Minh – the great leader of the Vietnamese nation.
About 16km from Vinh City, Sen village (Kim Lien) in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province is Uncle Ho’s paternal hometown. This is one of the four most important monuments in the country and is also the pride of the people of Nghe.
The right time to go to Sen village
You can go to Sen village at any time of the year, but the most suitable time is in May. This is the occasion when the lotus ponds are in full bloom, giving off a fragrant aroma, bringing a pleasant feeling. dispelling the sweltering, stifling heat of the harsh sun and wind in the Central region.
Lotus flowers bloom in Sen village every May (Photo: Collected)
How to move to Sen village?
Moving to Nghe An is very simple, you can easily move by different means. There are direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh City. You can also travel by train to Vinh station or by bus and motorbike. From Vinh city, follow road 49 to kilometer 13 and turn onto a red dirt road lined with eucalyptus and rows of green casuarinas to reach Sen village.
Visiting Uncle’s house
At the beginning of the village there is a large lotus pond, passing through the lotus lake is Coc well. Here, when he was a child, Uncle used to fetch water, fish and play with friends in the village.
The village’s first lotus pond is always fragrant (Photo: Collectibles)
Well Coc in Sen village (Photo: Collectibles)
Behind the green shady bamboo ramparts is a simple and simple 5-room house with thatched roofs of the family of Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac, Uncle Ho’s father. After passing the Vice-Leadership at the contest in the year 1901, Nguyen Sinh Sac and his children left Chua village (Hoang Tru) to live in Sen village in his paternal hometown . This house was built by the people of Sen village with public funds to celebrate the passing of Pho Bang, bringing honor to the whole village.
The entrance to Uncle Ho’s house is 2 rows of hibiscus (Photo: Collectibles)
Uncle Ho’s simple and rustic house in Sen village (Photo: Collectibles)
In front of the house, there are 2 small yards and 1 garden area surrounded by hibiscus fences. Next to the house is a horizontal house used as a kitchen. The two outer compartments are the places to place the altar and receive guests. The third room is the residence of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh – Uncle’s eldest sister. The remaining two rooms are the resting place and activities of the family.
The house used to receive guests of Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac (Photo: Collectibles)
The fifth compartment with only 1 set of counters is also the resting place of Mr. Nguyen Sinh Khiem and Nguyen Sinh Cung (Uncle Ho).
The resting place of Uncle and brother (Photo: Collectibles)
Although the scores are high, the furniture in the house is still very simple like many other houses in the countryside: wooden panels, bamboo cots, crock pots for water, bamboo cupboards, etc. Most of these items are handmade. Villagers donated, these memorabilia are still kept to this day.
Memorabilia in the house are kept to this day (Photo: Collectibles)
Very simple items (Photo: Collectibles)
Uncle was attached to this house during his teenage years from late 1901 to mid-1906. The house witnessed Uncle’s process of learning and growing up; is the place where his first feelings of patriotism and awareness of the times are recorded. After 50 years of being away from his homeland, wandering to find a way to save the country for the nation, making a revolution to bring the country out of the domination of the French colonialists, he returned to Sen village twice in 1957 and 1961.
Uncle returned to visit Sen village in 1957 (Photo: Collected)
You can visit the neighboring houses that were close to Uncle Ho’s family at that time such as Co Dien smithy, the house of Vuong Thuc Quy, the house of the grapevine, the house of Nguyen Sinh Nham – Uncle’s grandfather, etc.
Grave of Grandma Hoang Thi Loan – Sen village
In the old Sen village, there is the grave of Hoang Thi Loan – Uncle’s mother. In 1942, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Khiem (Uncle’s biological brother) brought her remains to be interred at Dong Tranh mountain, 5km from Sen village. From the foot of the mountain to climb about 300 stone steps is the grave of the old woman (the people of Nghe An rebuilt the grave in 1985). The roof is built of stylized concrete like a loom – in the life of Uncle Ho’s mother, she was still weaving to raise her children.
Grave of Grandma Hoang Thi Loan (Photo: Collectibles)
Source: Collected internet.