Kim Lien Commune in Nghe An province is the childhood home of Vietnam's leading revoluntionary and first president. While the outside appears to be a modern Vietnamese town, an ancient village still remains perfectly intact. The simple wooden walls and a thatched roof once housed Nguyen Sinh Cung, the boy who grew up to become Ho Chi Minh and liberate his nation.
Ho Chi Minh's childhood home. Photo by Glen MacDonald.
Walking in the footsteps of Uncle Ho. Photo by Glen MacDonald.
As the son of a Confucian scholar, young Uncle Ho quickly realized the value of education and was instilled with worldly wonder. In addition to his education, Ho Chi Minh's father, Nguyen Sinh Sac, introduced him to national pride and revolutionary activity against the occupying French colonial forces. Freedom-fighting villagers would hide their weapons in the well nearby his home.
Nowadays, as Vietnam enjoys peacetime, Ho Chi Minh's village has been blessed with a bounty of lotus gardens. The lotus flower is emblematic of the struggles and triumphs of the Vietnamese people. Like the flower that grows above muddy areas, the Vietnamese people seem to blossom far above the hardships of the past.
Photo by Glen MacDonald.
Photo by Glen MacDonald.
Photo by Glen MacDonald.
Photo of Glen MacDonald.
Photo by Glen MacDonald.
Photo by Glen MacDonald.
Photo by Glen MacDonald.
Dozens of Vietnamese people visit the site to pay homage to their beloved leader. In the lush, natural spot, the words of Ho Chi Minh ring true; “To reap a return in ten years, plant trees. To reap a return in 100, cultivate the people.”
The Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs has recently issued Plan No. 50 on the city’s socio-economic development, national defense and security, and external relations for the 2026-2030 period. The plan identifies strengthening the mobilization of foreign non-governmental aid as one of the key tasks, aimed at supplementing resources for sustainable development.
In the border commune of Muong Nhe (Dien Bien), where many students first hold a book only upon entering Grade 1, Tran Van Tho Semi-Boarding Primary School for Ethnic Minority Students is quietly cultivating a reading culture, helping books become the shortest path for highland children to access knowledge.
On April 20, at the Embassy of Vietnam in Canberra, Glenn Mathews, an Australian citizen and the son of an Australian veteran who served in the war in Vietnam, handed over the diary of martyr Vo Van Cong. The diary had been found by Mathews’s father in 1968.
On April 21 in Hanoi, a Vietnam-New Zealand poetry exchange themed “Poetry and connection for peace” took place, contributing to enhanced mutual understanding, the promotion of cultural exchange, and the strengthening of friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
The grant from the project “Support for disadvantaged children in Hue City,” funded by the Zhi Shan Foundation (Taiwan, China), has a total value of VND 1.5 billion (equivalent to USD 59,873). It focuses on key areas including educational support, improving learning conditions, fostering a reading culture, and enhancing students’ skills.
Short-form videos on TikTok, digital skills training programs, and other online platforms are creating new opportunities for people with disabilities in Vietnam to connect socially, access employment, and actively share their stories.
The Hai Phong Union of Friendship Organizations, in coordination with the Tzu Chi Foundation and relevant partners, recently organized a program to award 700 scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the western area of the city.
On April 18, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union hosted a student exchange camp bringing together Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian students. The program featured a series of meaningful activities, including visits to historical sites, social welfare initiatives, environmental protection efforts, and group exchanges. These activities not only strengthened solidarity and friendship among the youth of the three nations but also fostered a spirit of responsibility and dedication to the community.
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