Hanoi (VNA) – A ceremony was held at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi on April 3 to receive valuable artefacts and documents related to President Ho Chi Minh from the family of late Pham Van Cong, a former resident in New Caledonia, France.

Cong’s family presented two sets of original artefacts to the mausoleum - a set of chairs and a tea set used to welcome President Ho Chi Minh during the leader’s visit to the family on the Lunar New Year's Eve in 1963, and two rare photographs capturing the moment the President visited their home.

They also donated 20 archival photographs documenting the patriotic activities of the Vietnamese community in New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France, supporting Ho Chi Minh and the struggle for national independence. These artefacts and documents had been preserved by the family for over 60 years.

According to the family's account, on the Quy Mao Lunar New Year's Eve (January 24, 1963), while the family was busy preparing for the celebration, President Ho Chi Minh unexpectedly arrived at the small house at 97 Dai La Street in Hanoi, where Pham Van Cong and his wife, Nguyen Thi Quyen, were living. The couple had recently returned from New Caledonia.

At that time, only Pham Van Cong and Nguyen Thi Quyen were at home. In the warm light of the spring night, the President inquired about their Tet preparations, education of their children, and the situation of the overseas Vietnamese community after returning home. The leader gently pulled up a small wooden chair and sat by the children's study desk, engaging in a heartfelt conversation like a close family member. This moment vividly reflected the deep affection that the President always had for the people, particularly overseas Vietnamese.

Along with these artefacts, Pham Van Duc and Pham Van Minh, two sons of Pham Van Cong, are also living witnesses to a proud journey of repatriation. Pham Van Duc was one of the young people who returned to Vietnam on the final repatriation ship in 1964 from New Caledonia. The Vietnamese community there had raised funds to purchase ten Peugeot 404 cars as gifts for the government and President Ho Chi Minh, one of which was used to serve the President and is now displayed at the mausoleum, having been designated a national treasure in December 2024.

Speaking at the reception ceremony, Le Thi Phuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, expressed deep gratitude to the family, underlining that the stories embedded in these artefacts will enrich the collection at the mausoleum, enhancing the value of the items on display. This will support education on national traditions, especially for younger generations, and serve as a fitting tribute to the individuals and organisations who contributed, while also helping to raise public awareness about preserving and promoting Vietnam’s cultural heritage.

She pledged that the artefacts will be preserv💝ed, protected, and displayed with the utmost respect, in keeping with their historical and spiritual si🍷gnificance./.