At the handover ceremony. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – A ceremony was held at the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum in Hà Nội on April 3 to receive valuable artefacts and documents related to President Hồ Chí Minh from the family of late Phạm Văn Công, a former resident in New Caledonia, France.

Công’s family presented two sets of original artefacts to the mausoleum - a set of chairs and a tea set used to welcome President Hồ Chí 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 Hồ Chí 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 Quý Mão Lunar New Year's Eve (January 24, 1963), while the family was busy preparing for the celebration, President Hồ Chí Minh unexpectedly arrived at the small house at 97 Đại La Street in Hà Nội, where Phạm Văn Công and his wife, Nguyễn Thị Quyên, were living. The couple had recently returned from New Caledonia.

At that time, only Phạm Văn Công and Nguyễn Thị Quyên were at home. In the warm light of the spring night, the President inquired about their Tết 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, Phạm Văn Đức and Phạm Văn Minh, two sons of Phạm Văn Công, are also living witnesses to a proud journey of repatriation. Phạm Văn Đức was one of the young people who returned to Việt Nam 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 Hồ Chí 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, Lê Thị Phương, Director of the Hồ Chí 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 Việt Nam’s cultural heritage.

She pledged that the artefacts will be preserved, protected, and displayed with the utmost respect, in keeping with their historical and spiritual significance. - VNA/VNS