A statue of late President Ho Chi Minh, which took three years to complete, was unveiled in the downtown area of the city named for him two days prior to his 125th birthday.

The Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee on Sunday morning held a solemn ceremony to inaugurate the new statue of President Ho.

Placed in front of the municipal People’s Committee edifice, the statue stands some 7.2 meters tall and was built from bronze alloy.

The statue’s design has satisfied stringent artistic and technical standards and would stand firm for many years, Nguyen Van Dua, standing deputy secretary of the Party Committee, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper earlier.

It also reflects the momentous significance of the statue in the southern hub, where President Ho set off to find ways to save the country in 1911, Dua said, adding that the structure depicts his portrait, plain, modest lifestyle, and affectionate bonds with average people.

The new statue and its surrounding one-hectare area are of the greatest importance to the city’s downtown area and create an open, congruous space with the People’s Committee mansion, the Municipal Theater, and the newly opened Nguyen Hue pedestrian street.

The statue unveiling ceremony was organized as part of the activities to commemorate President Ho’s 125th birthday (May 19).

Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, stressed that the event is of immense political, historical and cultural importance to the country’s entire population and residents in the southern region, and the city named for President Ho in particular.

General Secretary Trong and other city leaders respectfully made floral offerings to the late president then.

They later partook in a photo exhibit which was held at the halls of the municipal People’s Council and People’s Committee mansions the same day and boasted 84 photos featuring President Ho and his activities during his lifetime.  

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A special art show and documentary screening also took place the same evening in front of the new statue.

Arts performances took place on May 17, 2015 to welcome the new statue of President Ho. Photo: Tuoi Tre.

President Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) was an eminent revolutionist and scholar and was key to the country’s triumphs to gain independence in the 20th century.

He composed and read the country’s Declaration of Independence in 1945 and served as its president from 1945 to 1969.

President Ho, who is acclaimed by the UNESCO, is highly revered by locals and people around the world, and was voted one of the 20th century’s 100 most influential personalities by Time Magazine. Monuments to and statues of him are built around the country.

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