COMMEMORATIVE SITE OF PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH VISITS TO TRADE UNION UNIVERSITY 

The Commemorative Site of President Ho Chi Minh visits to Trade Union University is located at no. 158, Tay Son street, Quang Trung ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi city.

The Trade Union University directly belongs to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. This is the center for training Trade union officials, bachelors of various disciplines such as Economics, Economic management, Labour safety; it is also the Center for researching working class and Vietnam Trade Union organization.

When he was alive, President Ho Chi Minh always paid attention to Trade Union activities and workers movements. In April 1946, some leaders of the Hội Công Nhân Cứu Quốc (Association of country-saving worker, precursor of the Vietnam Trade Union”, including Tran Danh Tuyen, Tran Cu, etc., asked for comments of Uncle Ho and the Central Party Committee on establishing Trade Union and expanding the scale of the first training class for the trade union officials, Uncle Ho recommended: “To satisfy necessary conditions to expand the scale and gather the members, there must be officials; and to have officials, we must open training class, meaning we must establish the school first; only after that we will enlist members.”

Following Uncle Ho’s advices, on 15th May 1946, the first class of agitprop officials was open in Khuyen Luong communal house, Tran Phu commune, Thanh Tri district (now Tran Phu ward, Hoang Mai district, Hanoi city). With the affection and attention to the career of training and educating Trade union officials, Uncle Ho visited the Trade Union University, the cradle for training Vietnam Trade Union officials, five times.

The first time: On 19th January 1957, Uncle Ho visited and had a talk with training class and the whole officials, staffs and students of the university at no. 191 Tay Son street. He talked generally about the policies of the Party to working class, proletarian morality, the unity, attitude and duties of the Trade Union.

Second time: In December 1957, when the university held a Conference on training Trade Union officials on “Managing state-owned enterprises”, Uncle Ho visited the university and had a talk.

Third time: On 12th April 1958, when the university opened a class on training Trade Union officials, Uncle Ho visited and had a talk with officials, staffs and students in the meeting hall.

Forth time: On 14th March 1959, Uncle Ho visited and had a talk in the Conference of Trade Union officials of enterprises in Northern region held at the university. He said: The Trade Union had to promote the controlling role of the Workers in managing and organizing competition movements, to make close contact with the public, and to have internal solidarity. The purpose of the Trade Union had to be gradually improving the material and cultural lives of the Workers.

Fifth time: On 13th August 1962, the Conference of grass-root Trade Union officials in Northern region was held at no. 169 Tay Son street. Thousands of officials attentively listened to Uncle Ho’s speech: “Trade Union officials must be both good in politics and talent in economics, and must not practice vague leadership. In order to educate the workers well, firstly the Trade Union officials must be solidary and unanimous, and determine to build up the solidarity and unanimity within the trade union system…”

The advices and recommendations of Uncle Ho in his visits to the university have been the compass for its operation and the valuable guidelines for developing the trade union and improving the trade union officials. Those are also unfadable memories to generations of officials and teachers throughout the growth and development of the university.

To memorize Uncle Ho’s visit to officials, teachers, staffs of the university, and to educate the next-generations of the traditions, the Party’s Committee and Managing board of the university decided to build the President Ho Chi Minh Commemorative Site in front of the main Meeting Hall of the university. The site lies in a solemn and quiet location with many green trees, shade trees and large-sized ornamental tree pots around. The trees, being trimmed and cared every day, create a both solemn and friendly space. All the paths are paved with bricks to make them clean and tidy.

Uncle Ho statue is placed on a square pedestal paved with natural stones, with Uncle Ho standing, raising his right hand to greet the compatriots and holding a glass box in his left hand. He looks so simple and dear, with lovingly eyes looking to the front. In front of the statue, there is a bronze thurible. In the big holidays and on Uncle Ho’s birthday, officials, teachers and students of the university all come here to burn the incenses and offer to him with all their gratefulness and respectfulness.

Besides the statue area, the Hall where Uncle Ho had a talk in his last visit on 13th August 1962 is still preserved and embellished to make it more and more spacious. This is the place for collective political, scientific and cultural activities of the officials, staffs and students of the university.

Hanoi Capital was formerly the place where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked for the longest time in his revolution-serving life. From 1945 until 1969, in the position of the Chief of the Party and the State, despite heavy pressure of work, Uncle Ho still assigned special affection and attention to the Hanoi capital and working class, including the Trade Union University. This is a great honor of officials, teachers, staffs and students of the university. Very few units, organs, or schools have the honor to receive the nation’s supreme leader to visit and work with for so many times. That’s not only the honor and pride of the teacher and officials of the university, but also the pride of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour.

The Vestige to commemorate President Ho Chi Minh visits to the Trade Union University was classified as City historical and cultural vestige in 2001.