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Meeting Uncle Ho in Guangxi in 1944
🇻🇳 Vietnam /Culture & Society

Meeting Uncle Ho in Guangxi in 1944

From Thanh Niên · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The article recounts a meeting between Vietnamese revolutionary Trần Lâm and Hồ Chí Minh in Liễu Châu, China, in June 1944.
  • Lâm, then secretary of Bắc Giang province, was part of a delegation that unexpectedly met Hồ Chí Minh, who had recently been released from prison.
  • The meeting occurred as Vietnamese revolutionaries were preparing for an armed uprising to seize power, anticipating favorable international conditions.

The article shares the recollections of Trần Lâm, formerly head of the Office of the Central Party History Research Board, about his encounters with President Hồ Chí Minh in 1944. These memories are shared with readers of Báo Thanh Niên to commemorate the 115th anniversary of Hồ Chí Minh's departure from Bến Nhà Rồng to seek a path for national salvation.

One particular encounter took place on a hot summer afternoon in Liễu Châu, China. Lâm, along with other Việt Minh cadres Đinh Chương Dương and Phạm Kỳ Vân, had traveled from Vietnam. After settling into a hotel, they were informed of a visitor. A man over 50, described as robust, entered the room, greeted them warmly, and sat with Đinh Chương Dương and Lê Tùng Sơn. The group, including Lâm, found seats on the beds.

The visitor, who was Hồ Chí Minh, inquired about the well-being of their colleagues back home. He mentioned his recent release after over a year of imprisonment across more than a dozen jails and expressed a strong desire for news. Cụ Đinh explained that the central leadership was busy preparing for an armed uprising to seize power, anticipating favorable international conditions as Allied forces advanced into Indochina.

During this conversation, Lâm observed Hồ Chí Minh appearing thoughtful. When asked his name and previous work, Phạm Kỳ Vân identified himself as Hưng, the former Secretary of Bắc Giang province. The meeting highlights a moment of clandestine revolutionary activity and personal connection among key figures in Vietnam's struggle for independence.

Mới gặp nhau lần đầu mà tình cảm thân thiết y như những người bạn tri kỷ xa nhau lâu ngày bây giờ mới gặp lại

— Trần LâmRecalling the initial warm reception upon meeting Hồ Chí Minh.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Thanh Niên in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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