Ho Chi Minh’s Thought shines through very early

In the play “The Number One Citizen” which first appeared on the stage in 1976, Ho Chi Minh’s famous quote “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” shone through far and wide. After many years of living abroad to search for a way to national salvation, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941 to lead the revolutionary movement. After arriving in the homeland’s border area and taking in a handful of earth, he was deeply moved. Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh was the embodiment of the country. The 1940s were unforgettable years. And no one can forget Ho Chi Minh, who on his sick-bed in 1969, took the hand of the commander-in-chief of the revolutionary forces and said, “Even if we have to burn the whole Truong Son Range, we must gain back independence and freedom”! 

We found Ho Chi Minh’s burning aspirations in the plays, “History and Witness” and “The Dawn”. Both plays are about the difficult days in the winter of 1946, when Vietnam’s destiny hung by a thread. In Hanoi, he told the representative of the French Government, Mr. J. Sainteny, “I thirst for the independence and freedom of our beloved homeland. I feel a vindictive hatred for imperialism and will fight against it to my last breath with all my life” (History and Witness). Uncle Ho also frankly told the High Commissioner for France in Indochina, Admiral Thierry d'Argenlieu, “Our Vietnamese Government and people, have always wanted to cooperate with the French Government and people in a friendly and equal manner. However, the Vietnamese people accept any sacrifices to defend their homeland’s sovereignty, freedom and independence and territorial integrity”! (The Dawn).

That lofty aspiration flared up in summer 1966 when aggressors from the western hemisphere ordered bombing attacks against northern Vietnam, the great rear of the holy resistance war. President Ho’s words resounded all over the country, “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”! That was the order for tens of thousands of Vietnamese people to be “determined to die for the homeland survival”. His words became a truth for all nations in the world who stand up to fight for human rights and the right to life!

That magnanimous spirit was reflected in many plays written and performed by northern, southern and Ho Chi Minh city’s artists, particularly during his birth anniversaries.

In the latest national stage festival held in 2005, the play “Steel Poetry” performed by the Vietnam Popular Opera Theater was awarded a gold medal. The play won the hearts of a large audience. Inspired by Ho Chi Minh’s poem collection “Prison Diary”, scriptwriter Tran Dinh Ngon and the popular opera artists recreated the image of the great revolutionary leader of Vietnam who was in prison but still concerned very much about the country’s affairs.

The play “Steel Poetry” marked the efforts of Vietnamese artists over 30 years to develop the image of Ho Chi Minh in the revolutionary war who devoted his whole life to the country and the people.

Ho Chi Minh brightens our hearts

In his lifetime, the late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong considered Ho Chi Minh as a great man. A really great man always leads a frugal and honest life. Over the last 30 years, in addition to performances about Ho Chi Minh in revolutionary periods and the holy war to liberate the nation and gain back independence and freedom for the country, efforts have been made to reproduce the image of Uncle Ho as a frugal, sincere and honest man. The plays “The Dien Bien Song” and “Soldiers’ Itinerary” reflect Uncle Ho’s relations with the people and soldiers. And the plays, “No Way Out”, “Confidence”, “Legendary Moon-lit Night” and “The Melody in May” reproduce Uncle Ho’s warm sentiment towards his comrades.

In particularly, the play “The White Night” written by Luu Quang Ha, was the first to develop the image of Ho Chi Minh as the State President who had to sign the death sentence of a corrupt senior army officer who made the people lose their confidence in the Party and the revolution. In the play, Uncle Ho tells the corrupt officer, named Hoang Trong Vinh, “The revolution is strong only when it wins the confidence of millions of people to overcome any difficulties and defeat any enemies. If the people lose their confidence, the revolution will collapse. If the communists steal public property, bully the people, do harm to their comrades, crawl before and fawn upon their superiors, they can’t attract anyone. It is possible to find the lost money and property, but it is difficult to regain people’s confidence. I don’t ask you to return the gold and money you embezzled, but to return the confidence in the revolution! I give you the right to judge yourself and approve your own verdict.

With these sincere words, Ho Chi Minh proves to be a revolutionary and a frugal, honest, and great man. The work, “White Night” is an experiment to develop the image of Uncle Ho sparing no effort to deal with internal affairs of the Party and the revolution. Ho Chi Minh’s public-spiritedness and selfless morality were still shown in internal and private affairs. This subject is of current concern to the entire Party, army and people.

In 2010, Vietnam will celebrate his 200^th birth anniversary. Preparations have been made for a new performance about the great leader. Ho Chi Minh Thought continues to shine brightly in our international integration process.