Nha Rong Wharf – memorabilia storehouse of Ho Chi Minh’s national salvation journey

Nha Rong Wharf was built in 1863 by the French as the headquarters of the Five Star Vessel Corporation. The building at the junction of the Saigon River and the Ben Nghe River has a Western-style architecture but also has two dragons on the roof, a signature decoration of Vietnam’s pagodas and temples.

A statue of Ho Chi Minh when he was young stands in front of the wharf, looking to the Sai Gon river, to remind people of the patriotic young man Nguyen Tat Thanh who left the wharf on the French ship Admiral Latouche Treville to begin his quest for salvation. With a strong determination, he once said “Freedom for my fellow countrymen and homeland is all I want or understand”.

Vo Hieu Nghia, a resident of Ho Chi Minh City, told VOV “I’ve been here four or five times and each time I had a different feeling. This place gives me an insight into President Ho Chi Minh’s journey to save the nation. The more I learn, the more I respect and adore him. What impresses me the most at Nha Rong Wharf is a giant lotus placed in a pond. I can look to the Sai Gon River from this wharf where the President embarked. My job is organizing students’ movements. I hope to inspire them with what I have learned from President Ho Chi Minh.”

Nha Rong Wharf’s official name is now Ho Chi Minh Museum – Ho Chi Minh City branch. From three initial rooms, each 250 square meters in area, the museum has grown to include nice exhibition rooms and two store rooms. Six of the nine exhibition rooms have permanent exhibits, including documents, photos, and other items that played a part in President Ho Chi Minh’s life and revolutionary career. The other three exhibition rooms are used for temporary exhibits.

Since 1995, the Museum has hosted a great number of events at the museum, in outlying districts, and at remote venues, including exhibits, symposiums, contests, publication launches, and film screening.

As Vietnam has celebrated its 44th Reunification Day and President Ho Chi Minh’s 129th birthday, Nha Rong Wharf has been packed with visitors eager to learn more about the great leader.

Tran Van Quyen from Nam Dinh province was moved to see with his own eyes President Ho Chi Minh’s clothes and notebooks. He said “I’m excited to visit the place where President Ho Chi Minh embarked to seek the national salvation of the beautiful country we enjoy today. I hope young Vietnamese people will honor their predecessors’ determination to defend our country.”

The Ho Chi Minh Museum – Ho Chi Minh City branch has welcomed tens of millions of visitors, including state leaders and senior officials.