Engraving Uncle’s Ho words in stone

At the threshold of Gieng Temple (Hung Temple Historical Site), there is a stone stele engraved with the words of President Ho Chi Minh: “The Hung Kings have built the country; we, your descendants, must work together to protect the country”. The stele was inaugurated on September 19, 2004 by the Veterans Liaison Committee of the Vanguard Army Corps (308 Corps) and was directly implemented by Artisan Trieu Hoang Giang (Zone 10, Son Vi Commune, Lam Thao District).

The author was photographed with the Veterans Liaison Committee of the 308 Corps on the day the stele was inaugurated on September 19, 2004.

Back in history, in September 1954, the regiments of the 308 Corps were marching to assemble near Hanoi. Suddenly, there was an order to summon a number of cadres from the company level and above to meet with their superiors to receive instructions. On the morning of September 19, 1954, the cadres of the Regiment arrived at the Gieng Temple (Hung Temple Historical Site). The door of the Gieng Temple opened, and Uncle Ho stepped out from inside. Everyone shouted, “Uncle Ho! Long live President Ho!”.

In a warm, intimate, and sacred atmosphere, Uncle Ho asked about and encouraged the health of the cadres and soldiers and talked about the tasks in the new revolutionary period. He reminded the army not to relax their guns because of peace. As long as the empire was in the South, we still had to build the North and liberate the South. The task of building and defending the Fatherland was still very heavy. He said, “The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country; we, Uncle and I, must work together to protect the country”. The above memories were shared by Lieutenant General Pham Hong Cu, former Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics and former Deputy Political Commissar of Regiment 36, Division 308, in an article published in the People’s Army Newspaper on September 18, 2014.

That important historical event was an important premise for the year 2000: the Liaison Committee of War Veterans of the 308th Regiment to have the idea of erecting a stone stele engraved with President Ho Chi Minh’s instructions at the Gieng Temple. Sharing about the initial implementation, artisan Trieu Hoang Giang recalled: “At that time, many compatriots who made pilgrimages to pay homage to their ancestors did not know the exact location where President Ho Chi Minh sat down to talk with the 308th Regiment and gave the immortal words above. The Liaison Committee of War Veterans of the 308th Regiment, led by Lieutenant General Pham Hong Cu and Major General Nguyen Hien, came up with the idea, and with the support and consensus of the leaders of Phu Tho province at that time, asked me to carve a stone stele to place at the Gieng Temple to confirm the event of September 19, 1954, when Uncle Ho spoke to the 308th Regiment at the Gieng Temple”.

Artisan Trieu Hoang Giang talks to the youth union members of Hy Cuong commune about the stone stele engraved with the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh.

After deciding on Thanh Hoa green stone as the material, in early 2003, artisan Trieu Hoang Giang made a sketch in foam and placed it at Gieng Temple and asked people from all over to make a pilgrimage to contribute their ideas in a small notebook. A month later, after receiving the ideas, the artisan started to work.

The construction time was right in the summer of 2004, and in the scorching sun, the artisan’s head was close to the 100W light bulb to engrave each letter. Although he was so engrossed that his face was burned, his determination to complete it in time for the 50th anniversary of Uncle Ho’s visit to Hung Temple (September 19, 1954–September 19, 2004) did not diminish.

After 8 months of hard work, the stele was completed with the original text: On September 19, 1954, Uncle Ho spoke to the cadres and soldiers of the 308th Vanguard Division before returning to take over the capital. He advised, "The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country. You and I must work together to protect the country". The stele is placed on a lotus pedestal, engraved with elaborate embossed letters, surrounded by a set of Dong Bich Do Thu patterns.

The moment of groundbreaking and placing the stele on the steps of the Gieng Temple is a moment that the artisan cannot forget. He recalled: "Because it is a sacred place, no large-scale construction or excavation is allowed; the workers were only allowed to dig a rectangle about 80 cm long, 20 cm wide, and 70 cm deep. The stele was pulled out by a pulley and then dropped down. The moment the stele was buried, everyone held their breath because even a 1cm deviation could not be corrected. Only when the shout of “Successful stele placement” rang out did I breathe a sigh of relief".

In addition to the stone stele placed at Gieng Temple (Hung Temple Historical Site), artisan Trieu Hoang Giang also has another work inspired by the event of Uncle Ho visiting Hung Temple on September 19, 1954. It is a stone statue about 70cm high, made from Thanh Hoa black stone, recreating the image of Uncle Ho sitting at Gieng Temple. Uncle Ho wears a brown suit, a white khaki jacket, rubber sandals, and holds a book in his hand. Although it is carved on stone, it shows the affectionate, friendly gaze of the beloved Father of the Vietnamese people. The artisan named the work “Soul of the Nation”, profound, meaningful, containing the love and respect for President Ho Chi Minh. Over the past 20 years, tourists and people from all over the world have made pilgrimages to Hung Temple, and when visiting Gieng Temple, they have all stopped to admire and engrave Uncle Ho’s advice on the stele. That teaching has echoed forever, leaving a valuable lesson for future generations: “Building a country must go hand in hand with protecting the country!”

Thuy Trang