The story of the 3 cars serving Uncle Ho that have just been recognized as National Treasures

Three cars serving President Ho Chi Minh from 1954-1969 have been recognized by the Prime Minister as National Treasures, carrying the value of international friendship and patriotism of overseas Vietnamese.

Within the framework of the Homeland Spring Program 2025, on the morning of January 19, at the Presidential Palace, the Ceremony to Announce the Prime Minister's Decision to Recognize National Treasures took place: three cars used to serve President Ho Chi Minh from 1954 to 1969.

Câu chuyện về 3 chiếc ôtô phục vụ Bác Hồ mới được công nhận là Bảo vật Quốc gia

Zit car (ZIS), registration number HN 481. Vehicle dimensions: length 5m92; width 1m82; height 1m75; weight: 4280kg; color: black. (Photo: Van Diep/VNA)

Attending the ceremony were Deputy Head of the Office of the President Pham Thanh Ha; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese; representatives of leaders and former leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Uncle Ho Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, along with a number of ministries, businesses... and a large number of overseas Vietnamese attending the Homeland Spring Program 2025.

According to the Organizing Committee, President Ho Chi Minh, the great leader of the Vietnamese people, is not only a symbol of passionate patriotism and steadfast revolutionary spirit but also an example of pure international solidarity.

The relics, documents and artifacts at the Special National Relic - President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, where he spent the last 15 years of his life, are the most vivid and authentic evidence reflecting his life, career, ideology, morality and style.

In the system of relics, documents, and artifacts that the Relic Site is currently preserving and promoting, there are three cars that served President Ho Chi Minh from 1954-1969, which have just been recognized by the Prime Minister as National Treasures (13th batch, 2024). Each car is a treasure, a historical story that holds a particularly profound value for the nation, people, and international friendship.

Specifically, the Zit car, license plate HN 481, was a gift from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to President Ho Chi Minh in 1954. Designed with high-strength steel and bulletproof glass, this specialized car was produced in very limited quantities in the Soviet Union and was mainly reserved for heads of state.

Since 1965, during the fierce war years, the car was always ready to serve Uncle Ho and the Politburo. The car was used to pick up heads of state visiting Vietnam to ensure absolute safety.

The car symbolizes the strong friendship between Vietnam and the Soviet Union; a manifestation of the valuable companionship and support from international friends for our nation's struggle for independence.

Next to the Zit car is the Pobeda car, license plate HN 158, a gift from the Soviet Government in 1955. In March 1957, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Protocol Department transferred this car to the Presidential Palace Office. The car served Uncle Ho from then until 1969. The car had the advantage of being spacious, airy, high chassis, strong engine, suitable for long distances, so it often served Uncle Ho on business trips to localities far from Hanoi. The car has become a familiar image of the simple leader, always standing side by side with his compatriots in all circumstances.

Finally, the Peugeot 404 car, license plate HNC 232, was a gift from Vietnamese expatriates in New Caledonia and Vanuatu (former names of the archipelagos, in Oceania) to Uncle Ho in March 1964.

In mid-1966, after a minor stroke, Uncle Ho's health declined somewhat, so the car was used more often to help him move around the city. This type of car has a low chassis, a smooth engine, and is convenient to get on and off when his left leg is weak.

The car contains the sacred feelings of the children living far away from home for Uncle Ho and their homeland. During the years living far away from the Fatherland, no matter where they are, our overseas Vietnamese still wholeheartedly turn to their homeland, responding to the call of the Party and Uncle Ho, contributing to the cause of national liberation.

Three cars took turns accompanying President Ho Chi Minh on nearly 2,000 trips to many localities as well as daily work in Hanoi.

According to the leader of the Uncle Ho Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, the group of National Treasures - three cars - are not only means of transportation but also carry profound symbolic value of international friendship, solidarity, patriotism of overseas Vietnamese and Uncle Ho's efforts to foster national love and compatriotism.

The three cars are living proof of a historical period full of hardship, perseverance, and determination to gain independence, freedom, and national unification, while also conveying profound lessons about Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style.

As the unit assigned to directly protect, preserve and promote the value of President Ho Chi Minh's heritage at the Presidential Palace, the Decision to recognize the three cars that served President Ho Chi Minh as National Treasures is a source of pride and emotion for generations of cadres and workers at the Uncle Ho Relic Site who have devoted themselves day and night to preserving and promoting the value of Uncle Ho's heritage. This is the motivation for the Relic Site to continue to carry out its mission of preserving and spreading Ho Chi Minh's heritage to the public at home and abroad, contributing to preserving and promoting the spirit of solidarity, international friendship as well as the deep patriotism of the nation.

The decision to recognize the three cars as National Treasures is both a tribute to the heritage value and a strong affirmation of the everlasting vitality of the spirit of national solidarity and international friendship that Uncle Ho laid a solid foundation for.

For the first time after 55 years of preserving and promoting the value of President Ho Chi Minh's legacy, the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace is honored to have an artifact recognized as a National Treasure. This is an honor and pride, and at the same time affirms the noble value of the journey of more than half a century of generations of officials and workers of the Relic Site who have silently preserved and promoted the legacy left by Uncle Ho.

The ceremony is even more meaningful when it is held in the atmosphere of celebrating the Party, celebrating the Spring of At Ty and welcoming overseas Vietnamese from all over the world in the Homeland Spring Program 2025 to visit Uncle Ho's house.

For many years, the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace has been a place that regularly welcomes overseas Vietnamese groups returning home for Tet to offer incense in memory of President Ho Chi Minh and organize the traditional carp release ceremony at Uncle Ho's Fish Pond. The sentiments of respect for Uncle Ho and the hearts of overseas Vietnamese towards the Fatherland are flowers that contribute to beautifying the country's spring.

On the same morning, President Luong Cuong and his wife, along with overseas Vietnamese delegates attending the Homeland Spring Program, performed the ritual of releasing carp to see off the Kitchen Gods on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2025; offered incense at Kinh Thien Palace in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Relic Site, House 67. The overseas Vietnamese delegation also visited President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and laid wreaths at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs.

According to the program, on the same evening, President Luong Cuong will wish overseas Vietnamese a happy New Year and beat the drum to open the Spring Festival in the 2025 Homeland Spring Art Exchange Program at the National Convention Center for all overseas Vietnamese to attend.

The Homeland Spring 2025 program with the theme "Vietnam - Rising in the new era" takes place from January 18-20 with many rich and meaningful events. This is an important cultural-political event, attracting special attention from the overseas Vietnamese community and is always awaited by overseas Vietnamese every time Tet comes and Spring comes.

This year's program attracted the participation of about 1,000 overseas Vietnamese delegates from all over the world returning to their homeland to celebrate Tet.

According to Vietnamplus.vn

https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cau-chuyen-ve-3-chiec-oto-phuc-vu-bac-ho-moi-duoc-cong-nhan-la-bao-vat-quoc-gia-post1008251.vnp

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/cau-chuyen-ve-3-chiec-oto-phuc-vu-bac-ho-moi-duoc-cong-nhan-la-bao-vat-quoc-gia-209612.html