Feature: Vietnam marks 125th birth anniversary of the legendary Ho Chi Minh

The Vietnamese people on Tuesday expressed their profound gratitude and reverence to Ho Chi Minh as Vietnam commemorates the 125th birth anniversary of its legendary leader and founder.

Born on May 19, 1890, Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese communist revolutionary who later served as Vietnam's prime minister and president. He passed away in September 1969 and many Vietnamese people still fondly call him"Uncle Ho" up to today. "We feel very grateful for what Uncle Ho had done to Vietnam. Thanks to Uncle Ho, we now enjoy independence, freedom and socialism," Le Duc Do, a 67-year-old veteran, told Xinhua on Monday.

Do, who fought in the protracted war against the Americans, said that even after Vietnam won its independence, he continued to adhere to the teachings and examples of Uncle Ho. "Uncle Ho was the founding father of the nation, the one who organized and trained the Vietnamese army," Do, who wore his Army uniform complete with medals on his chest, said.

Nguyen Ngoc Thong, another veteran who lives in Hanoi, described Ho Chi Minh as "a simple man who always took care of lives of the people, especially Army soldiers". "I am very proud to be one of Uncle Ho's soldiers," Thong said, adding that after over 20 years of serving in the Army, he always followed the moral example of Uncle Ho.

Tran Thi Yen, 60, another veteran, said that even if he had not met Ho Ch Minh in person, he knew about the bravery and extraordinary life of the late leader. "Uncle Ho remained close to the people even after his death," Yen said.

The younger generation of Vietnamese people has learned about the life and legacy of Ho Chi Minh only from books and documentary films. But they too have a high regard for their country's founder.

Nguyen Dieu Linh, 21, a student in Hanoi, said that through the documents and films, she found out that "Uncle Ho was a great leader of the nation who devoted his whole life in the country's struggle for independence and freedom".

Linh said that as a tribute to Uncle Ho, she wants to become an engineer so that she can contribute to the development of her country, especially in the construction sector.

A series of activities were organized nationwide to commemorate Ho's 125th birth anniversary.

A grand ceremony held Monday in Vietnam's capital Hanoi to mark the event was attended by current and former Vietnamese leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, civic organizations, and ordinary Vietnamese. "In the past decades, the 19th of May has annually become an important day with significant meaning for Vietnamese people and international friends," General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong said in his remarks during the ceremony.

Trong said that Ho Chi Minh was not only a great revolutionary leader and hero of the national liberation but was also an international figure whose genius as a military strategist has been acclaimed the world over. "He brought fame to the nation, to the Vietnamese people and to the country. He was an exemplary international communist, a close friend of all nations that have fought for peace, independence, democracy and social progress worldwide," Trong said.

Trong described the Ho Chi Minh era as "the most glorious period in the history of Vietnam because it was an era of independence, freedom and socialism."

Trong exhorted the Vietnamese people to be guided by the examples and teachings of Ho Chi Minh as the country moves on to the path of peace, stability and prosperity. Endi