IF ONE were to go back in time to the 1960s and 1970s in almost any country in the world, one would probably be able to find a picture of Ho Chi Minh, either in the sea of a protest against the US war in Vietnam, at conferences of communist and workers parties, in magazines, newspapers and more.

In fact, if one were to go to Italy, Britain, Japan, Singapore, France, Thailand and many other countries in the world, one would find statues, monuments and plaques to this 20th century revolutionary.

His is still recognised and still inspires movements to this day. Ho Chi Minh did not live to see reunification of his homeland, a cause he had fought his entire life.

“All my life, I have served the Fatherland, the revolution and the people with al my heart and strength. If I should now depart from this world, I would have nothing to regret, except not being able to serve longer and more,” he wrote in his last will and testament.

Affectionately known as “Uncle Ho” he passed away on September 2 1969, four years before the Paris Peace Accords were signed for formalising the US retreat from Vietnam, six years before the country was finally liberated and seven before the Socialist Republic of Vietnam would officially come into being.

Ho Chi Minh is a figure strongly associated with the victory of the Vietnamese people against the US and their allies. He was the founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and led the struggle for Vietnam’s independence fighting against French colonialism, Japanese invasion (during WWII) and eventually US imperialism.

He was an extremely popular figure in Vietnam even before the US invaded. When the US decided to ignore the Geneva agreements of 1954 on holding an election in Vietnam, US president Dwight Eisenhower directly stated in his memoir that elections could not have happened, because if they did, Ho Chi Minh and the communists would win by an overwhelming majority.

After his death the US hoped that the Vietnamese people would be demoralised, but this only encouraged them to redouble their war efforts under the slogan “turning grief into revolutionary action.”

Fighting to increase production, develop the economy, agriculture and defence capacities with the memory of Ho Chi Minh ever present.

After his death Vietnam would rebuild consolidating his legacy especially with the aim of achieving the implementation of his stated aim in his will that: “the American invaders defeated, we will rebuild our land ten times more beautiful.”

In Vietnam today the official ideology of the Communist Party of Vietnam is Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought. His analysis is seen as the material application of Marxism-Leninism to Vietnam’s specific realities and historical conditions. Hence his legacy is very strong in all policy areas, whether that be in diplomacy, environmental protection, education, culture, defence, party building, democracy and more.

Ho Chi Minh remains a central figure for Vietnamese theorists and revolutionaries’ thinking and is supported through the education system, through the party, the trade unions and laws.

The study of his writtings such as Directive No 5-CT/TW on “Promoting learning and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and style,” is of particular importance and is  regularly reviewed by the party especially in the fields of party-building, the qualities of party members and national construction.  

Furthermore his thought is one of the guiding forces behind Vietnam’s modern theoretical developments such as “bamboo diplomacy” and the “Era of the Nation’s Rise.” The former which orients Vietnamese foreign policy.

As Nguyen Phu Trong (CPV general secretary who died last year) stated, “according to president Ho Chi Minh, national independence must go hand in hand with socialism, self-reliance and self-dependence with international solidarity, and national strength with international opportunities.”

This has led to Vietnam having an active relationship with many countries around the world on the basis of co-operation and trust, as well as being an important member of organisations such as the Mekong River Commission, the Non-Aligned Movement and the UN.

It has also led Vietnam to push, in those groups, for the upholding of international law in cases such as on the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Current general secretary of the party To Lam has reiterated this stating in his latest article: “Following Uncle Ho’s example, we must keep pace with the movements of the world, find a way to bring peace, stability, prosperity, development and build a higher, more solid position for the country in the new era.”

The “Era of the Nation’s Rise” concept, put forward by To Lam, is described as: “…the era of breakthrough and acceleration under the leadership of the party, successfully building a socialist Vietnam that is rich, strong, democratic, fair, civilised, prosperous and happy; catching up with, advancing together and standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.”

This is the implementation, acceleration and completion of large-scale projects for improving the lives of the people and enhancing economic growth. Most notable among these are the goal to replace every temporary and dilapidated house in the country by the end of the year, to build a nationally funded high-speed railway from north to south, the possible building of a metro line from Can Gio District to Ho Chi Minh City (approximately 50km), and the revival of Vietnam’s interest in nuclear power in order to meet climate goals.

The projects completed so far include include the £22 million Phu Phong Dam, the completion of the Ho Chi Minh City metro, and the complete rebuilding — in just over three months — of the village of Lang Nu after the catastrophic landslide of September 2024.

All these projects are done in line with the government’s insistence that “the people are the roots” and according to To Lam, “in accordance with President Ho Chi Minh’s will, which is ‘to build a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam, and to make a worthy contribution to the world revolutionary cause’.”

Ho Chi Minh enjoys mass popularity across the country, with portraits of the revolutionary leader in almost every home in the country. There has also been a more widespread awareness of his life and that of other communist leaders through the actions of young people across the country.

On platforms such as TikTok many youths make videos to “red music” (the nickname for patriotic and revolutionary songs), mixing videos and pictures of revolutionaries with sound clips such as Ho Chi Minh’s reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1945 and a speech made by former general secretary Le Duan while in the Soviet Union.

Vietnamese youth also hold concerts where “red music” is played and, on April 26, in preparation for the 50th anniversary of liberation gathered en masse outside the gates of the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City to watch a 3D mapping event which broadcast an animated epic of Vietnamese history onto the facade of the palace.

Songs such as Nhu co Bac Trong Ngay dai Thang (As if Uncle Ho was there on the Day of Great Victory), Bac Dang Cung Chung Chau Hanh Quan! (Uncle Ho is With us on our Campaigns) and Dat Nuoc Tron Niem Vui (A Country Full of Joy).

In many places up and down the country a mixture of national flags, party flags and the flag of the provisional revolutionary government of the south are on full display. These are hung from windows and balconies or presented through bunting hanging in streets or painted onto walls.

On April 30 there will also be a parade, including soldiers from both north and south in reminiscence of the events 50 years ago.

A tourist of today would be surprised that just 50 years ago this country was a place which had been bombed into rubble, with 45 per cent of all rice fields destroyed, half of all forests decimated, with one million orphans and two million unemployed.

While Vietnam has many issues to face up to and confront, no-one can deny its tremendous transformation into the country it is today in the 50 years since the liberation.

Today Vietnam is moving forward and carving its independent path on the world stage guided by Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought.