The bronze statue of Uncle Ho was a gift from the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, sent to Newhaven Museum in 2013 on celebration 100th anniversary of his arrival in England on his journey to find a path to liberate the country. The renovation work was done by the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK with the coordination and support of the Newhaven Museum and the Vietnamese community in the UK.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long, Newhaven City Mayor Julie Carr, a delegation of the State Capital Management Committee led by Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Canh, a delegation of Ninh Binh province led by Chairman of the People's Council Mai Van Tuat, a delegation of Ho Chi Minh City led by Vice Chairman of the People's Committee Vo Van Hoan, Director of Newhaven Museum Graham Amy, along with representatives of the city government and the Vietnamese community in the UK and local people.

Representatives of the Newhaven government and representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and working delegations paid their respects to the statue of Uncle Ho. (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long recalled President Ho Chi Minh's 30-year journey to find a path to liberate the country, including his 4-year stay in the UK, starting in May 1913. The Ambassador emphasized that even though the period President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked in the UK was not long, it was significant in shaping his political ideology, and laid the foundation for the present flourishing strategic partnership between the two countries.

Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long pointed out the special relationship between Uncle Ho and the city of Newhaven, his first destination when coming to England, and expressed his gratitude to the Mayor, the city government, the Newhaven Museum and the Vietnamese community in the UK have provided their best support over the years to preserve relics related to President Ho Chi Minh as well as help complete the renovation project of Uncle Ho's statue. He called this project of great significance in celebration of the 110th anniversary of Uncle Ho's arrival in England and 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and England.

The Ambassador hoped that in the coming time, the Newhaven government would continue to support the preservation of these relics, as well as have projects to build new or renovate works honoring President Ho Chi Minh in Newhaven, thereby contributing to further promoting the good relationship between Vietnam and the UK as well as between Vietnamese localities and Newhaven.

Speaking at the ceremony, Newhaven Mayor Julia Carr emphasized that this is a special event, strengthening the bond in the relationship between Vietnam and the UK. (Photo: VNA)

Newhaven Mayor Julie Carr welcomed Vietnamese delegations to visit the city in a special event, the inauguration of the renovation of Uncle Ho's statue at the City Museum. Mayor Julie Carr hoped that after this event, Newhaven would welcome more Vietnamese delegations, contributing to further tightening the relationship between the two sides.

Director of Newhaven Museum Graham Amy expressed his gratitude to Vietnam for gifting the Museum the bronze statue of President Ho Chi Minh. He said the statue's restoration work contributes to preserving and beautifying the statue, affirming that the event has important significance in the relationship between Vietnam and the UK in general and Newhaven in particular.

President of the Newhaven Historical Society said that the ceremony is a meaningful event for the City Museum when welcoming Vietnamese guests, expressing hope that more Vietnamese tourists will visit the Museum in the future. The Museum displays a model of the ferry between Newhaven and the French port of Deppie - the vehicle that brought baker Nguyen Ai Quoc to England, and a miniature model of his house, which was a gift from Nghe An province to the Museum on the occasion of the two local governments signing a twinning agreement in Newhaven in 2014.

Representatives of the Embassy and delegations took souvenir photos at Uncle Ho's memorial stele located at Newhaven harbor. (Photo: VNA)

In an interview with Vietnam News Agency, Mr. Peter Rhodes, a museum visitor, said he had lived in Newhaven since 1973 and was very proud of the city's connection with President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam. As a young man in the 1960s, he really admired the Vietnamese people in their war to protect the Fatherland.

Prior to the inauguration ceremony, representatives of the Newhaven government, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and Vietnamese delegations visited and laid flowers at the memorial stele of President Ho Chi Minh at West Quay wharf, Newhaven port, right at the mouth of the Ouse River flowing into the English Channel.

President Ho Chi Minh's Thoughts on Peace Throughout its history Vietnam has come into contact and exchanged with many cultures and civilizations.

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