The Historic Vietnamese Village that's in Thailand
About 800km northeast of Bangkok lies the Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Village, a historical area rich in the Vietnamese culture, where President Ho Chi Minh lived from 1928 – 1930. It is a symbol of friendship between Vietnam and Thailand and a meeting place for the Vietnamese living in Thailand.
A village for the Vietnamese in Thailand
Most of the population in the Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Village, located within the Mạy village in Nakhon Phanom province, are Vietnamese. Mạy has 127 households whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and trade with other areas across the northeast region. Villagers speak Vietnamese and Thai in their daily conversations.
In late 1928, President Ho Chi Minh, who adopted the alias Thau Chin, relocated from Noong On village to Nakhon Phanom province. Here, he proposed that locals changed the name of their village from Nachok (the Wolf) to Mạy (new village) to celebrate the changes in the village established by the Vietnamese community.
The President Ho Chi Minh Historical Site in the Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Village of Nakhon Phanom province. Photo: Vietnam Times |
Thau Chin mobilized young villagers to cut logs and bake bricks to build a stilt house as a working and residential area for revolutionary cadres from Vietnam. He named it “the cooperation house.”
After work, Thau Chin played football with villagers and taught them how to grow rice and save money to assist Vietnam from afar. He asked that no matter where they went, overseas Vietnamese should always remember and support their homeland.
The Vietnamese cultural space in Mạy village that was formed over 100 years ago and has been preserved until today. At the center of the village lies the Tran Hung Dao Temple, built in 1898. After undergoing countless renovations, the temple now resembles a traditional communal house in Vietnam in both architecture and size.
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A historical location marking the friendship between Vietnam and Thailand
Locals have long considered the Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Village a historic location, marking the friendship and solidary between the two countries. In May 1999, Thailand planned to turn the village into a historical site to foster relations between Vietnam and Thailand. On Feb. 21, 2004, the Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Village was inaugurated in the Mạy village of Nakhon Phanom province.
Having nurtured a deep respect for Thau Chin, the Vietnamese community in Mạy preserved his keepsakes after he travelled to other areas. Their respect and pride become more profound when Thau Chin became President Ho Chi Minh.
Images of President Ho Chi Minh in the exhibition room. Photo: Vietnamnet |
In June 2013, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong assisted the Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Association in Nakhon Phanom to build a President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site on a 1.2h hectare area granted by the Thai government. The memorial site adopts uses traditional Vietnamese architecture.
The Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Village and the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site regularly attract visitors from across Thailand. Aside from its significant cultural and historical values, the site has become a symbol of the friendship between the two countries.
The Vietnamese and Thai communities at the inauguration ceremony. Photo: Bui Ngoc Anh/Ha Tinh University |
The Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Village has contributed cooperation between the peoples of Vietnam and Thailand. The village is the meeting place for the Vietnamese communities not only in Nakhon Phanom but also across the northeast region during special occasions. It helps to tighten the bonds between overseas Vietnamese in Thailand and preserve Vietnamese culture. The village is also a must-see destination for any Vietnamese coming to the northeast of Thailand.
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