The programme, held on June 26, commemorated the 115th anniversary of the leader’s departure in search of a path for national salvation and the 80th anniversary of his official visit to France as a guest of the French Government.

The events were jointly organised by the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, the Embassy of Vietnam in France, and the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in France. Montreuil was chosen as the venue because of its historical significance as a place closely associated with President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities during his years in France.

One of the highlights was the opening of the thematic exhibition titled ‘The President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site at the Presidential Palace – A Space of Vietnam-France Friendship and Peace,’ alongside the enhancement of the Ho Chi Minh Exhibition Space at the Living History Museum (Musée de l'Histoire Vivante), which preserves valuable documents and artifacts relating to the Vietnamese leader.

The exhibition presented photographs and archival materials tracing President Ho Chi Minh's life and revolutionary career, and introducing the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi where he lived and worked during the final 15 years of his life, from 1954 to 1969.

Through these exhibits, visitors gained deeper insight into Vietnam's modern history and the enduring friendship between Vietnam and France, helping foster greater mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Le Thi Phuong, director of the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site at the Presidential Palace, stressed President Ho Chi Minh played a pioneering role in laying the foundation for friendship between Vietnam and France.

President Ho Chi Minh was a historic figure whose vision helped build the first bridge of friendship between Vietnam and France, laying the foundation for mutual understanding and respect between the two peoples, she said.

According to her, the exhibition, the enhancement of the Ho Chi Minh Exhibition Space and commemorative activities not only honour President Ho Chi Minh's legacy but also inspire patriotism and strengthen cultural identity among overseas Vietnamese.

The exhibition has attracted not only the Vietnamese community in France but also many international visitors.

Among them was Hugo Liao, who said the photographs and historical accounts have given him a deeper understanding of President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam's struggle for national independence.

“These photographs have helped me learn much more about President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam's history. It is meaningful that his legacy is being preserved so future generations can continue to discover and appreciate it,” he told Paris-based VOV correspondents.

During the working visit, the Vietnamese delegation also offered incense in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at the Embassy of Vietnam in France and held discussions with the Vietnamese Ambassador on preserving and promoting his legacy overseas.

Paris archives preserve traces of President Ho Chi Minh’s journey

More than a century after Nguyen Ai Quoc, later President Ho Chi Minh, arrived in France in search of a path to national liberation, a collection of rare documents preserved in Paris continues to shed light on the formative years that shaped one of Vietnam’s most influential leaders.