Sri Lanka, May 19 -- Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890, in Kim Lien village in the Nathi area of the Nam Dan district, located about 300 kilometres south of Hanoi, Vietnam. His father was Nguyen Sinh Sac, and his mother was Nguyen Thi Loan. At the time, Vietnam was a colony under French imperialist rule.

His father was a teacher. His mother was a peasant woman who spun yarn. They did not know their son would become the first President of independent Vietnam. Furthermore, they did not know he would become a great revolutionary who would fight for his motherland.

Having learned Chinese at the age of 8, Ho Chi Minh learned French at the village primary school. Thereafter, he attended Hue High School. Even in his youth, he was dedicated ...