A series of activities have been held in many countries throughout the world to mark the 122 nd birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh.

Thailand ’s northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom on May 19 held a solemn ceremony to mark Uncle Ho’s birthday and the establishment of the Vietnam-Thailand friendship.

The event took place in Nachok village, where President Ho Chi Minh had lived and worked in the 1928-1029 period. The village was then renamed the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Village, becoming a historical and cultural tourist site which helps strengthen the friendship between the two nations.

On the occasion, the Nakhon Phanom province presented 30 scholarships worth 1,000 USD to poor Vietnamese students living here.

The same day, in Beijing, the Vietnamese Embassy in China and China Radio International jointly organised an exchange for Vietnamese and Chinese students and kicked off the Vietnam-China Friendship Singing Contest 2012.

The event aimed to help the two countries’ students to better their understanding about the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh as well as the traditional friendship between Vietnam and China .

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Nguyen Van Tho said the traditional friendship between Vietnam and China, built by President Ho Chi Minh and President Mao Zedong, is an invaluable asset of the two nations.

Vice President of the China-Vietnam Friendship Association Qi Jianguo stressed that promoting the China-Vietnam friendship is not only a historic mission of the two countries’ people but also an important task of young generations to make the relationship last forever.

On May 18, the Association of Vietnamese People in Ulianovsk city of Russia offered flowers at the Statue of President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion of his 122 nd birthday.

The same day, an exhibition entitled “Ho Chi Minh – A Hero of National Liberation and A Pre-eminent Cultural Activist” also opened in Ulianovsk city.

On display are more than 120 photos, artefacts and documents on the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh.

The exhibition also introduces the solidarity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, as well as the renewal achievements in Vietnam.

As part of a cooperation programme between the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Lenin Memorial House in Ulianovsk city, the exhibition will last until May 31.

The capital city of Argentina launched Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Days to mark President Ho’s birthday. The President’s life, career and thoughts were praised by participants at a ceremony in Buenos Aires on May 18.

They expressed respect for Uncle Ho, a beloved leader of the Vietnamese people, a world cultural celebrity and a close friend of peace-loving nations in the world. They said they admire achievements the Vietnamese people have made during the national construction and development.

The Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Days, jointly held by the authority of District 13, Buenos Aires city, the Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Institute and the Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina , will last until May 25.

During the days, there will be an exhibition of paintings by painter Maria Teresa Bobbio, an exhibition of photos on Vietnam taken by photographers Jorge Monaco and Raul Rossi, and a show of Vietnamese national costumes.-VNA