THE WATER CUP ON PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH'S ALTAR
A cup placed on the altar of President Ho Chi Minh by the family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Doc in 1969
In 1969, as the revolutionary movement in Phu Loc was gradually being restored, the local Party Committee and the people of Phu Loc were heartbroken upon hearing the news of President Ho Chi Minh's passing.
During the days of mourning for President Ho Chi Minh, in her small home in The Son village, Loc Tien commune, Phu Loc district, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Doc, under the guidance of local officials, set up a discreet yet respectful altar to honor the President. To avoid the enemy’s attention, the altar was simple, consisting only of an incense burner and a water cup. In their dilapidated home, ravaged by war, Mrs. Doc's family gathered together, their thoughts turned toward the North, quietly lighting incense to hold a memorial ceremony for President Ho.
Though there was no portrait of President Ho Chi Minh on the altar, the empty space represented a sacred place for Mrs. Doc's family, where they silently vowed to fulfill his wishes, no matter the hardships or devastation of war.
Over the years, despite their home being repeatedly burned down by the enemy and having to move several times, Mrs. Doc and her family carefully preserved the cup from the altar, carrying it with them throughout the war until the present day.
On April 5, 1998, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Doc donated the cup to the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Thua Thien Hue.