Blood-drawn portrait of Uncle Ho displayed at Ho Chi Minh Museum
Before passing out due to severe injuries decades ago, soldier Le Duy Ung used blood from his eyes to draw a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh.
THE HANOI TIMES — At a special exhibition entitled "The Land is Full of Joy" opened at the Ho Chi Minh Museum to mark the 50th anniversary of the national reunification (April 30, 1975-2025), a portrait of Uncle Ho drawn in blood captures visitors.
In 1975, just days before the country's reunification, artist Le Duy Ung, who was a student at the Hanoi University of Fine Arts, was seriously wounded and lost his eyes in a fierce battle at the gates of Saigon.
In the moments of lucidity before he fainted from the seriousness of his injuries, the artist Le Duy Ung used blood from his eyes to draw a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh.
Painter Le Duy Ung and a replica of the blood-painted portrait. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times
"Uncle Ho is a great leader, a sacred reason for me to live," said Ung, describing why he thought of Uncle Ho when he was near death. "An eternal light blossoms in my heart whenever I think of him."
According to Vu Manh Ha, Director of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the exhibition, which features more than 300 photos, documents, and artefacts, depicts the journey of the Vietnamese people against foreign invaders.
It evokes the spirit of the Great Spring Victory of 1975 in the cause of national defense and building.
The exhibition recalls the historical context between 1954-1975 and the country's period of renewal. Photo: Nam Nguyen/The Hanoi Times
The exhibition is divided into three thematic areas, of which "The Aspiration for Peace" reviews the historical context from the historic Dien Bien Phu victory on May 7, 1954, through the long war of resistance against the US, to the 1973 Paris Peace Accords to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam.
The second theme, "The Great Victory of the Spring of 1975," recreates the general offensive and uprising of the spring of 1975, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh City Campaign. On April 30, 1975, after 55 days and nights of attack and uprising, the army and people smashed the US-backed government, completely liberated the south, and reunified the country.
The third area, "Vietnam Reaches New Heights," reflects the new era in the nation's history: The era of independence, unity, and progress towards socialism.
The exhibition is open to the public at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi from April 23 to August 10.
