On May 9, 1961, President Ho Chi Minh visited the island, theonly destination he allowed to erect a statue of him during his lifetime. Thememorial was built in 1968, recognised as a national relic site in 1997, and receivedits latest accreditation in mid-January this year.
At the ceremony, an art programme to kick off the island's tourismyear 2022 also took place.
Earlier, on April 26, a 27.9m flagpole was officiallyinaugurated at the site, affirming Vietnam's territorial sovereignty and promoting national pride and patriotism./.