President Ho Chi Minh presents a medal to Soviet cosmonaut hero Gherman Stepanovich Titov at the Presidential Palace, Ha Noi (January 21st, 1962)

Titov wrote, “President Ho Chi Minh is such a clear-sighted, friendly and considerate man. He took us around Ha Long bay, where there are more than 3,000 islets of different sizes and shapes which together look like a giant dragon sleeping in the water. It was a rather cold day. The temperature was 16 ^o C. At noon, when the sun was rising, it got warmer. I asked him “Could we go for a swim here?”

He smiled, “Don’t you feel cold?” A few moments later, we found ourselves on a boat sailing for an islet. We stopped at yellow sandy strip that formed a small beach. President Ho Chi Minh asked the boatman, “What is this islet called?” The boatman answered, “This is islet number 46.” President Ho Chi Minh gently tapped my shoulder, “Since you can’t stay here forever, we’ll keep you in another way. This islet is yours. Come here whenever you can. You are and will always be our distinguished guest.” After that, he turned to the captain to explain his intention more clearly and said, “Please rename of the islet, Titov.”

President Ho Chi Minh's foreign activities

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