Former war correspondent Trần Mai Hưởng presents photos to Trần Việt Hoa, director of the centre — Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI — Precious photos taken by two former war correspondents from Vietnam News Agency, preserved for half a century, have been donated to the National Archive Centre III on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and National Reunification.

Former war correspondent Đinh Quang Thành presents photos to Trần Việt Hoa, director of the centre — Photo baovanhoa.vn

War correspondents Đinh Quang Thành and Trần Mai Hưởng are among the journalists who followed the liberation troops into HCM City, then known as Sài Gòn. Both were present at the Independence Palace on the historic day of April 30, 1975.

They have donated nearly a hundred photos that vividly depict the diverse scenes of the Vietnamese people's resistance against America to the National Archives Centre III. These photos authentically reflect the harsh realities of war and bombardment, but above all, they showcase the patriotic spirit, courage and determination of the Vietnamese military and civilians, from the front line and back to the support lines.

Sài Gòn people run alongside the tanks of the liberation forces advancing towards the Independence Palace in Sài Gòn in 1975. — Photo courtesy of Đinh Quang Thành.

One of the most notable photos captures the image of a tank from the liberation forces entering the Independence Palace on April 30, by journalist Trần Mai Hưởng, which has become a sacred symbol of the victory day.

The historic photo capturing the moment a tank of the liberation forces entering the Independence Palace on April 30, 1975. — Photo courtesy of Trần Mai Hưởng

Trần Việt Hoa, director of the centre, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the journalists for preserving and entrusting these valuable photos to the centre. She noted that the photos, alongside the collections of documents and photographs being preserved at the centre, held significant meaning, contributing to a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of many major events in the country, including the historic Hồ Chí Minh Campaign.

People welcome the liberation forces into the city centre on April 30, 1975. — Photo courtesy of Trần Mai Hưởng.

A veteran journalist and colleague of the two reporters, Ngô Minh Đạo, also presented portraits to the war correspondents, serving as a special gift from him to his fellow journalists on this momentous occasion for the nation.— VNS

Journalist Ngô Minh Đạo presents portraits to the war correspondents. — Photo baovanhoa.vn