A visitor looks at historical documents and images at the opening ceremony. Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Hồ Chí Minh Museum in Hà Nội is displaying documents and images in an exhibition that showcases the determination of the Vietnamese people to gain independence and freedom.

The exhibition Việt Nam - Độc Lập - Tự Cường (Việt Nam – Independence – Self-Reliance) features more than 200 documents and images in five parts.

The first part highlights important historical milestones of the Vietnamese Revolution from the time the French colonialists invaded Việt Nam in 1858 to the August Revolution in 1945.

This part also shows the image of the Vietnamese people from slaves to an independent nation taking control of their own destiny.

Việt Nam went from a semi-feudal colonial country to an independent, free and democratic country.

“Through each display, viewers can review history,” said Vũ Mạnh Hà, the museum’s director said at the exhibition opening ceremony on Sunday.

“In which it is impossible not to mention the milestone of September 2, 1945, at Ba Đình Square: President Hồ Chí Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam, the first people's democratic state in Southeast Asia.

“Through the exhibition, viewers will see the strong will of the Vietnamese people," he said.

The second part shows the extremely difficult period of the young Democratic Republic of Việt Nam, the policies of President Hồ Chí Minh and the Party and Government to solve the problems of hunger and ignorance, fighting against both enemies inside and foreign enemies to bring the country out of danger and maintain freedom and independence.

With the theme of building socialism in war, the third part focuses on the 1954-75 period when the country was divided into two regions.

The fourth part reviews the national rebuilding and defence process, while the fifth part aims to popularise Việt Nam’s renewal, integration and development.

The museum in co-operation with Việt Nam Post and Việt Nam Stamp Association is also displaying a series of stamps on President Hồ Chí Minh and the Communist Party of Việt Nam with the cause of fighting for national independence, national reunification and national construction and defence.

“Each set of stamps is issued as a national business card sent to other countries,” said Vũ Văn Tỵ, advisor of the Việt Nam Stamp Association.

“President Hồ Chí Minh has always been a great inspiration for the post section to issue new stamps which feature his great morals and manners.

“In poor conditions, the displayed stamps were made by Vietnamese artists with our material and our equipment. This shows the independent and self-reliant spirit of the Vietnamese people.

“The State had to import equipment later to make stamps meeting the demand of the Universal Postal Union but the Việt Nam Stamp Association performed its mission well in national historical periods,” Tỵ said.

The museum is located at 19 Ngọc Hà Street, Ba Đình District. VNS