21-cannon salute was carried out to mark the beginning of the ceremony marking 50th anniversary of National Reunification (April 30). — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The national-level grand ceremony, military parade and procession commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2025) has taken place from early morning along Lê Duẩn Boulevard and several main streets in District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City. 

In the fine weather, adorned with flags and flowers in celebration of this major national holiday, large crowds of officials, soldiers, and people from all walks of life gathered at Thống Nhất Square and the Independence Palace area to spectate the anniversary ceremony.

Attending the ceremony were the following leaders and former leaders: Party General Secretary Tô Lâm; former General Secretary Nông Đức Mạnh; State President Lương Cường; former State Presidents Nguyễn Minh Triết and Trương Tấn Sang; Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính; former Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng; Chairman of the National Assembly Trần Thanh Mẫn; former National Assembly Chairpersons Nguyễn Văn An and Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân; Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú; former Standing Members of the Secretariat Phan Diễn and Trần Quốc Vượng; and Party Central Committee Secretary, and President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Đỗ Văn Chiến.

Also in attendance at the ceremony were around 20 international delegations, including 3 high-level delegations, 4 at ministerial or higher level, and representatives from more than 15 political parties across various continents; representatives from over 20 localities twinned with Hồ Chí Minh City, as well as numerous foreign individuals who had contributed to the anti-war movement and the struggle against the war of aggression in Việt Nam.

The high-level delegations are from Laos, led by Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Laos' President; the Kingdom of Cambodia, led by Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian People’s Party and President of the Senate; and Cuba, led by Comrade Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice President.

The staged art performance themed “Radiant Land of Việt Nam." — VNA/VNS Photo

The anniversary ceremony began with a grandly staged art performance themed “Radiant Land of Việt Nam.” The programme featured a ceremonial drum performance titled “The Epic of Total Victory," performed by 1,000 artists who are cadets of the Drum Art Troupe of the People’s Police Academy under the Ministry of Public Security. It also included an artistic formation performance themed “A Nation’s Joyful Reunification,” staged by artists and soldiers of the Việt Nam People’s Army, along with numerous other artistic acts vividly portraying the nation’s glorious struggle for independence and its efforts in nation-building and development.

Thousands of people gathered in HCM City's main streets to spectate the grand ceremony, military parade for April 30 commemoration. — VNA/VNS Photo

The official commemoration commenced with a solemn flag-raising ceremony accompanied by 21-gun salutes performed by the ceremonial artillery unit at Bạch Đằng Wharf, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City.

Officials taking a stand for the national anthem. — VNA/VNS Photo

In his address to the ceremony, Việt Nam's top leader Tô Lâm said the national reunification was one of the brightest milestones in the country's history of nation building and defence, marking a conclusion of a resilient 30-year-long struggle for independence and freedom.

He recalled the history of the struggle against Americans, noting that the US imperialists have deployed a vast number of troops and the most advanced weaponry, applying multiple dangerous war strategies and conducting two brutal bombing campaigns against the North, causing tremendous pain and losses to the people and country on both sides of the country. The war’s devastating consequences linger to this day.

"Under the leadership of President Hồ Chí Minh, our military and people pursued two strategic revolutionary tasks: carrying out the socialist revolution in the North and the national democratic people's revolution in the South. With a burning desire to protect independence and national unity, guided by the principle that “nothing is more precious than independence and freedom,” the entire nation, from Mục Nam Quan to Cà Mau Cape, stood united to drive out the aggressors. Every part of the country bears witness to the courage, sacrifice, and glorious victories of our people and armed forces.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm delivers the ceremonial speech. — VNA/VNS Photo

"Fuelled by the iron will to liberate the South, we resolutely advanced. Our military and people achieved successive victories, eventually culminating in the historic Hồ Chí Minh Campaign, which brought the entire nation under one flag," he said.

According to the Vietnamese top leader, the success of the resistance against the United States stemmed from the Party’s sound and creative leadership, the people's war strategy, the strength of national unity and international solidarity, and the skilful combination of military, political, and diplomatic struggles.

He expressed "boundless gratitude to beloved President Hồ Chí Minh—a brilliant leader of our Party and nation, a great teacher of the Vietnamese revolution, a hero of national liberation, a world cultural figure, and an outstanding soldier of the international communist and workers’ movement."

"With a burning desire to liberate the South and reunify the country, and with unwavering belief in victory despite any hardship or sacrifice, our people were determined to triumph and reunify the Fatherland so that compatriots in the North and South would once more live together as one family."

General Secretary Tô Lâm said the nation deeply values the immense contributions of revolutionary leaders, heroic martyrs, heroic Vietnamese mothers, heroes of the people’s armed forces, generations of cadres, generals, officers, soldiers, militia, youth volunteers, logistics workers, wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, families of martyrs and those with meritorious service to the revolution, war veterans, and all forces of the people’s armed forces and citizens across the country and abroad who devoted and sacrificed themselves for the cause of the complete liberation of the South and national reunification.

Performance entitled 'Liberation of the South - Complete joy - Red flowers'. — VNA/VNS Photo

He also extended gratitude to the profound, heartfelt, and loyal support and assistance from international comrades, friends, especially from the Soviet Union, China and other socialist countries, the special solidarity between Việt Nam, Laos, and Cambodia, along with progressive forces, and peace-loving people around the world for the Vietnamese people’s struggle for national liberation and reunification.

"The success of the resistance against the United States stemmed from the Party’s sound and creative leadership, the people's war strategy, the strength of national unity and international solidarity, and the skilful combination of military, political, and diplomatic struggles. Victory was seized through bold action, strategic timing, concentrated forces, and strong support from the North for the South," the top leader remarked.

"The historic Spring Victory of 1975 strongly encouraged global movements for national liberation, peace, independence, democracy, and social progress. It signalled the collapse of neo-colonialism worldwide and marked a crucial turning point in human history," the Party chief noted.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and international guests. — VNA/VNS Photo

"After the country is liberated, the people have been united to rebuild the country, surmounting the aftermath of war and striving to develop a peaceful, independent, unified, and socialist Việt Nam."

After 50 years of national reunification and nearly 40 years of implementing the đổi mới (renewal) policy, the country has overcome numerous difficulties and challenges to achieve monumental accomplishments of historical significance, creating the foundation, potential, position and international prestige as today, according to the leader.

“To realise the aspiration to build a Việt Nam “ten times better than today,” we must liberate all productive forces, unleash all resources, and leverage all potential and strengths to strongly promote socio-economic development. In 2025, we strive to achieve economic growth of at least 8 per cent and double-digit growth in the 2026-30 period, are determined to successfully implement the strategic goals of becoming a developing country with upper-middle-income and modern industry by 2030 and a developed, socialist-oriented nation with high income by 2045. The focus must be placed on resolving institutional development bottlenecks; adjusting the economic space, expanding the development space, increasing decentralisation and delegation of authority, allocating and combining economic resources; establishing a new growth model, with science-technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the main driving forces, to create dramatic transformations in productivity, quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of the economy, identifying the private sector as the most important driving force of the national economy. Besides, we must continue making breakthroughs in mindset and methods to create new productivity, new productive forces, and new quality.”

The ceremonial gun manouveurs combined with a military band and artistic formation performance titled “The Nation in Complete Joy” was presented by the Military Honour Guard Unit, the Military University of Culture and Arts, the Military Art Troupe of Military Zone 1, the Military Art Troupe of Military Zone 3, and the Military Art Troupe of Military Zone 9. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Party leader took the occasion to reaffirm that Việt Nam will persist in implementing foreign policies of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development; multilateralisation and diversification of external relations; being a friend, a trustworthy partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community; and making effective use of international resources to serve national development goals.

"We call upon our entire Party, people, and armed forces to forever engrave in our hearts the sacrifices of our predecessors, to unite with one heart, to uphold the heroic spirit of the Spring 1975 Victory, and to strive to fulfil the aspiration of building a strong and prosperous nation, bringing lasting happiness to the people," Tô Lâm said. — VNS

"Radiant land of Việt Nam" arts performance. — VNA/VNS Photo

"Radiant land of Việt Nam" arts performance. — VNA/VNS Photo