Illustration by Trịnh Lập

Nguyễn Mỹ Hà

The grand celebration of Việt Nam’s 80th National Day is now over, but the strong sense of national unity, the warmth among strangers and the feeling of belonging still linger long after the ceremony ended at Ba Đình Square in Hà Nội on September 2.

From the 50th celebrations of Liberation of Sài Gòn on April 30 to the 80th anniversary parade in Hà Nội earlier this month, the overwhelming sentiment the country has shown to the world has been its love and support for the nation and its armed forces.

Weapons have never been the strength of the Vietnamese army, but the support it has received from the people has been enormous. Without that, it could never have achieved what it has in the past.

"The ultimate glory belongs to the people," General Secretary Tô Lâm of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, concluded in his speech at the National Day ceremony.

When a country’s status rises, its citizens benefit. But when it struggles and its reputation faces crises, it is the people who feel the impact first and foremost.

When the sound of marching soldiers faded, their smiles and heart-shaped gestures remained in the minds of hundreds of thousands who had left the comfort of their homes to camp on the streets overnight to witness the parade. Have you seen soldiers saluting from their tanks, on artillery vehicles, or forming heart shapes with their arms atop buildings? Peace has never meant so much to us.

People travelled on their own initiative: some woke up at midnight to boil chicken, cook rice and pack before taking a 4am bus to Hà Nội. Many were young people, but many others were veterans or elderly citizens wanting to show support for the troops.

"We are veterans who fought in the south," said Phạm Hồng Vy, 70; and Bùi Mạnh Hùng, 69. They travelled 300 kilometres from Lào Cai to the capital.

"We have overcome so many bombing raids, firefights, bloodshed, and even deaths, and none of them brought tears to our eyes," they said. "But today, watching our country flourish in peace and seeing such a grand celebration, we could not hold back our tears."

Having spent their youth defending the country in a series of wars, the veterans came to the celebrations just like everyone else, without demanding special treatment. They spent the night waiting on pavements, shared simple food, and never complained about the heat, the sudden downpours, or the cramped space.

"Even if I had to sit in the mud, I wouldn’t mind," explained another veteran. "Coming back from the battlefield alive was sheer luck. I have to be here for our fallen comrades, to see our country flourish in peace for them."

From another perspective, what has the Government done to improve the quality of life for veterans, their families and the wider population?

From an ordinary citizen’s point of view, people deserve to live in a clean environment, with clean air, water, and food. Those who need an education should be able to go to school. Those of working age should have jobs. Older people should find ways to contribute to society by teaching their grandchildren, offering consultations or simply enjoying life.

The alarming levels of pollution in cities have been highlighted by non-governmental organisations, which have pushed for better air quality control measures. But as long as public transport systems in major cities like Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City cannot serve the majority of daily commuters with efficient underground networks, people will continue to rely on personal motorbikes – and exhaust emissions will remain a serious problem.

Across Hà Nội, water quality standards still vary between districts. Many households continue to depend on water purifiers to ensure clean cooking water. While the National Exhibition showcasing 80 years of growth and achievements is highly impressive and deserves recognition, more funding should be dedicated to upgrading water systems to provide safe, drinkable water for every district – both in major cities and smaller rural communities.

Earlier this year, parents of school-age children welcomed the decision to abolish tuition fees for students from kindergarten through high school in public sector. Though the amount of money saved is not huge, it is a meaningful form of support for families struggling to cover school fees and extracurricular expenses.

At the college and higher education level, institutions still rely on both government funding and student tuition fees to balance their budgets. A clear roadmap for fully state-funded higher education has not yet been proposed by the country’s top leadership.

However, one decision has been made crystal clear: starting next academic year, all schools nationwide must follow a common set of textbooks, with recommended reading lists tailored to each region’s cultural and historical context. This policy ends the previous practice of allowing a wide variety of textbooks, which created unnecessary confusion for both teachers and students.

Last but not least, health authorities need to establish and strictly supervise a national food quality control system to ensure that the food on our tables is not only safe, but also healthy and nutritious.

As living standards improve, it is also worth noting that lifestyle-related diseases caused by excessive salt, sugar and carbohydrate consumption are affecting people at younger ages. I was concerned recently when, at a friend’s dinner table, two of my children’s friends, aged 12 and 18, said they could not eat beef because they already had high cholesterol levels.

Once a country fighting childhood malnutrition, Việt Nam now faces a new challenge: to reverse this trend through balanced diets and active lifestyles. Healthy eating and regular physical activity will not only benefit today’s children but also shape the habits of future generations, creating happier and healthier families – which is the ultimate goal for us all. VNS