Flag-Raising Ceremony in Quảng Trị Marks National Reunification Day
The national flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is raised at the
Hiền Lương-Bến Hải historic site in Vinh Linh District, Quảng Trị. The
Bến Hải River, located at the 17th parallel, was part of a
demilitarized zone
that separated the country during the U.S. War in Vietnam.
A flag-raising ceremony was held at the Hiền
Lương-Bến Hải historical relic site in Vĩnh Linh district, the central
province of Quảng Trị, on April 30 to mark the 44th anniversary of the
Liberation of South Vietnam and National Reunification Day (April 30,
1975).
As part of the national reunification festival
co-organized by Nhan dan (People's) Daily, the Vietnam News
Agency
(VNA)
and the People's Committee of the provincial committee of the
Communist Party of Vietnam, the event also celebrated the 65th
anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory which in 1954 ended French
colonial
rule in Vietnam and the 47th anniversary of the
liberation of Quảng Trị (May 1, 1972).
The event was attended by Politburo member and Deputy
Prime
Minister Truong Hoa Binh; Secretary of the Communist Party of
Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and Head of the CPVCC's
Commission for Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac; Nhan Dan
Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists'
Association Thuan Huu; and VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi,
among others.
Hiền Lương Bridge that spans the Bến Hải River, which
divided
North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, is only 178 metres
long but it took 21 years for Vietnamese people from the North
and the South to be united. The bridge is witness to the
Vietnamese people's fierce but glorious struggle and a reflection
of their desire for and belief in victory. Relic sites located on
both banks of the river have been recognized as special national
historical relics.
Quảng Trị was one of the most devastated localities
during the
war, by thousands of tonnes of bombs and shells. The province was
also well known for the fierce 81-day-and-night battle at the
ancient Quảng Trị Citadel.
In his opening remarks, Secretary of the provincial
Party
Committee Nguyen Van Hung highlighted major achievements Quảng Trị has
recorded over the past years across spheres, from economy
to social affairs and national defence and security.
The flag-raising ceremony was followed by a Bai Choi
singing
performance at the southern bank of the Hiền Lương-Bến Hải
special national historical relic site, a boat race on the Bến Hải
River and an inaugural ceremony of the project to upgrade the
southern bank of the site.
Delegates paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the
National Road
9 Martyrs' Cemetery, Truong Son Martyrs' Cemetery.
The evening of April 29, an art program entitled
"Aspiration for Unification" was held at the historical site.
On this occasion, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi
presented 1.8 billion VND (U.S.$77,400) to Quảng Trị to build
three classrooms at the kindergarten in Trieu Tai commune, Trieu
Phong district.
Nhan Dan newspaper and the Vietnam Electricity
also
presented 1 billion VND (U.S.$43,000) to local social policy
beneficiaries.
Addressing the event, Thuan Huu, who is also deputy head
of
the CPVPCC's Communication and Education Commission, said that
the Geneva Agreement defined the Bến Hải River on the 17th
Parallel to be the temporary military division line 65 years ago
and Quảng Trị was an extremely fierce battlefield.
The people of Quảng Trị had to endure many sacrifices
and
hardships. Forty-seven years after Liberation Day, people in Quảng
Trị have promoted their resilient tradition to build a more
prosperous province with remarkable achievements in economics,
society, and security and defence, he noted.
The art program featured songs and dances to honour the
fighting spirit of the Vietnamese army and people and the
aspiration for national unification.
Supplement
May Day Around the World
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This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 16 - May 4, 2019
Article Link:
: Flag-Raising Ceremony in Quảng Trị Marks National Reunification Day
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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