On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), the Vietnam National Museum of History (VNMH) held the opening ceremony of the thematic exhibition “Unified Vietnam” on the morning of April 22, 2025.
Panorama of the opening ceremony
The ceremony was attended by several notable figures, including Prof. Dr. Luu Tran Tieu - Chairman of the National Cultural Heritage Council; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Hoai Son - Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education; Mr. Pham Dinh Phong - Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Mai Hung - Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences; Mr. Duong Trung Quoc - Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences; Dr. Vu Thi Minh Huong - Vice Chairperson of the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia-Pacific, Member of the National Cultural Heritage Council; Dr. Nguyen Van Doan, Director of the Vietnam National Museum of History. Representatives from various domestic and international organizations, museums, historical sites, new agencies in Hanoi were also present. Especially, the event is honored to welcome a historical witness - Sergeant Ngo Si Nguyen, the first gunner on tank number 390 that famously crashed through the main gate of the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, 1975.
Dr. Nguyen Van Doan - Director of VNMH giving a speech at the opening ceremony
Delegates in ribbon cutting ceremony
Delegates visiting the exhibition
The General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, highlighted by the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, marked the end of a 21-year resistance war against the US and ushered in a new era for the Vietnamese people - an era of independence, unification, and a collective move towards socialism.
The exhibition showcases over 150 artifacts, documents, and images, organized into the following sections:
Section 1: Desire for Unity
This section provides an overview of the national context following the signing of the Geneva Accords in 1954, during which the North began building socialism while both regions struggle for peace and national reunification .
Key documents and artifacts:
- The Hien Luong Bridge across the Ben Hai River, which served as the temporary border between the North and South Vietnam since July 1954;
- A panoramic image of the Thai Nguyen iron and steel plant taken in June 1959.
Section 2: One Vietnam - One Nation
This section emphasizes the wise policies and decisions made by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh that led the Vietnamese army and people to defeat the American invaders. It also highlights the support and assistance extended from the North to the South and the international community’s backing of Vietnam’s struggle for independence
Key documents and artifacts:
- The conductor’s baton used by President Ho Chi Minh to lead a symphony orchestra in performing the song “Ket doan” (Solidarity).
- A letter of commitment from students of Hanoi Medical University, pledging their readiness to take on any task in the fight against American.
- The flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South in 1962.
- A photograph of Cuban President Fidel Castro and his delegation visiting the liberated zone of South Vietnam in Quang Tri in September 1973.
Section 3: Unified Vietnam
This section presents the historical milestones of the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising.
Key documents and artifacts:
- Images depicting the Liberation Army taking control of cities: Buon Ma Thuot, Hue, Da Nang, Sai Gon.
- The flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam flying over the Independence Palace.
- The opening of the National Reunification Consultative Conference in Sai Gon - Gia Dinh on November 15, 1975.
- The inaugural session of the National Assembly on June 25, 1976.
These are sacred moments that mark the complete victory of the Vietnamese people's aspiration for national reunification.
The thematic exhibition space
Visitors to the exhibition
At the Opening Ceremony, Sergeant Ngo Si Nguyen shared: "We were just soldiers, but history favored us by letting us to be present at the great moment. As historian Duong Trung Quoc once stated: during the 21 years of resistance against the U.S., tank 390 was the first vehicle to ‘reach the finish line’. We were fortunate to contribute in a small way to our nation's glorious victory."
Sergeant Ngo Si Nguyen sharing the story of the event on April 30, 1975
Sergeant Ngo Si Nguyen commenting on the guestbook after visiting to the exhibition
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Van Doan said: “The exhibition provides visitors with an opportunity to access typical and valuable documents and artifacts preserved at the VNMH. Its purpose is to inspire pride and determination in every Vietnamese citizen, particularly the younger generation, to protect national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. It also aims to encourage contributions to the country's development, ensuring that Vietnam firmly integrates into the world and enters a new era of progress”.
The exhibition will be open to the public from April 22, 2025 to August 2025.
Thu Hien