Ho Chi Minh City – Military officers bend down to inspect thin green cannons along the Saigon River. Construction teams complain while workers erect imposing bleachers in a center park. Combat aircraft and helicopters rugen over the city in practice exercises.
For weeks, Vietnam has been preparing this city for the anniversary of a decisive moment in the history of the nation: on April 30, 1975, the North Vietnamese forces broke into the presidential palace in Saigon, the headquarters of the Republic of Vietnam. The victory of the communist regime over the United States allied armies in the South indeed ended an expensive conflict that arose from Japan's defeat in World War II and unified the country.
Fifty years later, Vietnam celebrates April 30 as never before. But in the middle of the fanfare of parades, fireworks and aerial shows, a long -standing debate about how to call the holidays continues, a subtle recognition of the persistent scars of a contentious war.
The victorious Vietnam Troops Norvietnam occupy positions outside the Palace of Independence in Saigon on April 30, 1975.
(Yves Billy / Associated Press)
The official designation is “the liberation of the southern and national reunification day”, but is known by many other names. The Vietnamese that are aligned with the ruler Communist Party here often refer to him as the day of liberation or Victory Day, while those who were resettled in the United States still use terms such as Black April or the National Day of Resentment. Many Vietnamese in the city of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, as Saigon is known today, say they simply refer to it as April 30.
In the period prior to the 50th anniversary under the secretary general of LAM, who assumed the leadership of the party in August, academics say that state media and government have adopted the “reunification day.”
“It has been a divisive issue for Vietnamese within Vietnam, and also between the Vietnam and Diaspora government,” said Tune Vu, professor of Political Science at the University of Oregon and founding director of his American Vietnam Research Center. “But this year, they have talked a little more about reconciliation and national unification.”
Throughout history, different names and holidays have often been given, depending on who framed the conflict. Here the Vietnam War is known as the American War, or the War of Resistance against America.
The Hien Luong bridge, located within the demilitarized area in the province of Quang Tri, is a symbol of the Vietnam War.
(Magdalena Chodownik / Getty Images)
The American civil war sometimes referred to the south as the war between the states and, later, the war of the Northern aggression. The 1973 Arab-Israeli war is also known as the Yom Kippur War and the October War, among other names.
The academics suggest that, for Vietnam, using the most neutral name of the reunification day could help close a gap with the generations of Vietnamese that grew abroad.
“It shows an effort to get to the other side, and that is what many people have been advising the government,” Vu said. “If you want to take advantage of the strength of the diaspora, then you have to mitigate your rhetoric.”
In February, the Secretary of the Committee of the City of Ho Chi Minh, Nguyen Van Nen, said the holidays should be considered a peace day.
“It should be said that it was a National Defense War, not about winning or losing. On the day peace arrived, there were mixed emotions: some felt joy; others sad. But after 50 years, personal sadness must merge with the joy of the nation,” he said, according to the Vietnamese media.
The determination of Vietnam to navigate a changing geopolitical landscape, with a flexible approach known as “bamboo diplomacy”, has also influenced the language that its leaders use to describe the past.
For example, VU said that official statements now have less references to a “puppet government” in what was previously Southern Vietnam, a term used to delegitimize its former adversary and denounce the participation of the United States in the war. He added that this change was probably made in the hope of improving cooperation with the United States and strengthening the territorial statements of Vietnam to several islands in the South China Sea.
The country has benefited from maintaining strong bilateral ties with China and the United States, its two largest commercial partners, even when the rivalry between the two superpowers has intensified.
A gardener Flores Flores outside the recently rebuilt Kien Trung Palace within the Imperial City of Hue.
(David Rising / Associated Press)
“They simply worked to build relationships with everyone and become a larger player due to their economic development,” said Scot Marciel, a former Vietnam headquarters in Vietnam when he resumed diplomatic relations with the United States in 1995. “The business community has served Vietnam as really a rising star in the region. It has been a very stable and very pragmatic approach.”
The Trump administration can be taking measures that could attenuate that star. This month, President Trump proposed a 46% rate on US imports in Vietnam, which could stop the country's manufacturing and economic growth. Several media have reported that Trump has also told the major American diplomats in Vietnam who do not attend the April 30 festivities.
Vietnam also invited China's military personnel, Cambodia and Laos to participate in their vacation parade.
“Vietnam prioritizes their relationship with regional and ideological allies as well as this strategic association with the United States,” said Nguyen, historian and professor at the University of Maine. “Maintaining that balance, I think, is becoming much more difficult in the current context.”
Nguyen Hong Hai, a professor of international policy and relations at the University of Vin in Hanoi, said she noticed that the use of terms such as Liberation Day and Anti -American War have decreased in the last three years. That change, he said, can greatly contribute to changing perceptions in Vietnam and promoting national harmony.
“The day itself is a historic day. You can't change it,” he said. “What you can change and what you can see and observe change is the mood and attitude of the Vietnamese people.”
Vietnamese media and online speech are closely controlled, and there are no national surveys that include uncensored opinions about the government. But before the high profile commemoration on Wednesday, the reactions to the celebration in the streets of the city of Ho Chi Minh went from enthusiasm to ambivalence.
Tran Thi lent, 27, and Phan Minh Quan, 26, in the city of Ho Chi Minh, said they will camp early on the morning of the parade on Wednesday to obtain a good view of the 50th anniversary celebration.
(Stephanie Yang / Los Angeles Times)
Tran Thi Loan ANH, a 27 -year -old fiscal advisor, said she and her friends plan to camp at the center at 3 am on the day of the parade, to ensure a front row view.
“It has impressed me how the government has organized events that foster patriotism and national pride,” he said. “I am especially surprised how music is used: traditional songs about the nation interpreted so powerful and moving.”
Pham Phu Quy, a driver and delivery man, was a teenager in Saigon in 1975, with a father who worked for the South Vietnam government and a mother who worked for the Northern Army. Today, said the 69 -year -old, Vietnam provides a freedom that differs from his childhood experiences. During the war, the soldiers and control points prevented him from traveling. Now assemble his motorcycle throughout the country, taking selfies and photos on the road.
“I don't know what the future holds, but this is a life good enough for me. Of course, the debates between the two parties still continue to this day,” he said. “I feel that if the country had not gathered, if the war had continued, everything would be incredibly difficult.”
Pham Thao Anh, 75, is used to spending the national holidays in the capital, Hanoi, where he grew up. But this year, he plans to fly to the city of Ho Chi Minh to celebrate.
“I remember that some of the soldiers who led the tank to the Palace of Independence that day were from my hometown,” said the retired hospital worker. “So this day has a very special meaning for me.”
Le Anh Dung, 23, to the right, grew up listening to stories about his grandfather's war and says he sees the celebration of April 30 on television every year. His grandfather, Nguyen, 73, will travel to the city of Ho Chi Minh with other retired military officers to attend the 50th anniversary commemoration this year.
(Stephanie Yang / Los Angeles Times)
Nguyen Thuy Vy, a 32 -year -old translator, said his generation generally has less attachment to the anniversary of April 30 than other vacations, such as Valentine's Day, Christmas or New Year lunar. “Young people believe that today they are busy with work, and they don't care these traditional vacations,” he said.
But Le Anh Dung, a 23 -year -old graphic designer in Hanoi, grew up listening to stories about his grandfather's war, a former military officer who worked in the Northern Vietnam Artillery Unit on the day Saigon fell. Reading about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza has made it more appreciated for peace at home, he said, adding: “I feel very lucky of not having to endure the smell of gunpowder or crawl in a bunker occasionally, as did the previous generations.”
His grandfather, Nguyen Van, 73, said that seeing television celebrations helped his grandchildren to understand what previous generations sacrificed for them. He believes that adjusting the name of the holidays makes it more significant.
“'The liberation of the south' is not entirely correct, because it only mentions half. But the other half also aware of liberation, unity, harmony and unity of the country,” he said.
