Opening of the Exhibition “The Path to Reunification”

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025), on the morning of April 28, 2025, the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center opened the special exhibition “The Path to Reunification” at the Revolutionary Site of the D67 House and Bunker, within the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel heritage complex. This is not only a remarkable cultural event but also a sacred act of gratitude for a glorious chapter of history, forged by the blood, tears, and steadfast patriotism of the entire Vietnamese people. “The Path to Reunification” exhibition presents more than 200 precious documents, photographs, and artifacts, carefully selected to vividly and authentically recreate the nation’s historic milestones during the most intense years of the resistance war against the United States for national salvation. The exhibition is organized into three main themes, like three rungs on the historical ladder leading to the spring of final victory.

Theme 1: Strategic decisions of the General Headquarters

The opening section of the exhibition introduces the context of the Vietnamese revolution after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords. Although the United States was forced to sign the agreement and withdraw its troops, the struggle for independence and national reunification remained fraught with hardship. The US and the Saigon administration continued to undermine the accords, plunging the South into chaos and bloodshed. In response, the General Headquarters, the military command center, promptly made wise strategic decisions, steadfastly pursuing the goal of completely liberating the South, reunifying the country, and fulfilling the national revolutionary cause. In this exhibition space, original documents, telegrams, operational maps, and rare photographs illuminate the skillful leadership and sharp intellect of our Party, the Politburo, and the Central Military Commission in seizing the moment and taking the initiative to strike the enemy on every front.

Theme 2: A day worth twenty years

For those who did not live through those days, it is almost impossible to imagine the lightning speed of our people’s and army’s offensive. As if “each day spanned twenty years,” large and small campaigns followed one after another: from the opening battle in Phuoc Long, the Central Highlands Campaign, and the liberation of Tri-Thien–Hue, to the campaign to liberate Da Nang. These victories were not merely military successes; they also revealed the irreversible decline of a puppet, client regime. Through archival photographs that recreate the battlefields and excerpts from interviews with historical witnesses, visitors can sense the rapid, bold, and decisive momentum of our army.

Theme 3: Marching to Saigon

The final theme depicts the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign. Recognizing that the strategic moment had arrived, the Politburo decisively ordered a general offensive, seizing a “once-in-a-thousand-years” opportunity. One after another, our lightning-fast attack columns swept toward Saigon like a storm. The climax came at 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, when Duong Van Minh, President of the Saigon regime, was forced to declare unconditional surrender. The revolutionary flag fluttered atop the Independence Palace, opening a new era for Vietnam – an era of independence, freedom, and national reunification. Deeply moving images such as Tank 390 ramming down the main gate of the Independence Palace, the red flag with a yellow star flying over a liberated Saigon, and crowds of jubilant people pouring into the streets to welcome the liberation army are presented with great emotion in the exhibition. They stand as resplendent milestones marking a monumental victory, the crystallization of the great unity of the entire nation.

It can be said that the exhibition “The Path to Reunification” is not only an occasion for commemoration and gratitude, but also a profound lesson in patriotism, self-reliance, and the persistent struggle for independence and freedom of the Vietnamese people. In the present context, as the country is integrating deeply, the lessons embodied in the spirit that “nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” need to be preserved and passed on to younger generations. “The Path to Reunification” exhibition has been organized by the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center right at the D67 House and Bunker site, which once served as the General Headquarters, the heart of the resistance war against the United States for national salvation. This solemn and sacred space makes each document and artifact all the more vivid and authentic, helping visitors feel more deeply the character and stature of those who came before. “The Path to Reunification” exhibition is open to visitors from April 28, 2025, until May 31, 2025, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel heritage site, 19 Hoang Dieu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. People and visitors who cherish history and love their homeland are invited to visit, to relive the triumphant spirit of victory and to deepen their love and pride for the Vietnamese people who wrote the nation’s immortal epic.

(A selection of images from the opening ceremony of the “The Path to Reunification” exhibition at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel heritage site)

Editorial Board