Opening of the exhibition “House and Bunker D67 – Journey to the Day of Total Victory”

On the morning of 19 August 2025, in the solemn and vibrant atmosphere of the historic August days, the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, in cooperation with relevant agencies, inaugurated the thematic exhibition “House and Bunker D67 – Journey to the Day of Total Victory” and launched new activities to promote the values of the revolutionary site of the Cipher Bunker of the General Staff. The event forms part of the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (19/8/1945 – 19/8/2025) and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (02/9/1945 – 02/9/2025).

The ceremony took place at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a World Heritage site that preserves outstanding testimonies to the country’s long history of nation-building and defence. The event brought together representatives of the leadership of the Party and the State, the Ministry of National Defence, central and municipal agencies, historians and researchers, as well as residents of the capital and visitors from across the country and abroad.

House and Bunker D67 – a living trace of history in a heritage landscape

The exhibition “House and Bunker D67 – Journey to the Day of Total Victory” offers an immersive portrayal of the atmosphere of command and combat during the resistance war against the United States for national salvation. House and Bunker D67 served as the General Headquarters of the Viet Nam People’s Army in some of the most difficult years of the conflict. It was here that decisive meetings of the Politburo, the Central Military Commission and the General Command took place, leading to historic decisions, including the strategic resolve to liberate the South and reunify the country.

The exhibition is curated to combine archival documents, photographs, original artefacts and contemporary display technologies. Operational maps, coded telegrams, communications equipment and records of key meetings held in the underground bunker are presented in a coherent and accessible manner. Together, they highlight the resilience, strategic vision and determination to prevail that characterised the actions of the Vietnamese people and army.

The Cipher Bunker – recognising a silent contributionu

Alongside the exhibition on House and Bunker D67, the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center is presenting the revolutionary site of the Cipher Bunker, which once housed the Cipher Section of the General Staff of the Viet Nam People’s Army. This space is closely linked to the work of the cipher service, whose members – often described as “guardians of secrets” – played a crucial but little-known role in securing victory. The Cipher Bunker illustrates the creativity, discretion and quiet sacrifice required on a special front, where each line of code and each telegram could influence developments on the battlefield.

By bringing this story to the public, the exhibition aims to honour the contribution of the cipher force and to support education in patriotism, vigilance and a sense of responsibility for protecting the Fatherland among younger generations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Nguyen Thanh Quang, Director of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, underlined: “We are gathered here today not only to appreciate the tangible and intangible values preserved at House and Bunker D67 and at the Cipher Bunker, but, more importantly, to awaken pride, to strengthen confidence and to nurture in today’s generation a sense of responsibility for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Each object, each room and each page of documentation here is imbued with the sweat, blood and intellect of those who came before us. Our shared responsibility is to safeguard and promote this heritage and, above all, to pass on this flame of patriotism to future generations.”

He also stressed that this exhibition serves as a bridge between history and the present, helping to bring heroic memories back to life and, in so doing, to foster the will and aspiration to build a strong, prosperous and enduring Viet Nam.

The exhibition “House and Bunker D67 – Journey to the Day of Total Victory” and the related activities at the Cipher Bunker hold significant political, cultural and social value. They provide an opportunity for the people of Hanoi and the wider public to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for independence, freedom and national reunification, while also presenting to international visitors the image of Hanoi as a City for Peace, rich in cultural and historical heritage.

In a period when the Party, the people and the army are working to advance renewal, development and national defence, the exhibition reaffirms the importance of sound leadership, the role of the Viet Nam People’s Army and the strength of national unity over the past 80 years.

The exhibition and the activities to promote the value of this revolutionary heritage are not only an expression of remembrance; they also provide encouragement and a reminder to current and future generations of their responsibility to safeguard and further develop the nation’s outstanding historical and cultural values. Through the artefacts, documents and curated exhibition spaces, visitors can gain an insight into the brutality of war and the hardships of the years of resistance, but above all into the determination to prevail, the steadfast confidence in the leadership of the Party, and the aspiration for independence, freedom and peace.

With their profound political, historical and social significance, the exhibition “House and Bunker D67 – Journey to the Day of Total Victory” and the activities to promote the value of the revolutionary site of the Cipher Bunker represent a solemn tribute to those who laid down their lives, and a call to today’s generations to make continuous efforts to preserve and build on the achievements of the revolution. This flagship event in the series of activities marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (2 September) contributes to the wider dissemination of a spirit of patriotism, confidence and the shared aspiration to build a strong, prosperous and enduring Viet Nam.

(A selection of images from the opening ceremony of the exhibition at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long)

Editorial Board