Nam Quốc Sơn Hà - the first Vietnamese Declaration of independence

Nam Quốc Sơn Hà is a famous Vietnamese poem which was written in 1077 by the Vietnamese general Ly Thuong Kiet ( Lý Thường Kiệt ) in the 2nd war against the Song ( China) invasion, asserting the sovereignty of Vietnam's rulers over its land.

It is written in the form of an oracle. This poem is one of the best known Lý Dynasty poems, and is considered the first Vietnamese Declaration of independence.

English :

The Vietnam resides the Vietnamese Emperor

This fate is written in the heaven's book

By none reason you invade this land

You will "be" suffered unbearable defeat 

60th Anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory

Sixty years ago, Vietnam became well-known all over the world for the Dien Bien Phu Victory which “resounded throughout the five continents and was world-shaking”. Today, the historical land of Dien Bien which is considered “Heaven’s land” has changed remarkably and has become a cultural, historical, economic and tourist centre of the northwest. 

Memory of Dien Bien Province

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu historical victory (May 7, 1954 – May 7, 2014), I revisited the old battlefields. I started from Hanoi at daybreak. After driving nearly 500 kilometers of winding roads that ran through mountains and hills, I reached Dien Bien Province at sunset.

I continued to go to the monument of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. Standing at the foot of the huge monument, I had strange feeling and my mind was flooded with the images and stories about the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

The Dien Bien Phu Victory on May 7, 1954 is considered to be a glorious “golden milestone” in the history of the struggle of the Vietnamese people against foreign aggressors. It completely ended the invasion of the French colonialists in Vietnam and throughout Indochina and at the same time marked the complete collapse of old colonialism all over the world, paving the way for the movement of rising up to struggle for national liberation in the colonial countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

On December 6, 1953, President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV Politburo decided to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Photo: VNP’s file Over 2,000 bicycles were used to transport food, ammunition and other necessities to the Dien Bien Phu battlefield. Photo: VNP’s file Soldiers of Brigades 315 and 312 pulled heavy artillery pieces to the battlefield. Photo: VNP’s file Regiment 98 of Brigade 316 attacked to take C1 Hill. Photo: VNP’s file  Soldiers cheered near a French aircraft which had been shot down in Muong Thanh. Photo: VNP’file At 17:40pm on May 7, 1954, the “Quyet chien, Quyet thang” flag proudly flew above the De Castries’ bunker. Photo: VNP’file General De Castries and his entire staff were captured alive. Photo: VNP’file French soldiers came to surrender in Dien Bien Phu. Photo: VNP’file

Vietnam celebrates 39th Liberation Day

Wednesday marks the 39th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

Various activities are being held to mark the 39^th anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh city hosted an exchange with historical witnesses and art performances in praise of the victory on April 30^th, 1975.

Ho Chi Minh city 39 years after the Liberation Day on April 30, 1075

Quang Tri province received the certificate of special national relics for the Hien Luong wharf, Ben Hai bridge, and Quang Tri ancient citadel. In his address, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communications and Education Dinh The Huynh said the recognition shows the Party, State, and people’s deep gratitude to the soldiers and people’s tremendous contributions and sacrifice for national independence. “The Party Committee, administration, and people of Quang Tri province should continue to develop its tradition to boost socio-economic and tourism development in association with relic preservation. The province should promote its image to more people inside and outside the country and implement the project to restore and preserve local cultural values.”

Quang Tri province celebrates the 39th anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam (baolaodong.com.vn)

In Da Nang city, more than 200 cyclists joined a cycling tour on Son Tra peninsula. Thua Thien Hue province opened the 3^rd Tam Giang Lagoon festival featuring various games such as boat and junk races and a kite flying contest. Various activities to mark the event were held in Binh Duong, Hau Giang, and Vinh Long province.

Many newspapers in Vietnam have highlighted the significance of the victory 39 years ago. Quan Doi Nhan Dan, or People’s Army newspaper, reiterated that the victory in 1975 defeated the invasion war, eliminated the American neo-colonial rule, and triumphantly ended Vietnam's longest national resistance war.

 Source: vovworld.vn

One of the darkest memories in the history of Vietnam - French Son La Prison

Son La Prison is considered as one of the most famous places, with a no less notorious name “Hell on Earth” to describe the frightened brutality of French colonialists to Vietnamese prisoners here.

The prison was built in 1908 at the center of Son La town and on top of Khau Ca Hill. The prison became a crucial place where numerous political prisoners were locked.  It was notorious at the time as a cruel and terrifying jail where resisting wills and patriotism on the mind of prisoners was diminished in the bloodiest methods. However, for revolutionists imprisoned inside Son La Jail, the place was a “college” where stamina, solidarity and combating spirit was enhanced. There were many stories about tenaciousness and courage of revolutionists who have resisted the colonial and perished at this place like To Hieu.

Inside the prison
Although the original construction was partially demolished after the two wars, Son La Prison has still conserved major features of it, especially jail system and torturing facilities inside. Impression of tourists with Vietnam travel guide  to outer sceneries might be nothing special, but most guests crossing the entrance and enter the prison will definitely be surprised with inside space because they cannot understand how French colonial can lock prisoners in the terrible place like this.

Vuong palace (Vua Meo), a symbol of the past glory

Built in 1914, the palace passed 2 major wars: the French War and the American War. As such, Vuong Palace is also treated as a symbol of the past glory of the H’mong people. In fact, the palace was also called Vua Meo in honor of the king of the H’mong ethnic people.

The Vuong Palace located in Dong Van Plateau, province of Ha Giang has been a well-known tourist destination for several years now. A century-old mansion and once home to an influential family headed by a powerful don in the 20th century, it also was recognized as a national cultural heritage by the government in 1993.
Built in 1914, the palace survived 2 major wars: the French War and the American War. As a result, Vuong Palace is also treated as a symbol of the past glory of the H’mong people. In fact, the palace was also called Vua Meo in honor of the king of the H’mong ethnic people.



Vuong Chinh Duc led Vuong family from 1865-1947 in an empire stretching as far as from the province’s Dong Van Plateau to Meo Vac Town. The massive production and cross-border trade of opium back then made him the richest and most powerful man in the area. To protect his reign, that’s when he built the Vuong Palace. Covered an area of 1,120 square meters in Sa Phin Commune, Dong Van District, the mansion was designed with Chinese architecture and interior and surrounded by 700 century-old trees to keep it hidden and protected from enemies.
Vuong Palace took eight years to build. With  200 skilled construction workers from China’s Yunnan province (bordering Vietnam) labored on the massive residence which became home to the king, his three wives and four sons. The palace cost 150,000 silver coins to make, or an equivalent of VND150 billion (US$7.5 million) today.



Vua Meo (the other name for Vuong Palace) looks very similar to royal residences in China during the Qing Dynasty three to four centuries ago with its stone, valuable wood, terracotta tiles and two-story structure. The living room has a horizontal lacquered board engraved with Chinese characters given by the king of the ruling Nguyen Dynasty then. Each 64 rooms of the palace is decorated with carvings of dragons, phoenixes and bats, symbols of strength, royalty and respectively.

Vuong Palace is also notoriously dubbed the “Opium Palace” because the whole place is filled with stone or wood engraved with poppy flowers and fruit patterns. In fact, the underground cellar on the left side of the mansion was designed purposely for storing opium. Other cellars in the palace were used to store food and weapons. In the backyard of the palace is a half moon-shaped stone bathtub where Chinh Duc’s first wife bathed in goat’s milk. According to local legend, Vua Meo (King Chinh Duc) forced local officials to give him goat every month to get milk for his wife’s bath. Around the palace is a big garden wherein the royal family planted pears, peaches and different kinds of fruit trees.

King Vuong Chinh Duc died in 1947, then his second son Vuong Chi Sinh took over the reign of the empire and dedicated the rest of his life fighting the French. Untill now, surviving members of the Vuong family still live near the area, working as caretakers and tour guides of the historical Vuong Palace.

Source: vietnam.com

Vietnam's underworld

From 1965 to 1973, people from Vinh Linh district in Quang Tri province lived in the Vinh Moc tunnels, harbouring soldiers, storing ammunition and simply surviving.

If you asked a tourist to name a network of war era tunnels in Vietnam, no doubt they would say Cu Chi, which is now known throughout the world as a symbol of Vietnam’s dogged determination and military guile during the Vietnam-American war. But there were plenty more underground tunnels built during the country’s struggle for reunification.

In the DMZ, or Quang Tri province, where the bombing was at its most intense – it was declared a free fire zone by the US Army – numerous underground complexes of tunnels and bomb shelters were built to help villagers survive. There are more than 60 tunnels, including the Tan My, Mu Giai and Tan Ly tunnels.

The largest tunnel is called Vinh Moc, which was built to shelter the residents of Son Trung and Son Ha communes. Open since 1985 as a tourist attraction, Vinh Moc is also testament to the endurance, wisdom and bravery of the local population. Rather than flee, 350 Vinh Moc villagers, helped by soldiers serving at the border-post, chose to create a series of interconnected bomb shelters from 1965 to 1966.

As fate would have it, the soil in this area is a kind of dense clay, which allowed for relatively easy digging. Air also causes this clay to harden, which helped make the walls extremely strong. At first, the system was comprised of two-A shaped tunnels that were connected by a “u-turn”. This initial network would also act as a base to retaliate against the enemy if they landed at Vinh Linh and conveniently as an entry point for supplies to the Con Co Island nearby.

Using bomb fragment as a smart to alert everybody when necessary.

These shelters were then slowly expanded and eventually the entire village was relocated underground. By the end the tunnels had 13 exit and entry points of which seven opened up to the sea, which also helped ventilate the tunnels. Each entrance was propped up by firm wood pillars and covered by trees or bushes. The main trunk of the system was a 768-metre long tunnel. Underground a community of around 60 families survived; there were even 17 children born in the tunnels during the war.

Meanwhile above ground, the area around the tunnels was being pounded with bombs. It’s estimated that there were approximately seven tonnes of bombs per resident in Quang Tri during the war. There were three levels inside the tunnels. The highest level was 8-10 metres down and used for fighting and hiding. The second level was 12-15 metres deep and earmarked for living. The lowest level was at a depth of 30m and used to store ammunition and hundreds of tonnes of rice.

Unlike the Cu Chi tunnels, which were specifically built for military purposes, Vinh Moc tunnels were designed for people to live rather than fight. Inside whole families slept in small chambers – normally about 2m x 1.5m in size – dug on the side of the tunnels. There were larger chambers built as common areas for the underground community: kitchens, storerooms, clinics and other multi-functional rooms.

The tunnels are not just an incredible example of the constructors’ endeavour, but also their meticulous ingenuity. For example, all the kitchens required chimneys, which had to be able to disperse their smoke above ground without attracting the attentions of enemy planes. During the war, most of the women and children and the elderly never saw daylight. But when it was considered safe, they would leave the tunnels under the coverof night to get some fresh air. 

Visiting tourists are often left scratching their heads, wondering how people managed to live day to day in such conditions with the mother of all storms raging above ground. Not that is was even safe down below. The US Army also used drilling bombs, which are basically bombs within bombs. The first bomb would detonate and make a crater while the second would then detonate much deeper in the ground and, therefore,
potentially destroy an underground tunnel.

Amazingly, the Vinh Moc tunnel system was only hit once directly and fortunately nobody died. Even without the threat of the bombs it was dangerous. In periods of heavy rain, the tunnels could flood and in this damp, muddy underworld sicknesses were also inevitable. Today you can clamber down into the tunnels to get a sense of how people lived during the war. The tunnels are lit at infrequent intervals by weak bulbs and shuffling behind someone blocks whatever little light there is.

The stairs are rough, narrow and steep. Your shoulders scrape against the walls. I find it intensely claustrophobic and suffocating and, of course, I know it would have been far worse during the war. At one stage I pause to stare at some mannequins, designed to represent the wartime tunnel dwellers, and the group leaves me behind. Embarrassingly I am terrified and I shout out until the tour guide returns to help me catch up. We pass some living quarters, which look deep enough for one short person to lie down in.

In one nook a mother nurses a baby. In the next a midwife helps a woman give birth. Elsewhere soldiers clean their guns and rest. At one point the tunnel widens into a meeting room, which also doubled as a school. I picture how people sedately huddled together as the bombs pounded the earth above their heads. It is a chilling vision and I’m happy when the tour group shuffles towards the exit. Finally we emerge into the fresh air.

The blue waters of the give off a wonderfully refreshing breeze. How sweet it must have finally felt for the villagers when they could finally resettle above ground after years in the tunnels. It wasn’t until after 1973, when forces had departed, and the country battled to liberate the south, that the Vinh Moc site could be completely abandoned.

After 1975, it was quickly recognised by the State as playing a crucial role in the war effort and declared a cultural and historical relic that needed to be preserved. The tunnels have been partially restored and reinforced so there is no fear of them collapsing. Today many of the people who borrowed down into the earth still live in the area. Of course, I wouldn’t think they feel the need to visit their old home.

Source: vietnamtourism.org.vn

69th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army

Ho Chi Minh City municipal authorities held a grand ceremony at Ben Duoc temple in Cu Chi district on December 20 to mark the 69th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (1944-2013).

Youth union members offering incense to war heroes and martyrs at Ben Duoc temple in HCMC (Source: thanhnien.com.vn)

Bến Dược Memorial Temple

Addressing the event, Standing Vice Chairman Pham Van Hai of the city’s Fatherland Front Committee reviewed the nation’s struggle for independence, patriotism, undaunted spirit and the solidarity of the Vietnamese people.
He also affirmed that further endeavours would be made by Ho Chi Minh City’s administration and people to overcome difficulties, complete assigned socio-economic development tasks, strengthen the great national unity bloc and ensure political security.
In Cambodia, representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy, businesses and the overseas community joined with delegations from the Cambodian Defence Ministry and the Royal Army High Command to lay a wreath and offer incense at the memorial to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in Phnom Penh.
Speaking after the service, General El Vansarath, secretary of state of the Cambodian Defence Ministry, spoke highly of the sacrifices made by Vietnamese soldiers to help his country escape from the genocidal regime of Pol Pot, an invaluable episode in the two countries’ special relationship.
In gratitude to officers and soldiers stationed in border areas, at sea and on islands, the People’s Army Newspaper, in co-ordination with the PetroVietnam Finance Corporation and the Military Bank, presented 200 scholarships, worth VND1 billion in all, to children of these soldiers.
The same day, an exhibition entitled ‘General Nguyen Chi Thanh – An outstanding disciple of President Ho Chi Minh’ opened at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Thua Thien – Hue province. The exhibition displays more than 200 photos, documents and objects, many of which are being made public for the first time, featuring the life and the glorious revolutionary career of General Thanh (1914-1967).
The Quang Ngai provincial Military Command held a get-together of retired military officers to inform attendees about the achievements of the locality’s armed forces in realising its defence tasks in 2013, as well as the forces’ orientations for 2014. Six individuals were also presented with the ‘Protecting the Country’ order in recognition of their contributions to national construction and defence.

Source: en.nhandan.org.vn

General Vo Nguyen Giap’s immortal sayings

During his lifetime and military career, General Vo Nguyen Giap, who is universally considered one of the great men of history and whose death has triggered overwhelming grief and mourning all over the country in the past few days, leaves behind a number of immortal utterances.

In late 1946, as the war with the French was imminent, President Ho Chi Minh asked Giap, the newly-appointed Minister of National Defense and the then Commander-in-chief of the Vietnam army, how long Hanoi could stand firm if the French brought the war to the north. Giap replied confidently: “One month”.
With the aid of the capital army and people, the young Vietnam army was able to pin the enemy down at the capital for two months before stealthily retreating from the city to launch the nine-year resistance war.
In the Dien Bien Phu campaign, which ended successfully on May 7, 1954, Commander-in-chief Giap made a historically significant decision that led to victory for the Vietnam army. He decided to switch tactics from “speedy fight and victory” to “steady fight and advance”.
After several sleepless nights and with the support of a key Chinese military advisor, General Giap made a historic decision on Jan 26, 1954, the day the campaign was expected to open: “I now command that the strike be suspended and all soldiers retreat to the gathering site.”
In his memoirs “Dien Bien Phu, the Historic Rendez-vous” published later, General Giap shared that this decision was the toughest in all his commanding career.
“But without Gen. Giap’s decision, most of us wouldn’t have been able to fight in the resistance war against the US years later,” said General Le Trong Tan. General Vuong Thua Vu also noted that if old combating strategies had been adopted, it’s highly likely that the resistance war against the French would have been 10 years longer.
Shortly after the victory over the French, General Giap and his army defended their country again in the resistance war against the US.
In 1972, Gen. Giap made a famous direction to Hanoi air defense units: “The entire country and the whole world are behind you every single minute. The nation’s destiny totally depends on the air defense soldiers ability to safeguard Hanoi.” This led to the nation’s resounding success in the so-called “aerial Dien Bien Phu campaign” in Hanoi.
After this triumph, the US was forced to sign the Paris Convention and withdraw its troops from Vietnam, laying the foundation for Giap’s later victories.
Within the final days of his second resistance war, Gen. Giap sent a historic telegram to the units taking part in the South Liberation campaign on Apr 7, 1975. His telegram read, “We must launch even more audacious fights at lightning speed. We must take advantage of every single minute and head to the frontlines to liberate the south and unify the country. We are determined to fight to our death and win the war.”
“Navarre is a talented general, and it wasn’t his fault the French lost the war; those who started the war in the first place were all to blame,” Gen. Giap told French journalist, director Daniel Roussel about General Navarre, his opponent in the resistance war against the French.
In his first meeting with his American opponent, former National Defense Minister McNamara in 1995, Gen. Giap spoke many memorable lines: “It was wrong of the US to invade Vietnam,” “The US lost the war because it didn’t understand Vietnam,” “We knew right from the outset that we would triumph,” and “The word ‘fear’ never exists in our military philosophies.”
The revered general elaborated, “the US missed many opportunities to end the war in Vietnam, while Vietnam always took advantage of them all.”
In answer to praises from Western media, Gen. Giap humbly said: “It wasn’t me, but the Vietnamese people who won the Vietnam war. You call me a legendary general, but I think I’m no different from my soldiers.”
“A commander’s greatest source of happiness is to stand by his soldiers on the battlefields,” he stressed.
“All the rest of my days and my entire life are dedicated to my country and people,” he shared on his 100th birthday.
The most notable of Gen. Giap’s fighting strategies is his insistence to “Strike to win, and only when success is certain; if it isn’t, then do not strike.” He never allowed careless victories: he only sent strike command when he was certain of the terrain and position of the enemy. Even then, he always employed strategies to minimize casualty. After crushing wins, the general would weep silently in his command headquarters over the loss of his soldiers.
Vo Nguyen Giap, the first four-star general and the former commander-in-chief of the Vietnam army, died on Oct 4 in Hanoi, more than a month after he celebrated his 103rd birthday.
Born in 1911 in Quang Binh Province in the central region of Vietnam, he started his career as a history teacher before joining the army to become the legendary general who led the Vietnam Army to defeat the French and US invaders in 1954 and 1975 respectively. He directly commanded major operations including Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and Ho Chi Minh in 1975.
General Giap served as Deputy Prime Minister and National Defense Minister since national reunification in 1975 until 1980. From 1981-1991, he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

68th anniversary of August Revolution (19/8/1945 - 19/8/2013)

Today mark the 68th anniversary of the August Revolution 19-8-1945
In a short period, with strong revolutionary mettle, under the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party, the Vietnamese people brought the August Revolution to success in 1945, putting an end to the thousand-year-old feudal regime, the nearly 100 years of French colonial rule and the five-year occupation by Japanese Fascists and leading to national unification.

Sacred Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery

July is observed as the Month of Tribute at Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery, in the war-torn central province of Quang Tri, where tens of thousands of martyrs are resting in peace.

The movement “Paying Debts and Gratitude” is receiving great public response from across the country to mark War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27).

Millions of people are flocking to the cemetery to burn incense and pay floral tributes to fallen combatants who sacrificed their lives during the past struggles for national independence and freedom.

Among them are the combatants’ relatives and veterans, who, despite their age, travel the length and breadth of the country to commemorate their comrades and recall the old days.  

Located at Ben Tat in Vinh Truong commune, Gio Linh district, the Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, is home to 10,263 graves of soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefields along the Truong Son mountain range, commonly known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Ho Tat Ai, head of the cemetery management board, said 80% of the martyrs buried in Truong Son were young, from just 18-22 years of age.