Top leader attends flag ceremony at Hien Luong historic site

The event, held at the Hien Luong-Ben Hai special national relic site in Quang Tri Province, marked the 51st anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975-April 30, 2026).

Joining the ceremony were senior Party and State leaders, representatives of central ministries and agencies, Quang Tri authorities, along with large numbers of local residents and visitors.

Following the flag-raising ceremony, leaders and delegates observed a moment of silence in memory of President Ho Chi Minh and the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s independence and freedom.

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Van Phuong, Party Secretary of Quang Tri Province, recalled that after the 1954 Geneva Agreement, the Ben Hai River along the 17th parallel became a temporary military demarcation line, with hopes for a general election to reunify the country.

However, he said the agreement was never fully implemented because of actions by the United States and the former South Vietnamese administration, leaving Vietnam divided for 21 years with what he described as “one nation split in two, one homeland divided into two regions”.

In that context, Quang Tri, together with armed forces and people across the country, fought resiliently to defeat war strategies and defend the demarcation line, preventing the conflict from expanding to northern Vietnam.

Phuong said Hien Luong-Ben Hai would forever remain a sacred symbol of national unity and the aspiration for peace.

After the ceremony, General Secretary and State President To Lam joined delegates in releasing doves on the historic Hien Luong Bridge.

The white birds flying into the sky carried what organisers described as a message of peace and the enduring hope for national harmony.