The event, titled Orders from the Heart-Continuing the Journey of Love, was held at the Water Drop Monument in Ly Thai To Park and brought together healthcare workers, volunteers, families who lost loved ones to Covid-19, children orphaned by the pandemic, artists and local residents.
The event drew more than 1,000 people, including healthcare workers, volunteers, bereaved families, children orphaned by the pandemic, artists and local residents.
Nguyen Bich Ha, one of the attendees, said she was deeply moved to remember the hardships of the pandemic and loved ones who had passed away.
For many families, the Covid-19 pandemic remains an indelible memory. Five years on, its devastation is still vividly remembered, along with the compassion, solidarity and sacrifices of frontline workers.
Tran Thi Diem Ngan attended the ceremony carrying a memorial flower. Having endured months of separation during the pandemic, she now brings her children to Ly Thai To Park every month to remember and pray for those who died of Covid-19.
Artists from the Ho Chi Minh City Artist Volunteers Team revived songs once performed at field hospitals and quarantine centres, stirring strong emotions among attendees.
Artist Tran Manh Tuan also shared emotional reflections on the Covid-19 period, when he suffered a serious health setback and later made a remarkable recovery to join the volunteer team in performance.
He also performed Que Huong, a song he had played at field hospitals during the pandemic to encourage patients and healthcare workers and honour frontline staff.
The programme featured many emotional moments, including a widow recalling the loss of her husband and a reunion between People's Doctor Nguyen Hong Son and two children born during the pandemic.
Familiar melodies recalled not only the losses caused by Covid-19, but also the love, solidarity and hope that emerged during the pandemic.
Archival footage from the height of the pandemic in 2021 moved many attendees, recalling deserted streets, field hospitals, relief deliveries and exhausted frontline healthcare workers.
The evening's most emotional moment came as candles were lit in remembrance, with 200 children orphaned by Covid-19 paying tribute to parents lost to the pandemic
Family members who lost loved ones also lit candles in remembrance, as thousands of flickering lights carried messages of love, gratitude and remembrance.