To mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944 – December 22, 2024) and the 35th anniversary of All-People’s National Defense Day (December 22, 1989 – December 22, 2024), National Economics University (NEU), together with the Veterans’ Association, organized a journey back to revolutionary roots to commemorate and pay tribute to revolutionary predecessors and visit historical sites where the August Revolution of 1945 began.

Veterans’ Association members pose for a group photo before departure in the A1 lobby at NEU.

Joining the trip were Dr. Nguyen Huu Dong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the NEU Trade Union; MSc. Vu Tri Tuan, Secretary of the Youth Union at NEU; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Dong, President of the Veterans’ Association; members of the executive committees of the Trade Union, Youth Union and Veterans’ Association; and more than 30 Veterans’ Association members.

On their journey back to revolutionary roots, the delegation visited the Tran Hung Dao Forest Special National Historical Site in Tam Kim Commune, Nguyen Binh District, Cao Bang City. In this sacred forest, on December 22, 1944, General Vo Nguyen Giap proclaimed the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army Team, the predecessor of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Here, the delegation toured the reconstructed living quarters and photographic exhibitions in the exhibition hall to understand and visualize the living conditions of the 34 soldiers, along with other soldiers and local people, in the early days following the team’s establishment.

The delegation also offered incense in remembrance at the General Vo Nguyen Giap Memorial House and visited the monument depicting General Vo Nguyen Giap proclaiming the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army Team. In addition to the team’s 34 soldiers, representatives of organizations within the Viet Minh Front and people from ethnic communities were present at the proclamation.

The veterans’ delegation offers incense in remembrance at the General Vo Nguyen Giap Memorial House and visits the monument depicting the General proclaiming the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army Team.

The delegation then visited the Memorial House of Ho Chi Minh and the Zhuang People at 302 Tan Sinh Street, Jingxi City, Guangxi Province, China, where President Ho Chi Minh and several officials lived during their time in Jingxi. The memorial house is also known as the Jingxi “Viet Minh” Office Historical Site. It is an important site marking President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary activities and the contributions of the Zhuang people in Jingxi to Vietnam’s revolutionary movement, serving as historical testimony to the friendship between the peoples of China and Vietnam across generations. Here, he wrote many enduring works of poetry and prose and important revolutionary documents, including the letter “An Appeal to Compatriots,” calling on all people to unite, drive out the French and Japanese invaders, and fight for national independence.

The site also displays nearly 300 paintings, photographs, statues and reliefs, together with numerous artifacts and examples of President Ho Chi Minh’s handwriting from his time working in Guangxi. It also exhibits statues, portraits and biographies of President Ho Chi Minh and those who worked closely with him during his revolutionary activities, including Truong Chinh, Pham Van Dong, Vo Nguyen Giap, Hoang Van Thu and Le Hong Phong. On December 13, 2017, the government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region designated the memorial house an “Autonomous Region-Level Protected Cultural Heritage Site.”

The veterans’ delegation poses for a group photo at the Jingxi “Viet Minh” Office Historical Site.

Continuing their journey, the delegation visited the Pac Bo Special National Historical Site in Truong Ha Commune, Ha Quang District, Cao Bang Province. The site is closely associated with President Ho Chi Minh and a particularly important period in his revolutionary life and in the Vietnamese Revolution from 1941 to 1945, when preparations were made for the General Uprising to seize power nationwide.

On January 28, 1941, President Ho Chi Minh returned after more than 30 years seeking a path to national salvation. During his first days back, he stayed with the family of Ly Quoc Sung, a member of the Tay ethnic group. With many officials accompanying him, he feared inconveniencing local people and moved to Coc Bo Cave to live and work. Coc Bo was damp and dimly lit, and daily life was harsh and marked by shortages, but he remained full of revolutionary optimism: “At dawn, out to the stream; at night, back to the cave / Corn porridge and bamboo shoots are always at hand / On a shaky stone table, translating the Party’s history / How splendid the revolutionary life!”

The veterans’ delegation visits the Pac Bo Special National Historical Site in Cao Bang.

Continuing their journey, the veterans’ delegation visited Ban Gioc Waterfall. Located on the Vietnam-China border, Ban Gioc is known as one of Vietnam’s most beautiful waterfalls. It is the largest natural waterfall in Southeast Asia and the world’s fourth-largest waterfall located on a national border.

At the end of the journey, the delegation visited Ba Be National Park, which spans five communes in Ba Be District, Bac Kan Province. Known as the “treasure of Bac Kan’s mountains and forests,” the park is renowned for its many beautiful scenic attractions. Most prominent among them is Ba Be Lake, one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in Vietnam and the world.

The veterans’ delegation visits Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang and poses for a group photo.

By visiting and learning about historical sites and scenic attractions in Cao Bang and Bac Kan, the NEU veterans’ delegation gained a deeper understanding of the revolutionary lives and indomitable will of President Ho Chi Minh and revolutionary predecessors. They witnessed the country’s grandeur and beauty and shared confidence in a “New Era of Development – An Era of the Vietnamese Nation’s Rise.”

Some photographs from the journey:

Article and photos: Veterans’ Association and Department of Communications

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.