Vietnam celebrated its 80th National Day on Tuesday with a military parade in Hanoi described as the country’s most elaborate display in nearly four decades. Tens of thousands of people crowded the streets, many camping overnight, to witness the event at Ba Dinh Square, the site where Ho Chi Minh declared independence on September 2, 1945.
More than 16,000 personnel, including army troops, naval officers, commandos, police, medics, and peacekeepers, marched in formation. The display also consisted of heavy equipment, with tanks, artillery, cruise missiles, drones, and the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle, which was being showcased for the first time since 1985. Overhead, Russian-made Mi-171 helicopters flew giant Vietnamese flags, while five Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets released flares in a synchronised aerial salute.
Vietnamese leaders, foreign diplomats, and officials from countries including China and Russia were in attendance, as units from China, Russia, Laos, and Cambodia also marched alongside Vietnamese soldiers, underlining Hanoi’s regional ties. At the same time, a naval parade was broadcast from Cam Ranh Bay, featuring submarines, missile frigates, and maritime patrol aircraft.
In a keynote speech, Communist Party leader To Lam placed emphasis on Vietnam’s transformation from a colony into an independent, unified state pursuing innovation and international integration and reiterated that safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national independence still remained a priority. Lam also emphasised that Vietnam aims to be a “powerful, prosperous and happy nation” by 2045, which he described as a long-term national aspiration.
The event also carried symbolic weight, as the organisers sought to link Vietnam’s present trajectory to previous struggles for independence against colonial and foreign powers. The state media described the country’s progress as part of a thousand-year tradition of resilience and national defence.
Hanoi residents waved red flags and cheered as the columns of troops passed by. Large screens allowed crowds along the parade route to follow both the ground and naval segments of the event.
This year’s commemoration comes shortly after a similar parade in Ho Chi Minh City marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon in April.
