Vietnam celebrates 80th Independence Day with sense of jubilation

TOKYO/ HANOI -- Vietnam's top leader, Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, on Tuesday called for the protection of sovereignty as the country celebrated the 80th anniversary of its founding and declaration of independence from France.

The country now has one of the fastest economic growth rates in Southeast Asia, and many Vietnamese people feel that their lives are becoming more prosperous thanks to economic reforms such as the Doi Moi policy.

On this day 80 years ago, then-Communist leader Ho Chi Minh declared the country's independence from France in Hanoi's Ba Dinh Square, although the French colonialists continued to occupy parts of the country until 1954.

"We are determined and persistent in protecting the independence, freedom, sovereignty, territorial integrity and every inch of the sacred land of the fatherland with the combined strength of the entire nation," Lam said in a speech in Ba Dinh Square, named after an anti-French rebellion in the late 19th century.

In the past 100 years, Vietnam has fought France, Japan, the U.S., Cambodia and China. It has been free of active military conflicts since the 1980s, though it has recently been involved in territorial disputes with China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire body of water.

"We want to be friends and reliable partners with all countries in the world," Lam said. "We respect international law and the United Nations Charter, and we resolve disagreements and disputes through peaceful means. We absolutely do not give in to any plots and actions that violate independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; resolutely and firmly protect national and ethnic interests."

Lam's speech was followed by a military, naval and police parade that included tanks, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles as well as missile frigates and anti-submarine frigates. The pageant lasted approximately 80 minutes.

Troops from China, Russia, Cambodia and Laos also attended the parade.

Millions of Vietnamese took to the streets to celebrate their lasting peace and show their patriotism. Many camped for two days ahead of the event to greet and cheer the troops as they marched through the capital.

Due to their country's war-torn history, the Vietnamese have a deep appreciation for peace. In April, the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets to watch a parade marking that milestone.

"I cannot remember the last time I was this happy," said 22-year-old Tran Nguyen Hoang Tung in Hanoi on Tuesday. "When I was young, I never truly understood what patriotism meant or how people can be so passionate about their country. Then, when I studied in Australia, I realized how divided people can be among different parties. That is when I realized Vietnam is very united."

Tung studied at an international school in Vietnam before heading to Australia for college.

"I feel the value of peace more these days," Tung went on. "I've seen instability in Australia, Israel, Ukraine and even within the Southeast Asian region -- with the most recent developments in Thailand and Indonesia. I thought peace was the norm when I was small. But as I grew up, traveled abroad and received news from other countries, I've found that the peace that Vietnam has is extremely valuable."

National pride has been apparent for the past two weeks in Hanoi, with thousands of people lining up overnight to watch parade participants practice or to obtain free concert tickets promoting the event.

In the past three days, more than a million people visited an exhibition on how Vietnam has developed over the past 80 years, held at the new Vietnam Exposition Center on Hanoi's outskirts. They overwhelmed the capital, creating 5-kilometer traffic jams that caused authorities to throw up roadblocks for hours at a time. Many expo-goers ended up abandoning their cars and walking the last several kilometers to the venue.

Forty-one-year-old Cao Le Tuan Tu started much farther out, walking 1,500 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City to see the celebration on Tuesday; his journey took 82 days.

"I want to feel Vietnam in the slowest way," Tu said. "I want to see how difficult this walking is, how hard the old Vietnamese people and soldiers had worked in the past."

The final leg of the trek was marred by Typhoon Kajiki, which flooded Hanoi-area streets for days and caused widespread damage in Vietnam's northern and central provinces.

"About 5 kilometers to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, we got hit by heavy rain," Tu told Nikkei Asia. "After waiting for four hours, the rain hadn't stopped, so we decided to walk barefoot. When we arrived at the venue, many people were still practicing for the ceremony in heavy rain. In that moment, I felt like bursting into tears. Finally, we completed this challenge."