Special anniversary: ​​50 years at the end of the Vietnam War: Huge celebrations planned

Vietnam is preparing for a very special holiday: On April 30th 50 years ago, the Vietnam War ended with the conquest of the South Vietnamese capital Saigon (now Ho Chi-Minh-Stadt) by North Vietnamese troops. At the Vietnamese, the war is called “American War” because of the United States’ intervention.

For weeks, the metropolis has been paved with posters, signs and illuminated boards that celebrate the reunification of the country and peace. Before the reunification palace – one of the symbols of the city – are elaborately built up to visitors these days. Because here a huge military parade with 13,000 participants and a big flight show is to take place on the anniversary.

10,000 drones and mega fireworks

A gigantic light show with more than 10,000 drones is also planned – the largest in the history of the Southeast Asian country so far. A mega fireworks that are shot down by 30 locations is to illuminate the sky above the city.

For weeks now, Ho Chi Minh City has had significantly higher visitor numbers than normally, residents say. Especially the impressive war museum (War Remnants Museum) with exhibits such as tanks and original aircraft from the US Air Force and the famous tunnel system of the North Vietnamese Vietcong in Cu Chi (two hours outside the city) are currently experiencing a crowd.

What was the war about?

The Vietnam War began shortly after Vietnam’s independence from the colonial power of France. From 1955 there was a war between the communist north and the western south in the split country. From 1964, the USA intervened massively into the civil war with air strikes and ground troops to push communism back.

Washington used the Napalm fire weapon and highly toxic chemicals such as the plant poison Agent Orange. In the following generations, this also led to serious malformations in children, tumors and other devastating diseases.

After global protests and military failures with more than 58,000 dead American soldiers, the United States withdrew from war in 1973. It is still considered one of the most severe military defeats in the history of the United States.