Ba Dinh Square is bathed in sunlight, adorned with flags and flowers.

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - During these days when the whole country is looking forward to September 2nd, the 80th anniversary of National Day, there is a historical landmark associated with a momentous event: Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. That declaration was written by Uncle Ho at house number 48 Hang Ngang (Hanoi), resonating with the heroic spirit of Ly Thuong Kiet's "Nam Quoc Son Ha" in the 11th century and Nguyen Trai's "Binh Ngo Dai Cao" in the 15th century.

The artwork "Uncle Ho Reading the Declaration of Independence" - a pastel painting by artist Nguyen Duong.

In the golden autumn sunshine under the deep blue sky, amidst a riot of colorful flags and flowers, the image of President Ho Chi Minh appears beautifully in To Huu's poem: "He stands on the platform, silent for a moment - Looking at his children, waving his hands - His high forehead, his bright eyes - Independence is finally here." To achieve this boundless joy, our entire nation has gone through a journey of countless hardships, a path of struggle with countless sacrifices from the founding of the Party on February 3, 1930, to the August Revolution, when the whole nation rose up like a flood breaking through the dams, shattering the chains of slavery to win independence and freedom. That was a price paid in blood and lives, countless heroes and martyrs fell, every bamboo grove, every rice field, every dike, every river became a glorious battlefield. A Vietnam: "Standing firm for four thousand years - With swords on its back and pens in its delicate hands" (Huy Can); a Vietnam with the posture of "Rising from the mud, shining brightly" (Nguyen Dinh Thi); A Vietnam steeped in deep affection, its folk melodies resound with the oath of "Kill the Mongols" against the Yuan invaders of yesteryear, and later, "To die for the Fatherland, to live for the Fatherland." A Vietnam inextricably linked to the name of President Ho Chi Minh, who, under the name Nguyen Ai Quoc, embarked on a journey to save the nation, overcoming countless dangers to bring the light of revolution to the homeland. He spent countless sleepless nights tending fires in Pac Bo cave and "precariously translating the history of the Party" by Lenin Stream and Karl Marx Mountain, so that today, amidst the vibrant flags and flowers of Ba Dinh Square, he solemnly declared to the world : "Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact, it has become a free and independent nation." Dear Uncle Ho! That was your greatest aspiration, the aspiration of the Vietnamese people, which you later distilled into a truth, a message, a will: "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom." The poet Nguyen Sy Dai wrote some quite moving lines in his poem "White Clouds of Ba Dinh": "Among the crowds of people from the North, Central, and South - Coming to Uncle Ho's side, our hearts are so peaceful - The sacred simplicity, the historical ordinariness - The clouds still fly like this, through the years." A solemn reverence that is also incredibly intimate, a feeling of light and clear relief. A belief and love that reminds us of the momentous day in the country's history. The sunlight of "The clear blue autumn sky shines with the declaration" (To Huu) has reached countless remote villages in the mountains, weaving countless colors of brocade with the Independence Day celebrations. The radiant sunshine of Ba Dinh Square, adorned with flags and flowers, stretches across the delta plains, reaching the Mekong River carrying fertile alluvial soil to the lush orchards, accompanied by the melodious sounds of traditional folk songs, the three-leaf boats on the canals of Southern Vietnam, and the traditional blouses and checkered scarves that form its very soul... Suddenly, the poignant melody of the song "Praise to President Ho Chi Minh" by composer Van Cao resonates within me: "He returned bringing joy. Autumn sunshine illuminates Ba Dinh Square. His voice is still gentle like the voice of heaven and earth. He returned bringing spring to life from the barren land, from the mud, life bursts forth." Autumn sunshine is illuminating Ba Dinh Square, and from Ba Dinh shines the autumn sun of history, a revolutionary autumn of vibrant golden sunshine, filled with aspirations and overflowing emotions, as composer Vu Thanh expressed in his song "Hanoi in Autumn": "Like a feeling of wistfulness - Hearing the wind echoing through Ba Dinh Square - His words in that autumn, the color of the flag in that autumn - Still here, the sky and clouds are green."

Eighty years have passed, but the echoes, the vibrant colors of flags and banners, the surging crowds, have ignited a new vitality in people's hearts—a green of hope for a new life. The song "Ba Dinh in the Sunlight," composed by Bui Cong Ky and set to a poem by Vu Hoang Dich, stands as a historical "witness," an exhilaration, a resonance, a climax, an echo of the national spirit. Here, in the sweet, clear golden autumn sunlight, the red flag fluttering in the wind suddenly becomes sacred, filled with the heroic spirit and joyful welcome from the crowds pouring into the historic Ba Dinh Square with boundless happiness. It is then that: "The wind rushes up! The flag on the flagpole flutters - The wind rushes up! Here, so much new life surges forth - I return here, listening to the call - Of the revolutionary autumn, the golden season" (Ba Dinh in the Sunlight). There is a famous saying of our beloved President Ho Chi Minh, not included in the Declaration of Independence, but it is precisely the message that shortens the distance between the leader and the people: "Do you hear me clearly, my compatriots?" For the first time, the two words "compatriots" were placed in a solemn and moving atmosphere to remember the origins of Mother Au Co's womb. It is a symbol of unity, solidarity, and shared purpose. A simple question, yet it acts as a binding force, uniting the entire group, a wave of people shouting: Yes! That is the "yes" of a nation: "Every little boy dreams of an iron horse - Every river wants to become the Bach Dang River" (Che Lan Vien).

These days, as the country is rising up, as the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed: "Our country has never had such a foundation, potential, position, and international prestige as it does today"; or as General Secretary To Lam emphasized in the process of reform and merger with the spirit of: "lean - strong - efficient - effective - efficient" of the era of Vietnam's national resurgence. The spirit of National Day on September 2nd is spreading to every village, hamlet, and neighborhood across the country, reaching everyone as a source of pride to create boundless strength, transforming into practical actions to achieve the highest accomplishments as a gift to the Party congresses at all levels leading up to the 14th National Party Congress. Amidst the vibrant colors of Ba Dinh Square, bathed in sunlight and adorned with flags and flowers, the song of poet-songwriter Diep Minh Truyen suddenly echoed in my mind, sung before the Party flag stained with the blood of the heroic martyrs who fell for the independence and freedom of our beloved homeland: “Pink like the color of dawn - Red like the color of our own blood, my heart - The golden hammer and sickle shining brightly in the sky - Is the radiant hope in our hearts.”

Yes, the spirit of September 2nd shines brightly in our hearts, immortal and enduring.

Essays by Nguyen Ngoc Phu

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ba-dinh-ruc-nang-co-hoa-258667.htm