Independence Palace - A special mark of the nation's historic victory

The Independence Palace is a unique architectural work and a special historical relic - a place that preserves the mark of the victory day, the end of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

Before the historic April 30, 1975, the Independence Palace was one of the headquarters of the Saigon government, witnessing foreign military intervention that caused a devastating war in Vietnam. After the liberation day, this was a unique architectural work, a special historical relic - a place that preserves the mark of the victory day, the end of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, liberating the South, and unifying the country. This is also the meaning of the current name of the work - Reunification Hall.

Independence Palace is a famous tourist attraction when coming to Ho Chi Minh City.

Imprint of historic April 30th

In late April 1975, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign with five armies in five directions launched a general attack on Saigon - Gia Dinh. The armies were full of enthusiasm, and the "lightning-speed" attack strategy caused strong internal divisions within the Saigon puppet government.

Colonel Nguyen Van Tau (alias Tran Van Quang - Tu Cang), Hero of the People's Armed Forces, at that time was the Political Commissar of the 316th Special Forces Brigade, the unit together with the 3rd Army Corps (Tay Nguyen Army Corps) in the Northwest direction divided into attack groups towards the Independence Palace, is now 98 years old but he still remembers all the important historical events, especially April 30, 1975.

Mr. Tu Cang recalled that when the troops advanced towards Saigon like a "waterfall", at 9:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, at the Independence Palace, President Duong Van Minh announced on Saigon radio that he decided to unilaterally cease fire and hand over power to the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. However, the announcement was no longer valid at that time. At the same time, the 2nd Corps' deep thrust, after crushing a number of important targets in Thu Duc, crossed the Saigon Bridge and the Thi Nghe Bridge in turn and headed straight towards the Independence Palace.

The location on the rooftop of the Independence Palace 50 years ago on April 8, 1975, Lieutenant pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung dropped 2 bombs.

Exactly at 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975 - the moment that signaled the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign's complete victory. The Independence Palace became a historical "witness", a place that kept the mark of the golden victory, marking the end of the Saigon government.

Recalling the historic moment, Captain Vu Dang Toan, former Company Commander and Tank Commander who crashed into the gate of the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, shared: "That was the most wonderful, heroic and unforgettable moment for him and his comrades. For our tanks to reach the gate of the Independence Palace, countless soldiers and compatriots had to sacrifice. I myself did not expect to witness those brilliant historical moments of the great Ho Chi Minh Campaign."

Symbolic work of Unity

Built in 1868, the Independence Palace was originally called Norodom Palace. In 1962, the Palace was rebuilt according to the design of architect Ngo Viet Thu, the first Vietnamese to win the Khoi Nguyen Roman Award (a prestigious award for young talents in the fields of music, painting, sculpture and architecture). According to architect Ngo Viet Nam Son, son of Mr. Ngo Viet Thu, his father cleverly conveyed a message about Vietnam's sovereignty in the overall design of the facade of the Independence Palace.

“The philosophical meaning put into the facade of the Independence Palace includes: the word “tam” with three horizontal strokes (meaning “nhan”, “minh”, “vo”); adding a vertical stroke is the word “chu” which emphasizes Vietnam’s sovereignty; on top is the word “trung” which refers to the meaning of being “loyal to the country” and the image of the facade together forms the word “hung” which expresses the designer’s wish for the country to prosper forever,” said architect Ngo Viet Nam Son.

The giant dragon carpet made in Hong Kong since 1973 is the highlight of the sightseeing space inside the Independence Palace.

The architectural beauty of the Independence Palace is also shown through the stone curtain shaped like elegant bamboo joints surrounding the second floor. At that time, architect Ngo Viet Thu created a work with a modern architectural style based on a clear Eastern philosophy. That curtain was also inspired by the ancient architectural style of the door panels in the Hue royal palace. Another difference is that instead of making a curved roof to repeat the classical architecture of Vietnam, Mr. Ngo Viet Thu proposed a solution to make a slightly hollowed concrete roof with a curved shape to evoke the image of ancient architecture, but with a completely modern spirit.

Dr. Ta Duy Linh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Economic and Tourism Research, said: The Independence Palace is not only a special national monument but also a unique symbolic space of modern Vietnamese political culture. From a historical center of power, this place has transformed into a convergence point of national memory, aspirations for peace, territorial unity and community harmony in a country that has experienced division. From a cultural perspective, the Independence Palace not only symbolizes the end of the war but also opens a great discourse on national unity and harmony.

According to Dr. Ta Duy Linh, in the depths of its symbolism, the Independence Palace is the crystallization of the will to harmonize and unify, where the past is commemorated, not rekindled. This is a space of Vietnamese character, knowing how to overcome pain, resolve differences with a spirit of tolerance, and turn historical memories into motivation to build a nation united in will and action. Therefore, the preservation and promotion of the value of the Palace today needs to be placed in a modern cultural strategy, aiming to revive the symbol, not just "framed" in nostalgia. "The Independence Palace can become a center for civic education, a space for experiencing heritage, where the younger generation is inspired to understand that peace, unity and harmony are not finished, but a journey that needs to be nurtured through each generation," said Dr. Ta Duy Linh.

According to baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/dinh-doc-lap-dau-an-dac-biet-ve-chien-thang-lich-su-cua-dan-toc-post400413.html