Visit the Independence Palace

During the historic days of April, many Vietnamese people visited the Independence Palace ( Ho Chi Minh City). This place marked a historic moment: at 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, our army captured the Independence Palace, the Saigon puppet government surrendered unconditionally, the liberation flag fluttered on the roof of the main building of the Independence Palace. From here, the South was completely liberated, the country was unified. Not only having historical significance, the Independence Palace is also a typical, unique architectural work that has been ranked as a special national monument.

View of Independence Palace (Ho Chi Minh City) today

The Independence Palace, formerly known as Norodom Palace, was built by the French in 1868. It used to be the Governor's Palace of Cochinchina, the Governor-General's Palace, and the French High Commissioner's Palace in Indochina... In 1955, Ngo Dinh Diem decided to change the name of this palace to Independence Palace. Since then, the Independence Palace has become the representative place of the government as well as the residence of the puppet government's president and a place that witnessed many political events. On February 27, 1962, the palace was heavily damaged by a bomb, forcing Ngo Dinh Diem to build a new palace. Architect Ngo Viet Thu took inspiration from traditional Eastern philosophy and the nation's cultural identity to design it. The palace's architecture is a harmonious combination of modern architectural art and traditional Eastern architecture. The entire surface of the palace forms the shape of the word "Cat", meaning good luck. The architectural beauty of the palace is also expressed by the stone curtain system, shaped like elegant bamboo joints, surrounding the second floor. Inside the palace, all architectural lines use horizontal lines, straight. The front yard of the palace is a cool green lawn, creating a gentle, refreshing feeling for guests as soon as they step through the gate. Running along the width of the main hall is a semicircular lake. In the lake, lotus and water lilies are planted, evoking the image of peaceful lakes in ancient communal houses and pagodas in the Vietnamese countryside.

The palace is 26m high, built on an area of ^4,500m2 , with a usable area of ^20,000m2 , including 3 main floors, 1 terrace, 2 mezzanines, 1 ground floor, 2 basements and a terrace for helicopters to land. More than 100 rooms of the palace, depending on the purpose of use, are decorated in many different styles, including staterooms, Cabinet Council meeting rooms, offices of the President and Vice President, credential presentation room, banquet room... The auxiliary systems inside the palace are very modern with full air conditioning systems, fire prevention, communication, warehouse... The rooms of the palace are decorated with many lacquer paintings, oil paintings...

The Independence Palace is the site of many important historical events. During the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, at noon on April 30, 1975, tank number 843 of the Liberation Army led the formation and crashed into the side gate of the Independence Palace. Next, tank number 390 crashed through the main gate and entered the palace. At 11:30 a.m. the same day, Lieutenant Bui Quang Than, the company commander of tank number 843, raised the liberation flag on the roof of the Independence Palace. At that very moment, the last President of the Republic of Vietnam, Duong Van Minh, and his entire cabinet announced their unconditional surrender to the revolutionary government. This was a historical event marking the complete victory of the resistance war against the US and the unification of the country by the Vietnamese army and people.

Currently, in the grounds of the Independence Palace, there are replicas of two tanks numbered 843 and 390 as a heroic historical testament to the great victory of our nation. Veteran Duong Thanh Cong in Hiep Cuong commune (Kim Dong) once fought side by side with his brave and resilient comrades in the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975. With a proud and excited voice, veteran Duong Thanh Cong told us about the days of marching, the fierce battles in the Central Highlands campaign and the fierce and fierce battles in Xuan Loc, Long Khanh... Early in the morning of April 30, 1975, our army launched a General Offensive into the inner city of Saigon, quickly penetrating deep to capture key targets: Tan Son Nhat Airport, the General Staff, the Capital Special Zone, the General Police Department... By noon on April 30, 1975, the liberation flag was flying on the roof of the Independence Palace. Saigon streets were filled with red flags and flowers, people cheered for victory... Veteran Duong Thanh Cong was moved: Today, having the opportunity to visit the Independence Palace again, memories of my time as a soldier, the proud moment of witnessing the complete liberation of the South resurfaced in me. Our country has steadfastly overcome many challenges and difficulties to build independence and develop. People's lives are increasingly prosperous and happy.

The Independence Palace has been recognized as a special national monument. Currently, the palace preserves about 6,800 artifacts, many of which are valuable in terms of history and art. This is a meaningful destination for many young people who want to study and research history through the artifacts preserved here. Having had the opportunity to visit the Independence Palace, Mr. Bui Cong Can in Phuong Nam commune ( Hung Yen city) shared: The Independence Palace is the place that marks the glorious victory in the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975 of our army and people, completely liberating the South and unifying the country. Through the images and artifacts preserved here, I understand more about the war that our country and people went through 50 years ago, thereby further appreciating the history and the contributions and sacrifices of our fathers and grandfathers. I tell myself that I need to live a useful life, be responsible for my country, and contribute my efforts to building my homeland and country.

Thu Yen

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/den-tham-dinh-doc-lap-3180835.html