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The day began before dawn, with tanks and artillery vehicles assembling on Thanh Nien Street while soldiers checked equipment and straightened uniforms. At 6:30 a.m., the torch procession carried the traditional flame from the Ho Chi Minh Museum to Ba Dinh Square, followed by a drum and art performance by students of the People’s Police Academy.
At 6:45 a.m., the national anthem echoed across the square as a 21-gun salute was fired by the 45th Artillery Brigade at My Dinh Stadium. In a simultaneous ceremony, sailors at Cam Ranh Naval Base in central Vietnam raised the flag at sea, marking the country’s first-ever naval parade.
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Vietnam's Navy ships parade in Cam Ranh Bay. Photo by Vietnam People's Navy |
Land, sea and air on display
The parade showcased Vietnam’s full defense capabilities. At sea, formations of warships, submarines, patrol boats, and auxiliary vessels demonstrated tactical maneuvers in Cam Ranh waters, led by the command ship Tran Hung Dao. Air displays featured CASA C-295 transport aircraft, helicopters carrying national and Party flags, and Su-30MK2 fighter jets releasing flares over Hanoi’s skies.
On land, armored convoys including the domestically produced XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle and XTV-02 armored personnel carrier rolled through the capital. Dozens of formations followed: signal corps, military medical units, chemical corps, engineer corps, female commandos, and peacekeeping officers, along with police and militia forces.
Military contingents from China, Russia, Cambodia, and Laos joined the parade, marching alongside Vietnamese formations.
Tens of thousands of spectators lined the parade route from Ba Dinh Square through Hung Vuong, Kim Ma, and Tran Phu streets. Veterans were given priority seating at key intersections, with many arriving the night before. In emotional moments before dawn, veterans sang with soldiers and exchanged handshakes.
After marching past the grandstand, parade formations regrouped at Quan Ngua Stadium. By late morning, as the parade wraps up, soldiers emotionally bid farewell to cheering crowds, closing the celebration on a note of pride and gratitude.
