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The 29-year-old IT professional, who lives in Tam Duong District, northern Vinh Phuc Province, posted a video of the process online, and it quickly went viral, attracting 2.8 million views and over 100,000 likes and comments overnight.
This unexpected response ignited a nationwide trend of painting the national flag on rooftops.
Le Quang Vu captured the entire process of painting a red flag with a yellow star on the roof of his house in northern Vinh Phuc Province, July 28, 2024. Video courtesy of Vu
Vu got the idea after seeing a video in mid-April 2024 of a girl who had painted a small red flag with a yellow star on her roof.
Inspired by this and realizing that the red iron roof of his newly constructed family home would make a perfect canvas, he decided to paint the national flag on it.
With his family's support, Vu and a friend started the project on July 28. To ensure the star was proportional and properly aligned, he relied on computer calculations and drone images for accurate measurements.
The whole process, including applying two coats of yellow paint, was completed in one day.
"I didn't expect my action to receive such widespread support. My only desire is to spread love for our homeland and demonstrate the indomitable patriotism of every Vietnamese person," Vu says.
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The five-pointed yellow star painted by Le Quang Vu and his friend on his house's roof in northern Vinh Phuc Province, July 28, 2024. Photo courtesy of Vu |
Nguyen Thai Trong, 28, of Ngoc Lac District, central Thanh Hoa Province, completed a 60-square-metre flag on his roof on Aug. 11.
Inspired by the trend on social media, he decided to express his patriotism in a similar way and completed the task in 15 minutes after preparing the materials and making the necessary calculations.
He was the first in his area to do this. After completing the work, he posted it online, inviting locals to join him in painting the national flag on their rooftops and offering to document the process with a flycam. He has since received over 10 requests for assistance.
"I hope that in the near future all rooftops across the country will be covered with red flags with yellow stars, so that when viewed from above, the world will know this land belongs to Vietnam and understand its people's love for their country," he says.
While the trend has attracted widespread enthusiasm, Trong also warns about the evident risk and urges people to prioritise safety when doing it.
The red flag with a yellow star was painted by Nguyen Thai Trong on his house's roof in central Thanh Hoa Province, Aug. 11, 2024. Video courtesy of Trong
The "each rooftop a national flag" trend began in late July as a way to express patriotism and national pride and celebrate National Day on Sept. 2.
Social media platforms are filled with videos and photos from individuals in provinces such as Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, and Ninh Thuan and Hanoi and HCMC, proudly displaying their rooftop flags.
"This will be a meaningful act to celebrate the 79th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," wrote Thanh Nam, a social media user.
Le Anh Tu, a lecturer in public relations and communication at Van Lang University in HCMC, says since the movement is driven by individual initiative, it is all the more powerful. "This is the right way to embrace a trend, promoting patriotism, and deserves to be expanded, unlike some of the vulgar and offensive trends currently circulating."
Cultural researcher Dr. Nguyen Anh Hong of the Academy of Journalism and Communication says the trend reflects a growing interest in history and patriotism among Vietnamese youth.
Nguyen Van Nam of Soc Son District, Hanoi, also painted the national flag on his roof on Aug.11. Nam hopes to inspire others in his area to join the movement, and says: "You don't need to go out of your way or seek distant locations to express your patriotism. You can do it right on your own rooftop."
