The exhibition, titled “Saigon, Gia Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City: An Epic and Aspirations in an Era of Advancement,” is open from June 29 to July 11 at Chi Lang Park in Sai Gon Ward. It presents archival photographs documenting the city’s history, from the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War to national reunification and its rise as a modern metropolis.
A key highlight is the historic moment at 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, when tanks from the 203rd Armored Brigade entered the Independence Palace, ending the Ho Chi Minh Campaign and marking Vietnam’s reunification.
Vietnam formally consolidated its reunified government at the first session of the 6th National Assembly on July 2, 1976. The legislature also approved changing the name of Saigon-Gia Dinh, comprising Saigon and neighboring Gia Dinh province, to Ho Chi Minh City.
On Jan. 15, 1978, Vo Van Kiet, then secretary of HCMC Party Committee, beat a ceremonial drum to see off members of the Youth Volunteer Force as they left for irrigation work at Tran Quang Co Farm.
In October 1982, state-owned electrical equipment maker Lidico manufactured the B400 fan, the first Vietnamese product to earn the government's Grade 1 quality certification, the highest product quality recognition at the time.
Built in the early 1990s on former marshland in Nha Be, Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone became Vietnam’s first such zone, introducing a new model of export-driven industrial development.
The launch of the MSP-1 offshore oil platform jacket off the coast of Vung Tau in 1984 marked the start of Vietnam’s offshore oil and gas exploration industry.
After nearly two decades of restoration, the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal was revived in 2012 from a severely polluted waterway into a green urban corridor, following the removal of unauthorized housing and extensive dredging work.
In 1988, a surgical team led by Professor Tran Dong A at Children's Hospital 2, working with foreign specialists, successfully separated conjoined twins Nguyen Viet and Nguyen Duc. In 2020, conjoined twins Hoang Truc Nhi and Hoang Dieu Nhi were discharged 84 days after a complex abdominal and pelvic separation surgery, marking a major achievement in the city’s healthcare sector.
In 2021, a polypropylene plant and an underground liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage facility were put into operation at Cai Mep Industrial Park. The LPG storage facility is regarded as the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.
On Dec. 22, 2024, Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien) officially entered service, becoming the city’s first high-capacity public transport route. The line links the downtown area with Saigon Hi-Tech Park, universities and residential neighborhoods in the east.
At a ceremony on April 30, 2025 marking the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, Party General Secretary To Lam awarded the title of Hero of Labor, one of Vietnam’s highest civilian honors, to the city.
City leaders tour the exhibition on June 29.
Nguyen Manh Cuong, vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, said the exhibition gives visitors a chance to look back on the city’s development and the values shaped and preserved by generations of residents.
The photo exhibition is among several events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saigon-Gia Dinh being renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
