National Day Ceremony Rehearsal Held in Hanoi - Celebrating 80 Years of the August Revolution and 9/2 National Day

(Hanoi, 28th) To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the 9·2 National Day, a national-level military parade and mass procession rehearsal was held on the evening of the 27th at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi.

This was an important rehearsal before the final parade run-through, preparing for the official ceremony on National Day, September 2.

Attending and directing this rehearsal were Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Secretary of the Party Central Secretariat and Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department and Standing Vice Chairman of the Central Steering Committee for Major National Holidays and Important Historical Events Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang, as well as Politburo member and Minister of Public Security To Lam.

The rehearsal started at 8 p.m. and lasted late into the night, divided into two main parts: the party and state ceremonial etiquette, and the military parade with the mass procession. Nearly 16,000 cadres and soldiers participated, comprising 43 marching formations (26 military, 17 police), with foreign military units from Russia, Laos, and Cambodia also taking part. There were also 18 static review formations and 14 formations of special military and police equipment.

The event began with a torch relay and the lighting of the cauldron, symbolizing the aspirations of the Vietnamese nation. The flame was lit by Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soai, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Hero of the People’s Armed Forces. He shot down six enemy planes and is renowned as one of Vietnam’s hero pilots.

According to the schedule, all parade and procession formations will carry out the final national-level rehearsal on the morning of August 30, and then formally participate in the grand parade and procession at 6 a.m. on September 2. This is the second large-scale military parade with modern equipment at Ba Dinh Square since 1985, marking a 40-year interval. The missile systems, drones, combat vehicles, and other techniques displayed this time were all independently developed and produced by Vietnam. Multiple types of missiles, tanks, armored vehicles, and rocket launchers have been upgraded with advanced technology.

After the ceremony, the review stand in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was successively passed by the honor guard, marching formations, military and police equipment formations, and mass formations. The mass formation featured groups representing national unity, 54 ethnic groups, media sector, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, women, overseas Vietnamese, youth, and the culture and sports sectors. Thousands of university students supported the event on the spot and created artistic formations in the stands.

Before the rehearsal, participating forces underwent four comprehensive training sessions at National Military Training Center No. 4, and two full rehearsals at Ba Dinh Square.

On the night of the 27th, Ba Dinh Square and surrounding streets were filled with waving red flags and crowds of enthusiastic people who took positions in advance to view the parade.

To ensure the event ran smoothly, the military and police, together with the Hanoi municipal government, adopted multiple measures to maintain order and traffic safety. During the rehearsal, relevant departments set up numerous tents and free parking spots to make it easier for people and tourists to attend the event, while volunteers were organized to provide free food and drinking water, and help the public participate in the event safely and orderly. This action expressed gratitude for those who sacrificed for national independence, as well as for officers and soldiers who trained for, participated in, and protected the grand ceremony.