Eighty foreign guests who attended a get-together to mark Vietnam ’s 65th National Day, also visited the Dinh Hoa safe zone in Thai Nguyen province’s former revolutionary base on August 31.

Many have visited Vietnam several times before, however, this is the first time any of them had visited the Dinh Hoa safe zone, which gave them a deeper understanding of Vietnam.

Former Chinese expert Meng Yi, who was in Thai Nguyen during Vietnam ’s war of resistance against the US when she was 17 years old, was moved to tears when burning incense at President Ho Chi Minh's monument.

“Our anti-aircraft gun unit in Thai Nguyen was to protect the mining operations and industrial areas there at that time. We heard that President Ho Chi Minh was in Thai Nguyen too, however we never met him.”

George Burchett, the son of Australian reporter Wilfred Burchett, who met and interviewed President Ho Chi Minh in the safe zone in March 1954, said that the visit was a very touching moment for him.

Pallab Sengupta, the Secretary General of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation also stated that his love for Vietnam will never change.

In the 1970s, he and many other Indian people had demonstrated against the war in Vietnam .

The delegation also included people from Laos who had protected Vietnamese soldiers during the war, former Russian military specialists and peace activists as well as representatives of non-governmental organisations that have helped Vietnam in its reconstruction and socio-economic development during the renovation process.

Huan Qing Yuan, a former Chinese expert expressed his pleasure at how well Vietnam has developed./.