Exhibition recalls air battle in Hanoi 50 years ago

Delegates inaugurate the exhibition (Photo:VNA) 

Hanoi (VNA) – An exhibition opened at the Hanoi Museum on December 27 to give visitors an insight into the fierceness of the war and the bravery of local troops and residents during the 12-day-and-night battle against US airstrikes 50 years ago.

The event, titled “Hanoi 1972 - Aspiration for Peace”, was held by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports in celebration of 50 years since the “Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the Air” victory (December 1972 - 2022).

On display are more than 300 photos, documents, and objects provided by the Hanoi Museum and witnesses to the fight against the US imperialists in the capital.

In a section named “Khoang lang” (Silence), the exhibits help visitors learn about local residents’ preparations, from evacuating, digging tunnels and trenches, to setting up artillery arrangements.

The “Doi mat” (Facing) section demonstrates local troops and residents’ unyielding struggle and victory against the US Air Force in the skies of Hanoi from December 18 to 29, 1972.

Delegates look at the exhibits (Photo: VNA) 

The last, named “Hoa binh” (Peace), spotlights the city’s recovery and rebuilding efforts, along with people’s life nowadays.

During 12 days and nights resisting the US Air Force, the troops and people of the North shot down 81 aircraft, including 34 B-52s, and caught or killed hundreds of US pilots. That forced the US administration to deescalate, invite Vietnam to return to the negotiations in Paris, and prepare for the signing of the agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam in January 1973.

The victory, which name derives from the victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954 that put an end to French colonial rule over Indochina, was an epic battle by the Vietnamese people in the 20th century. It was one of the most glorious feats of arms in the country’s history of fighting foreign invaders, and forever a symbol of the Vietnamese people’s mettle and wisdom in the Ho Chi Minh era./.