A grand meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30 marking the 35th anniversary of Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the 124th International Labour Day with the participation of 50,000 officials, soldiers and local people.

Thirty-five years ago, the now Ho Chi Minh City, the last strategic destination of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, witnessed the complete triumph of Vietnam’s war against the US aggressors which led to the country’s reunification.

Attending the celebration were Party, State and Fatherland Front leaders, revolutionary veterans, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, heroes of the armed and labour forces, and representatives of all social strata of HCM City.

Speaking at the event, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee Le Thanh Hai said “In our history of wars against foreign aggressors, the encounter with the US imperialists was extremely fierce and took the longest time. For the complete victory, the Vietnamese people had surmounted enormous difficulties and fiercest challenges.”

By launching the general offensive with the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign reaching its climax on April 30, 1975, the army, in conjunction with the people, fought hard and achieved the south’s total liberation, resulting in national reunification, Hai emphasized.

“This victory will live forever as one of the most glorious pages in our history and it stands as a shining symbol of the nation’s revolutionary heroism and the brainpower of the people. It figures as one of the most outstanding events of the 20th century, bearing international significance and representing a profound subject for discussion,” Hai remarked.

The Party secretary of the country’s biggest economic hub went on to say that since the Great Spring Victory, the people of HCM City have firmly upheld the revolutionary spirit and solidarity they had during the war to develop the city.

Having pursued renewal for over 25 years, at present, HCM City is among a few cities in the world that has registered a two-digit economic growth rate consecutively over the past years.

With its contribution of 20 percent to the nation’s GDP and 30 percent to the State budget, the city has confirmed its role as a driving force behind the development of the national economy.

On behalf of the Party and State, State President Nguyen Minh Triet presented the Gold Star Order to Ho Chi Minh City . This is the second time the State’s highest distinction went to the city.

The celebration was highlighted by parades of the armed forces, war veterans, workers, farmers, professionals, young people and children, women, businesspeople, and representatives of other forces.

The 15-minute fireworks were set off at 9 pm the same day in the country’s major cities and localities to mark the event.

The event was also attended by many foreign guests and international friends of Vietnam.

It was covered by hundreds of members of the media, including 52 foreign reporters from 24 press agencies of 12 countries./.