Hanoi Capital - Great Homeland, Full of Love and Respect

Hanoi - Hue - Saigon bookstore, symbol of the friendship between the three cities in the 1960s. Photo: Archive

"Singing over the bombs"

During these years, the spiritual support of the Party, government and people of Hanoi was provided through various forms and movements. Many rallies were held to present resolutions and set up action programs. Cultural and radio activities were promoted. The movement “Singing over the sound of bombs” resounded throughout factories, enterprises, villages and neighborhoods of Hanoi.

Looking to the South, the people of the Capital have established friendship with the two cities of Hue and Saigon. Before the friendship ceremony took place, on the morning of October 7, 1960, nearly 1,000 delegates, cadres and people in the Capital attended a talk on the situation in Saigon and Hue organized by the Hanoi - Hue - Saigon Friendship Campaign Committee. During the friendship ceremony on the evening of October 8, 1960, Dr. Tran Duy Hung, Chairman of the Hanoi City Administrative Committee, on behalf of the people of Hanoi, comrade Nguyen Ho, on behalf of the people of Saigon - Gia Dinh, and comrade Hoang Phuong Thao, on behalf of the people of Hue, together with fellow countrymen from Saigon and Hue, especially emphasized the solidarity and closeness between the people of Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon in the cause of building socialism in the North and the liberation struggle in the South.

The Hanoi-Hue-Saigon twinning movement developed rapidly, steadily and achieved many results. A typical example of the twinning movement is the “Hanoi-Hue-Saigon Twinning Bookstore” near Hoan Kiem Lake, a meeting place for many readers from Hanoi and the North to learn about the situation in the South, Hue, and Saigon. The bookstore organized the “Welcome the Birth of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam” distribution campaigns, distributing tens of thousands of copies of the Platform and Appeal to the people of the South. After the twinning ceremony, tons of letters, postcards, and news from the people of the Capital were sent to the South, Saigon, and Hue to encourage the people and soldiers of the South to be determined to fight the enemy.

“Sharing the fire” with the soldiers, in June 1974, singer Thanh Hoa and her fellow artists from the Liberation Radio Station went to Truong Son and performed for the soldiers in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign. Her voice resounded in the fierce battlefield, bringing joy, love of life, and faith in a victorious tomorrow. People's Artist Thanh Hoa recalled: “On the battlefield, we sang for wounded soldiers and soldiers during rest stops, to encourage their spirit. At the wounded soldiers' camps, we walked among those selfless soldiers, holding their hands and singing. The fiercer the battlefield, the stronger our singing resounded.”

During the years of the war against the US, artist Xuan Theo, from the General Department of Logistics Art Troupe (now the Army Cheo Theater) was also one of the actors who actively participated in the working groups performing for the soldiers, contributing "singing to drown out the sound of bombs". Artist Xuan Theo said: "At that time, our troupe had to divide into small groups to bring excerpts of Cheo and short Cheo songs to sing for the soldiers. Both my husband and I went with the troupe, so we had to bring our children from Hanoi back to the countryside for their grandparents to look after. In the atmosphere of the country at war, everyone was focused on the front line, so artists like us could not stand aside."

Capital press makes positive contributions

During the fierce war years, the capital's press agencies actively contributed to the propaganda work, mobilizing for twinning and promptly praising good people and good deeds, and devoted a section to introducing emulation achievements in the twinning movement with Hue and Saigon. Hanoi Radio regularly reported on the situation in the North, news about Uncle Ho to the people of the South, especially President Ho Chi Minh's speeches and poems of encouragement to the people and soldiers of the beloved South.

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, the staff, reporters, and editors of Hanoi Moi Newspaper and Ha Tay Newspaper (merged into Hanoi Moi Newspaper in August 2008) always closely followed and reflected the major policies and tasks of the Central and local governments; focused on propagating and motivating people to compete in labor production, practice thrift, and well implement the first 5-year plan (1960-1965), creating a foundation for the following years, aiming to enhance the strength in all aspects of the socialist North, becoming a great rear base for the Southern battlefield. Many emulation movements of the Capital that were representative of the whole country at that time, such as the "Three ready" "Three capable" movements, "Truong Son stick" movements, etc., were promptly and deeply reflected by the Newspaper.

In particular, the generations of Hanoi Moi and Ha Tay journalists have brought all their intelligence, political courage, and pioneered on the ideological and cultural front of the Party, focusing on promoting the spirit of overcoming difficulties, overcoming challenges, working selflessly, and striving to build a new life for the people of the capital. Many journalists have a steady hand with their pens and guns, rushing into the fire and bullets, joining the army or staying close to the fiercest war zones to report and write articles about the heroic feats of our army and people. Among them, many people were injured, and some journalists heroically sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. Together with other press agencies, Hanoi Moi and Ha Tay newspapers continue to make many positive and effective contributions to the cause of liberating the South, unifying the country, as well as building a constantly developing locality.

In the seething atmosphere of fighting the US, on July 17, 1966, from Tram Pagoda (Chuong My, Hanoi today), Voice of Vietnam radio broadcast President Ho Chi Minh's "Appeal to compatriots and soldiers nationwide"[1], affirming: "The war may last 5 years, 10 years, 20 years or longer. Hanoi, Hai Phong and some cities and enterprises may be destroyed, but the Vietnamese people are determined not to be afraid! Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom. When the day of victory comes, our people will rebuild our country to be more dignified and more beautiful!"... "Our people's cause of fighting the US and saving the country... will certainly be completely victorious"[2].

President Ho Chi Minh's "Appeal" has become the truth of the times, a shining symbol of the aspiration for independence and freedom of the Vietnamese people and progressive people around the world. With the burning will and aspiration to unify the country, we have won many important victories in the resistance war against the US to save the country. And in every step of the resistance war, the Party Committee, government and people of Hanoi have always provided great spiritual support and strong material and military support to our compatriots and soldiers in the South.

The Ho Chi Minh Campaign took place and ended successfully on the last day of April (April 30, 1975), completely liberating the South and unifying the country. During those glorious moments, along with material and military support, the spiritual support of the Party, government and people of Hanoi became increasingly stronger. In April 1975, the Post Office opened a telegraph and telephone line from Hanoi to Hue; thereby transferring hundreds of letters and telegrams of encouragement from Hanoi to the people and soldiers of the South.

The great victory of Spring 1975 was a great victory, ending 21 years of long and arduous war, completely defeating the neo-colonialism of American imperialism, completing the cause of liberating the South, unifying the country, and bringing Vietnam to continue to build socialism.

(To be continued)

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[1] Regarding the name of President Ho Chi Minh's "Appeal", up to now, there have been many documents mentioning it with different names: At first it was called "President Ho's Appeal on July 17, 1966"; later it was "Appeal to fight against America, save the country"; in "Ho Chi Minh, Complete Works", 3rd edition, Volume 15 (1966-1969), National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, the document was named "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom"; In “Ho Chi Minh and 5 National Treasures”, Information and Communication Publishing House, Hanoi, 2014, it was named: “The call to compatriots and soldiers nationwide”… According to Decision No. 1426/QD-TTg dated October 1, 2012 of the Prime Minister on the recognition of National Treasures (Phase 1), the manuscript named: “The call to compatriots and soldiers nationwide” by President Ho Chi Minh is one of the National Treasures.

[2] Ho Chi Minh, Complete Works, Volume 15, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, pp.131-132.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ky-niem-50-nam-ngay-giai-phong-mien-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-30-4-1975-30-4-2025-thu-do-ha-noi-hau-phuong-lon-tron-nghia-ven-tinh-bai-3-su-ung-ho-manh-me-ve-tinh-than-699668.html