Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025)

Updated date: 04/30/2025 05:26:54

DTO - The great victory of Spring 30/4/1975 is a brilliant milestone in the history of the Vietnamese nation - the day when our army and people achieved complete victory in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, completely liberating the South and unifying the country. After 50 years of liberation, together with the whole country, the Party Committee, government and people of Dong Thap province have promoted the heroic tradition, solidarity, and determination to build the homeland to become increasingly rich, beautiful and civilized.

Launching the government on the founding day of Dong Thap province (Photo: Hoang Dung)

The heroic years

With a history of development of more than 300 years, Dong Thap is known as a land with a long-standing cultural and historical tradition; Dong Thap people have a passionate patriotism and a spirit of steadfast and indomitable struggle against foreign invaders. In harmony with the revolutionary movement in the South, the revolutionary movement in Dong Thap was formed very early and continuously developed.

As early as 1929 - 1930, the first Party cells in Dong Thap were born one after another and soon became the main force leading the people of the whole province to persistently fight against colonialism, imperialism and feudalism, carry out an uprising to seize power in the August Revolution of 1945, and establish a new regime of the people, by the people and for the people. Entering the long-term resistance war against the French colonialists and then the invading American imperialists, the Party, army and people in the province united, promoted the tradition of patriotism to the highest degree, overcame all challenges and hardships, and together with the whole country fought steadfastly to protect national independence.

According to history, in August 1974, the Central Bureau dissolved Kien Phong province, establishing Sa Dec and Long Chau Tien provinces. On April 14, 1975, the Politburo approved the plan to attack and liberate Saigon - Gia Dinh, named the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. In 2 days (April 15 - 16, 1975), the Standing Committee of the Sa Dec Provincial Party Committee held an urgent expanded meeting, focusing on discussing the Special Resolution and the Order of the General Offensive and General Uprising of the Central Bureau. This was a conference of special historical significance, a direct light that paved the way, leading the resistance war against the US, saving the country of the Party Committee, army and people in the province to complete victory.

On April 26, 1975, the Sa Dec Provincial Party Committee received orders to coordinate with the Saigon front in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. At 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, the Saigon front won a complete victory and puppet President Duong Van Minh was forced to declare surrender. In Cao Lanh town, at 11:00 p.m. on April 30, 1975, the revolutionary army entered to take over and completely control Cao Lanh town. At 7:00 a.m. on May 1, 1975, our army entered from many directions to take over and completely control Sa Dec town. By the end of May 2, most of Sa Dec province was liberated. On May 2, 1975, the Sa Dec Provincial Revolutionary People's Committee issued a Declaration: From this moment on, our country is free of American troops, our province is completely liberated. From that moment on, history witnessed a great turning point for Sa Dec province in particular and the whole country in general: ending the 30-year victory of continuous, persistent and heroic resistance against the French colonialists and the invading American imperialists, completing the people's national democratic revolution in the South, bringing the whole country into a new era, the era of independence, freedom and socialism.

During the 21 years of resistance war against the US to save the country, the army and people of Dong Thap fought steadfastly in over 16,000 large and small battles, with victory after victory. Dong Thap has more than 18,300 martyrs, 6,948 wounded soldiers, 2,227 heroic Vietnamese mothers, and historical relics such as: Go Thap relic - "resistance capital" of the Southern region, Xeo Quit relic - Provincial Party Committee resistance base, Giong Thi Dam victory... which contributed significantly to the glorious revolutionary cause of our Party and nation. With their great sacrifices and contributions in the resistance war, the people and armed forces of Dong Thap were honored to be awarded many noble titles by the Party and State such as: "Hero of the People's Armed Forces" along with 68 collectives and 41 individuals being recognized as heroes and being awarded more than 27,000 other noble Orders and Medals.

People of Cao Lanh town (now Cao Lanh city) parade to celebrate the complete liberation of the South (Photo: Hoang Dung)

50 years of innovation and development

After the country was reunified, the Party Committee, army and people of Dong Thap promptly healed the wounds of war, united and strived to build their homeland. Comrade Nguyen Dac Hien - former Standing Deputy Secretary of Dong Thap Provincial Party Committee emotionally shared: “In April 1975, I was assigned the task of being the Deputy Standing Committee of the Propaganda Department of Sa Dec Provincial Party Committee. Since the historic victory on April 30, 1975, I can hardly describe all the miraculous changes in the Land of Pink Lotus. Anyone who lived in this land 50 years ago can see the great change in the appearance of our homeland, a world apart from before. In his Will, Uncle Ho advised: “After defeating the Americans, we will build more than ten days ago”.

Following Uncle Ho's words, over the past 50 years, the Party Committee, army and people of Dong Thap province have overcome countless difficulties, risen up strongly like the cajuput and lotus trees of Dong Thap and can say to Uncle Ho: We have done exactly what Uncle Ho told us. Looking back at the devastation caused by bombs, toxic chemicals, and the American raids, the people's deprivation, poverty, and hardship during the war, and then after 50 years of overcoming and striving to rise up, we have the right to laugh happily, tears welling up with joy, seeing our homeland and the people of Dong Thap change "more than ten days ago".

A corner of Cao Lanh city's inner city (Photo: Hoang Trong)

After liberation, Dong Thap province faced many challenges due to the war, mainly relying on agriculture, fragmented production, and lack of infrastructure. Rice output in 1975 was estimated at 270 thousand tons, not enough to eat, the rate of poor and hungry households was still high. Up to now, the land of Dong Thap has "changed its skin, changed its flesh", the difficulties of the past have now receded, giving way to development. The agricultural sector has changed strongly and clearly, the outstanding mark is the successful exploitation of Dong Thap Muoi and the implementation of the Agricultural Restructuring Project. From a deeply flooded, alum-contaminated, barren land, it has become a fertile land; from producing one-season rice to producing three high-quality rice crops; rice output reached 3.34 million tons (in 2024), ranking 3rd in the Mekong Delta, thanks to the application of technology, digital transformation and the "Smart Agriculture" model. The province's agricultural products are present in more than 150 countries, including demanding markets such as the US, Japan, Korea and the EU...

The poverty rate in the province has decreased sharply, and the material and spiritual life of the people has improved significantly. Investment has been made in traffic works and urban beautification; the National Target Program on New Rural Development and the Program on Eliminating Temporary and Dilapidated Houses have been effective. Dong Thap has 3 cities, of which Cao Lanh City and Sa Dec City have achieved Type II urban status, Hong Ngu City has achieved Type III urban status; the urbanization rate is estimated at over 39% and 100% of communes have met the new rural standards.

Sa Dec City on the way of development (Photo: Hoa Van)

Regarding health and education, from more than 80% of the population being illiterate, lacking facilities; few teachers, the education system has now developed strongly in terms of scale, quality and vocational training, and the number of schools meeting national standards has increased. Cao Lanh City and Sa Dec City have been recognized by UNESCO as members of the "Global Learning Network". The health system from the province to the grassroots level has been increasingly improved; the quality of medical examination and treatment has been improved. The cultural environment has been improved, cultural heritages and historical relics have been preserved. Tourism has developed with many typical products, developing the domestic tourist market through events and festivals such as: Lotus Festival, Mango Festival, Tra Fish Festival, Flower - Ornamental Festival. The brand "Dong Thap - Pure as the soul of lotus" has been strongly spread. Cultural standards and people of Dong Thap are focused on with qualities such as "Patriotism, solidarity, honesty, self-reliance, diligence, cooperation, affection, dynamism, creativity". The work of Party building and rectification has been comprehensively implemented, achieving many positive results. The political and social situation is stable, national defense and security are maintained, and foreign affairs are increasingly given attention...

Looking back at the length of history, the 50 years of liberation up to now is a very long journey showing the determination and efforts to overcome all difficulties and challenges of the entire Party Committee, government and people of Dong Thap province, affirming the tradition of the heroic revolutionary land. With the solid foundation that has been built, we believe that Dong Thap province will continue to rise up and develop strongly, together with the whole country to resolutely and effectively implement new policies in the spirit of the Central's direction; including the revolution of streamlining the apparatus and implementing economic growth solutions. The Party Committee, government and people of the Red Lotus Land have strong faith, aspirations and efforts to build their homeland in a larger development space, entering a new era - the era of national growth.

D. CHINH - N. NGUYEN