A flag-raising ceremony was held on April 30^th at the Hien Luong Bridge in Quang Tri province to mark the 43^rd anniversary of National Reunification Day (April 30^th, 1975) and 46^th anniversary of the liberation of Quang Tri province (May 1^st, 1972).

Delegates look at the national flag being raised. (Photo: VOV)

The event was attended by Truong Hoa Binh, Politburo member and Standing Deputy Prime Minister; Nguyen Duc Loi, member of the Party Central Committee, Director General of the Vietnam News Agency; Thuan Huu, member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan, along with local officials and people.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Hung reviewed the glorious history of armed forces and people in Vinh Linh district in particular and Quang Tri in general during the anti-American resistance war.

At that time, nearly 70,000 Vinh Linh soldiers and people got engaged in production and fighting as well, making significant contributions to the April 30 victory, he said.

The annual economic growth was recorded at 7.4 per cent in 2011-2015. The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) per capita reached VND 36 million (USD 1,576) per annum.

The local budget collection saw an annual average increase of 16.6 per cent.

The province has 31 new rural communes, making up 26.5 per cent of the total communes. The proportion of poor households was reduced by 1.94 per cent.

Industrial production, trade, and services are developing, while defense-security and social order and safety have been strengthened.

On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and the working delegation offered incense and laid wreaths in tribute to fallen soldiers at the Truong Son National Martyr Cemetery, Road 9 National Martyr Cemetery, and memorial monument of Quang Tri Citadel.

The flag-raising ceremony at Hien Luong Bridge. (Photo: VNA)

After 45 years of liberation, the provincial administration and people have gradually overcome difficulties to reap socio-economic accomplishments.

After the signing of the Geneva Accords in 1954, Vietnam was pided into north and south at the Ben Hai River, and the Hien Luong Bridge became a symbol of the wounds of pision and the country’s yearning for reunification.

For the nearly two decades that followed, Quang Tri became a fierce battlefield but the local residents retained their indomitable spirit despite the enemy’s efforts to destroy the region with a relentless barrage of tens of thousands of tonnes of bombs and chemical weapons.

The front-line province was finally liberated on May 1^st, 1972, three years before the liberation of the entirety of southern Vietnam on April 30^th, 1975.

In a solemn atmosphere, the national flag was raised against the backdrop of the national anthem, reflecting the national pride and invincible strength of the Vietnamese people.

The ceremony, a chance to honour those who contributed to the great victory in 1975 and for attendants to recall the memories of a heroic period, was followed by a boat race on the Ben Hai River and a performance of bai choi, a UNESCO-recognised cultural heritage./.

VNF/VNA