Legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail celebrates 50 years

A wide range of cultural activities will be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Truong Son Trail, also known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which opened on May 19, 1959

According to Le Hung Phi, director of the Quang Binh provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the programme aims to express the deep thanks of the people and the nation for the contribution made by the young soldiers and female volunteers who sacrificed their youth and life on the Truong Son Trail. The programme is intended to remind young people of the previous generation’s sacrifices for national liberation and to increase their pride and love for the homeland.

The highlight of the programme will be the show “The Legend of a Trail”, which will be held on the evening of May 19, 2009. The show will combined song and dance pieces with a discussion and historical witnesses, and will be broadcast live on VTV1 and VTV4 channels.

In addition to the main show, a wide range of other activities will be held to celebrate the event. From now till March 29, around 60 floats from 38 provinces and cities across the country carrying 650 people dressed as war-era soldiers will make the trip along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to educate the public about the event. They will dance and sing songs about the trail.

An art festival “Truong Son – Legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail” will be held on March 28-31 in the southern province of Binh Phuoc to commemorate the anniversary.

>On April 30, there will be an event “Living Forever with Age 20” which will include a meeting with veterans in Dong Hoi City and other historical vestiges including the 12A and 20 Quyet Thang roads.

In May, an incense offering ceremony will be held at the Revolutionary Martyr Temple at 20 Quyet Thang Road and Hang Tam Co (Eight-woman Cave) in Quang Binh Province.

An exhibition of large-scale posters will also be held in eight provinces and cities along the Truong Son Trail.

The programme is organised by the central province of Quang Binh provincial People’s Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

>The Truong Son route was once a narrow track linking the North and the South, serving as an important supply route for food, arms and ammunition to southern battlefields during the American War.

The trail is divided into two parts: the distance from the Ca River Valley in Ha Tinh Province to Hai Van Pass in Danang, called the Northern Truong Son Trail, and the distance from Hai Van Pass to the region adjacent to the Mekong Delta in Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc provinces, called the Southern Truong Son Trail.

This trail greatly contributed to the historical victory on April 30, 1975 when southern Vietnam was liberated and the nation was reunified.