The pioneers of the "Flying Vietnam" project. From left to right: Minh Phuong, Kim Phuc, Phuong Hang, and Nguyen Thang. Photo: daibieunhandan.vn

At roughly 7 pm, the clear voice of the village chief was heard as he urged each family to come out to receive the flag. Many residents, who were preparing dinner, didn't understand what was happening, but after a while, they were given a nice surprise, the meaningful gift from the “Flying Vietnam” project members.

H’Mong Pa Vi village was the final destination to receive flags in Meo Vac, a border commune in the rocky plateau of Tuyen Quang province. Many families immediately took down their old flags to replace them with new ones. Some who hadn’t have flags, happily arranged a place to hang them. A day with few tourists in the village suddenly became lively with the warm feelings brought by the young people from Hanoi.

Tran Linh Son, a H'Mong Pa Vi villager, said, “Through the ‘Flying Vietnam’ project, I think they have a very good idea with humane meaning. I advise them to go to community-based cultural tourism villages in the mountainous areas. That will help improve locals’ morale and the love for their homeland will be even more widespread.”

Extending patriotism to the people of Meo Vac. Photo: daibieunhandan.vn

The flag-giving project was founded in 2025 by Do Kim Phuc, a freestyle football athlete who has performed all over the world, Nguyen Minh Phuong, a TikToker famous for her patriotic dances online, and journalist Nguyen Phuong Hang. Before that, they engaged in the "1,000 Balls for Children" program. During their trip carrying balls from Vietnam’s northern province of Tuyen Quang to the southern province of Ca Mau, they encountered a touching story that inspired them to create the "Flying Vietnam" project.

Nguyen Phuong Hang said, “When we stopped at a fishing village in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province, there were many boats docked there, all the flags were torn after the storm. The fishermen said that the torn flags still had to be hung on the boats to notice that the boats are Vietnamese. At that moment we decided to deliver 1,000 flags across the country.”

Members of the "Flying Vietnam" group present flags to people in the H'Mong Pa Vi village. Photo: Huyen Trang/VOV5

In September 2025, the group made its first trip to Phu Quy Special Zone, Gia Lai province. Not only did they donate flags, but they also helped fishermen hang them. Flagpoles up to 4.5 meters high were a challenge for young people who were only used to city life. But after much hard work, the torn flags on fishing boats were replaced. For them, a new flag flying means that a boat at sea will assert Vietnam's sovereignty. It's a source of pride to contribute a small part to each fishing trip of our fellow fishermen, according to Nguyen Minh Phuong. 

“The project stems from patriotism, from being Vietnamese and loving the red colors of the Vietnamese flag. Those are the simplest wishes. And after we went through the journey of handing out flags to the people, seeing the smiles, the pride, the love, and the empathy of everyone, we gained even more motivation for the project,” Phuong said.

The project has donated thousands of flags to people living in border and island areas. Photo: Huyen Trang/VOV5

The project members have posted their activities on social network. They gave out flags and blended into the lives of the local people, especially the ethnic minorities. The "Flying Vietnam" channel now garners hundreds of thousands of followers, millions of views and tens of thousands of feedbacks. Do Kim Phuc told us that "Many young people have seen this and they told us they want to contribute flags. Suddenly, I felt that we had spread something that could somehow cover all of Vietnam in red. Truly, when seeing the flag flying, patriotism stirs in the hearts of every Vietnamese person."

The project has also received energetic response from young celebrities. Actress Le Bống, who once played the role of a teacher in a mountainous are, said, “When I was invited to join the “Flying Vietnam” project, I immediately said yes, because it aligns with my dream. That is to contribute small things and replace the national flags throughout the country. And during this journey, I felt very moved.”

1000 flags were brought to border communes in Tuyen Quang province and a 54m2 flag was presented at the Lung Cu National Flagpole. 500 flags were delivered to the Phu Quy Special Zone. Hundreds, even thousands of flags were given out in Cao Bang, Dien Bien and many border and island areas. The members of the “Flying Vietnam” project are committed to initiate campaigns in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter to spread patriotism and the pride of seeing the flag fluttering in the wind.