(VOVworld) – Gallery No9 in Hanoi-based Museum of Vietnamese History is the ideal place to preserve historical moments from the 1945 August Revolution, which changed the fate of the Vietnamese nation. It seems that every August, more and more people visit the gallery to remind themselves of the revolutions most magnanimous moments. VOV’s Thu Hoa tells the story.
Dropping in to the 100 m2 gallery, visitors can view numerous items on display. We visited the museum later in the evening but there were still quite a lot of people. Cam Phuong, a guide from the Museum’s Communication and Education Section, is guiding a group of visitors. She often introduces about a map there ‘This is the map showing the cities and provinces that rose up in arms to oust the administration in the 1945 August Revolution. The lights on the map will light up from the beginning of the uprising and the places which have a red flag with a yellow star were under control of the revolutionary government. On the map, Hanoi was liberated on August 19th, Hue on August 23rd, and Sai Gon on August 25th. The first province to be freed was on August 16 with the last province retaken on August 28th. In two weeks, the revolution had been successful across the country’.
Next to the map are hammers, sickles, spears, sticks and canes – primitive weapons that people across Vietnam used in the general uprising to retake the government in 1945. Many photos were taken at the time when every Vietnamese residents rose as up one to fight for independence. They include photos of the march to seize Kham Sai’s Palace in Hanoi, a parade at the former French headquarters for the northern region, a meeting in Hanoi Opera House, and the uprisings that seized power in Hue and Saigon. On display in the showroom are many everyday items that belonged to the revolutionaries. They include General Vo Nguyen Giap’s pistol and a Japanese military compass and clock that Ba To guerillas in Quang Ngai confiscated in 1945. Tran Hong Anh is a student at Hue’s University for Foreign Languages ‘I have a deep respect for the fighters in this long and hard war of resistance. With simple weapons, the Vietnamese soldiers and people defeated both the French and the Americans. Our predecessors sacrificed their lives for our national independence’.
There is also a statue of President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence with a background imitating Ba Dinh square on the historic day of September 2, 1945. Visitors can watch several documentary films on Independence Day, the ultimate outcome of the prolonged war of resistance.
The items in the museum have shown the vitality, strong will and desire for peace in the Vietnamese people. Cam Phuong who has worked at the Museum for 26 years shares her feeling ‘The story of the August revolution is of great significance. At that time, they were not able to communicate widely, but were able to inspire the people to get involved in the uprising. It showed the Party’s talented leadership with its revolutionary leaders in the forefront, which won the hearts of the people