The exhibition "Echoes of the Triumphal Song" (Photo: VOV5)

The exhibition consists of three parts. The first called “Steadfastness and Perseverance,” features photos and documents of the first days of the long, arduous resistance war, when Hanoi’s soldiers and citizens responded to President Ho Chi Minh’s call for national resistance. They  held off the enemy for 60 days and nights with nothing more than the most rudimentary of weapons. 

Soldiers of the Capital Regiment can be seen charging at the enemy’s tanks with “three-pronged anti-tank mine” in their hands. Many young men and women fell, having lived true to their vow “to die so the nation may live forever.” 

The exhibition consists of three parts, called “Steadfastness and Perseverance,” “The Day of Triumphant Return,” and “The Essence and Charm of Hanoi.” (Photo: VOV5)

Many were captured, but others continued to resist and remain faithful to the people and the revolution, even whilst in prison.

Head of the Liaison Committee of Revolutionary Soldiers Imprisoned at Hoa Lo Prison, Nguyen Tien Ha, said: “These images deeply move me and remind me of my comrades, who sacrificed their lives to take back our capital city. I’m just a part of that effort. We wouldn’t have won without the contributions of the people and soldiers of Hanoi. I maintained contact with the District Party Committee outside and led the resistance from inside the prison. We considered the prison a new battlefront and learned from that experience.” 

Actors at the exhibition reenact the moment troops return to the capital city to the jubilant cheers of Hanoians. (Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic)

The second part of the exhibition is called  “The Day of Triumpahnt Return,” featuring photos that depict the Vietnamese army’s victorious march to the capital city accompanied by the jubilant cheers of its citizens, on the morning of October 10, 1954.

Hanoians were seen standing guard over factories and construction sites, so the liberation army could safely approach and take over key facilities like government offices, hospitals and schools.

People flooded the streets, waving the national flags with tears and bright smiles on their faces, as they showered the returning troops with songs of joy.

Nguyen Dinh Tan, 91, from Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi, recalled: “That morning, we lined the streets of O Cho Dua, O Cau Den (now Bach Mai), and down the roads to Hang Bai, holding flowers and flags in our hands. No one told anyone to do so. We just did. I lived on Hang Bai Street and saw our troops’ march. We were so excited. Some students even played accordions and violins there for celebration.” 

A foreign visitor looks at the exhibited photos (Photo: VOV5)

Nguyen Thanh Huong, 86, from Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi, said: “We bought colorful paper to decorate our front door. My sister and I stayed up all night to hang them up. Everyone in my family rushed to the streets the next morning to watch soldiers marching.”

The third part of the exhibition, “The Essence and Charm of Hanoi,” showcases Hanoi’s long-standing historical and cultural values. The city’s beauty is in its harmonious blend of modernity and traditions, of contemporary dynamics and culture. The next generation of Hanoiians are working together to carry on the capital’s heroic tradition. 

Pham Thi Danh from Hai Phong City, a visitor, said: “Our grandparents have told us stories of Hanoi’s liberation. But the exhibition allows us to feel the same jubilant and sacred atmosphere that the people of Hanoi felt on that October morning in 1954.”

Dinh Phuong Chi from Hung Yen province was among the visitors: “I brought my son here so he can learn about our capital’s proud history, and one day help build a more prosperous Hanoi.”

“Echoes of the Triumphal Song” is a heartfelt tribute to those who laid down their lives for the nation and Hanoi. It reaffirms the capital city’s aspiration to rise and delivers a message of peace and friendship in an era of integration and development.