THE country celebrated the end of the war with the United States and the formation of its modern nation 50 years ago with a military parade and a focus on a future of peace.
Thousands camped overnight on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City – once known as Saigon – to watch the parade yesterday, drinking strong black coffee and their faces painted with the Vietnamese flag. The parade included a float that carried the Lac Bird, Vietnam’s emblem, another carrying a portrait of Ho Chi Minh and finally one that represented 50 years of reunification between North and South Vietnam.
