HANOI: A solemn flag-raising ceremony was held at Ba Dinh Square at 6am on Sept 2 to mark the 81st anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day.
The ceremony took place in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where President Ho Chí Minh read the Declaration of Independence on Sept 2, 1945, proclaiming the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
At exactly 6am, the national flag was raised on the 29-metre flagpole as the national anthem echoed across Ba Dinh Square.
Crowds gathered around the square from early morning to witness the ceremony and mark National Day, with many families capturing the occasion in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
After the flag-raising ceremony, the honour guard marched past the mausoleum. — Vietnam News/ANN
