Truong Son Road - the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos

The Truong Son Trail - Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos has become a symbol of the Vietnam - Laos fighting alliance and the special friendship between the two countries.

On August 22, in Vientiane, Laos, within the framework of the visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou attended the ceremony to recognize the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos as a national historical relic of Laos.

The path of the Vietnam-Laos fighting alliance

In early 1959, implementing the Resolution of the Party Central Committee and the Resolution of the Central Military Commission, along with promoting the construction of a regular revolutionary army, gradually modernizing it in the North, Uncle Ho, the Politburo , and the Central Military Commission decided to open a strategic military transport route from the North through the majestic Truong Son mountain range to support troops for the revolution in the South.

On May 5, 1959, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vinh, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense , Chairman of the Central Unification Committee, under the order of the Politburo, directly assigned Lieutenant Colonel Vo Bam, former Director of the Department of Farms, to organize a "Special Military Task Force" with the task of opening roads, transporting military goods to the battlefield, organizing the transportation of soldiers and cadres, transferring documents and papers from the North to the South and from the South to the North. Established in May 1959, the Force was given the code name Force 559.

The Vietnam-Laos Joint Army Memorial in Muangphine Town, Muangphine District, a heroic district located on the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. Photo: Simon Stewart/Flickr.

In 18 months, Group 559 established a military transport corridor hundreds of kilometers long in the face of fragmented terrain and fierce enemy blockade. Along these routes, a large amount of weapons and equipment were transferred to the armed forces of Inter-Zone 5 and the Central Highlands, and more than 2,000 officers and soldiers were ensured to march to the battlefields.

Since 1960, the US has been implementing the “Special War” strategy. The transportation route east of Truong Son (Vietnam) was fiercely attacked by the enemy. With the consent of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, since 1961, Group 559 has changed direction to open a transportation route to the west of Truong Son (Laos).

Along with our cadres and soldiers, the people of Lao tribes contributed their labor and money to open the road. Many villages voluntarily moved their houses and abandoned their fields so that the new road could meet the requirements of being "closest and easiest to travel".

By effectively implementing the policy of opening and building new roads in the West of Truong Son (Laos) and consolidating old roads in the East of Truong Son, we have broken the one-way situation; especially from the road for carrying goods, to opening roads for rudimentary vehicles and initially building roads for motorized operations.

Passing through the vast forests of the Central and Southern provinces of Laos, the Truong Son Trail - Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos has become a symbol of the Vietnam - Laos fighting alliance, of the special friendship between the armies and peoples of the two countries.

Priceless spiritual assets of two countries

Given the role and importance of the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos, the Lao and Vietnamese Parties and Governments have agreed to assign the two countries' Ministries of Defense to send a joint delegation of experts to survey and collect information on historical sites along the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos from 2023-2024.

The two sides' expert delegation surveyed 18 locations in 7 provinces of Laos. Despite many difficulties such as some relics are no longer intact and have changed over time, the two sides' expert delegation collected a lot of information to serve as a basis for research and to build a scientific dossier of the historical relic of the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou attended the ceremony to recognize the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos as a national historical relic of Laos. Photo: Pham Kien/People's Army Newspaper.

After receiving instructions from the Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and experts from the Department of Heritage to check the content of the scientific dossier, on December 16, 2024, the Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism (now the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) signed a decision to recognize the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail Historical Site in Laos as a National Historical Site of Laos.

The recognition of the Truong Son Trail - Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos by the Lao Party and State as a national historical relic is of great significance. This is not only a recognition of the historical value and great sacrifices of previous revolutionary generations of Vietnam and Laos, but also an everlasting symbol of the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.

It is a priceless spiritual asset, affirming the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, two States and peoples of Vietnam and Laos that will forever be green, forever strong, always lasting over time and always in the hearts of every citizen of the two countries.

The ceremony to recognize the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos as a Lao National Historical Relic took place in an atmosphere of special friendship and solidarity between the two Parties, two States and the two peoples. On behalf of the leaders of the Ministry of National Defense and the Lao - Vietnamese expert delegation, Lieutenant General Vongsone Inpanphim reported the results of the survey and the construction of a scientific dossier on the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail Historical Relic in Laos.

Lieutenant General Vongsone Inpanphim emphasized that after receiving this project, the Ministry of National Defense will continue to develop it into a historical tourist attraction for officers, soldiers and Lao people, especially the young generation, to study and foster the friendly relationship between the two countries. The relic is also a valuable learning document in terms of science, military art, strategy and tactics of the two countries' armies to develop and apply appropriately to the new era.

At the ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism (Laos) presented the Certificate of Recognition: Truong Son Road - Ho Chi Minh Road in Laos is a national historical relic of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the Deputy Minister of National Defense of Laos.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/duong-truong-son-duong-ho-chi-minh-huyen-thoai-tren-dat-nuoc-lao-post2149049039.html