Ba Dinh Square - a place of historical significance

VHO - For many Vietnamese people, the capital Hanoi is not only the political, economic and cultural center of the whole country, but also preserves many historical, cultural and revolutionary sites and relics: Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Hoan Kiem Lake and Turtle Tower, Dong Da Mound, Hanoi Flag Tower, Opera House, August Revolution Square... Especially Ba Dinh Square, where 80 years ago witnessed a great historical moment: on September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, officially giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

In the autumn of August exactly 80 years ago, under the flag of the Communist Party of Vietnam , responding to the call of President Ho Chi Minh, our entire nation from North to South, millions of people as one, rose up to carry out a General Uprising to seize power throughout the country.

On August 19, 1945, hundreds of thousands of Hanoians , after attending a large rally at the Opera House Square, swarmed into all the streets, occupied the offices of the pro-Japanese puppet government, and took complete power into the hands of the people.

After the resounding victory of the August Revolution throughout the country, on September 2, 1945, at the historic Ba Dinh Square, amidst the forest of red flags with yellow stars and the sea of ​​people who had just escaped the slavery of colonialism and imperialism, President Ho Chi Minh , on behalf of the provisional government, read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam - the first people's democratic state in Southeast Asia.

From a deserted, deserted piece of land in old Hanoi under the French colonial period, since that important historical day, Ba Dinh Square has entered the history of the nation, becoming the birthplace of the democratic republic of Vietnam.

President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, at the historic Ba Dinh Square (September 2, 1945)

Before the August Revolution in 1945, Ba Dinh Square was also known as Round Square (Rond Point Puginier), or Puginier Square – named after a French priest (1). At that time, this place was just a land area of ​​dozens of hectares including vacant lots and newly filled ponds, located next to the French Governor-General's Palace.

For a long time, the landscape remained virtually unchanged, although French architects Hebrat and Cerruti twice proposed renovation plans. In 1922 and 1938, the Governor's Palace even intended to renovate the Round Square, but everything remained on paper.

However, this place is not completely devoid of construction. In 1930, the French built the Finance and Registration Office on the edge of the Round Square (the area at the beginning of Cot Co Street today), a project designed by architect Cerruti and constructed by Aviat Company.

On the urban map at that time, they also planned to open a park extending to Hoang Dieu Street, named Rue Paul Doumer (after a Governor General of Indochina), after the August Revolution changed to Nguyen Lam City. In general, in the first half of the 20th century, the Round Square area was still quite wild: a large, rocky, bare land, like a patch of land waiting to be awakened.

The August Revolution of 1945 succeeded, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born, the capital Hanoi began to erase the old vestiges of the French colonial period. Many street names, flower gardens, and parks were changed, and Round Square was no longer named after priest Puginier, but was called Ba Dinh Flower Garden - to commemorate the anti-French uprising in Thanh Hoa at the end of the 19th century led by Dinh Cong Trang ( 2) .

Was it a coincidence that the Organizing Committee of the Declaration of Independence chose Ba Dinh Square as the venue for that important event? At first, the Organizing Committee – including members of the National Salvation Culture Committee such as Mr. Pham Van Khoa (Head of the Committee), architect Ngo Huy Huynh, and painter Nguyen Dinh Ham – had planned to choose Quan Ngua area or Dong Duong school.

However, both places were far from the center, while the Opera House Square, although centrally located, was too narrow. In the end, they decided to choose Ba Dinh Square, even though at that time the Governor's Palace, Hanoi Citadel and many hostile forces were still stationed around it.

On September 2, 1945, in the middle of Ba Dinh Square, a wooden platform was erected, wrapped in cloth, decorated with slogans, in front of which was a flagpole. In the blazing sun of August, when President Ho Chi Minh stepped onto the platform to read the Declaration of Independence, someone had to hold an umbrella behind him. That moment opened a new page in history for the Vietnamese people.

Ba Dinh Square celebrates the 70th anniversary of August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - August 19, 2015) and National Day (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2015). Photo: VNA

During the French occupation of Hanoi (1947-1954), the Governor's Palace changed the name of Ba Dinh Flower Garden to Hong Bang Flower Garden. In 1954, when our troops took over the capital, the old Governor's Palace next to Ba Dinh Square was used as the Presidential Palace.

From here, Ba Dinh Square became a regular venue for large rallies on historical anniversaries, as well as a place to welcome international delegations visiting Vietnam. A few years later, on the opposite side of the Square, the Government built the National Assembly Hall (later renamed Ba Dinh Hall), and next to it was the Monument to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland.

On September 2, 1969 , President Ho Chi Minh passed away. Ba Dinh Square once again became a witness to history, when the solemn memorial service for Uncle Ho - the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people - took place here. Not long after that, the Party and State decided to choose Ba Dinh Square as his eternal resting place and built the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum .

In 1990, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Uncle Ho's birth, another important historical and cultural construction was inaugurated next to the Square, the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Most recently, in the 21st century, the National Assembly House with a modern and magnificent scale was built, replacing the Ba Dinh Hall - a construction that has gone down in history.

These works have contributed to completing and making more glorious the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - Ba Dinh Square complex, where sacred values ​​and national pride converge.

In 2025, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, many solemn and meaningful activities will take place here such as: Rally Ceremony, Parade - March, art program, fireworks display along with cultural, sports and entertainment activities of national and international stature.

It can be said that this is a particularly important event - an opportunity for the entire nation to express deep gratitude to history, while at the same time arousing national pride in the people of the capital as well as the people of the whole country.

Ba Dinh Square, which has always held the value of a glorious place, over more than two-thirds of a century has become a special historical - political - cultural relic complex: Ba Dinh Hall (now the National Assembly), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Monument to Heroes and Martyrs, and many other places associated with the heroic history of the nation.

All of these have created a familiar, sacred name, a symbol of pride not only for the people of the capital, but also for our compatriots nationwide and overseas Vietnamese.

Ba Dinh Square has been, is and will forever be worthy of the trust, respect and pride of generations of Vietnamese people.

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(1) Paul francis Puginier (1835-1892), a French priest, conspired to help F.Garnie and H.Riviere attack Hanoi twice and occupy the Tonkin Delta. Later, he recruited Catholic puppet soldiers to attack and destroy the Can Vuong uprising army.

(2) The 1886-1887 anti-French uprising organized by Dinh Cong Trang, Ha Van Mao and Cam Ba Thuoc in Nga Son (Thanh Hoa) took the three villages of My Khe, Thuong Tho and Mau Thinh as bases. Here, there were three communal houses of the three villages that were arranged by the insurgents as fortresses to resist and fight the enemy, so it was named Ba Dinh.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/quang-truong-ba-dinh-noi-ghi-dau-tich-lich-su-165482.html