Tan Trao Communal House in Tuyen Quang, where the Tan Trao National People's Congress was held on August 16-17, 1945 (Photo: Cong Luan/VOV-Dong Bac)

Viet Bac, which today comprises Cao Bang, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, and Thai Nguyen, was the cradle of Vietnam’s revolutionary movement. Those who lived through the war still remember the autumn of 1945 like it was yesterday.

"That afternoon, we lined up under this banyan tree. After we sang the ‘Marching Song,’ our national anthem, General Vo Nguyen Giap read Military Order No. 1 and we took an oath. We heeded his call with a shout. And then after three gun shots for a signal, we marched to Thai Nguyen,"

"On August 21, the Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army coordinated with the Viet Minh Front of Bac Kan province to attack the Japanese troops stationed at Bac Kan town. On August 22, the Japanese withdrew from Bac Kan. A day later, a victory rally was held and a government was established at the town’s center," a local recalled.

"We marched on and it was lively. Those who didn’t have a gun carried a stick. The Japanese troops were defeated and had to make way for us. One of our cadres announced proudly to everyone that we had taken over and were no longer slaves," another added.

When autumn comes around, the elders of Viet Bac are once again reminded of Vietnam’s glorious victory 80 years ago and share with their children stories from that time. Their land, 80 years ago, was the cradle of the revolutionary movement in Vietnam. It was a strategic location of political and military importance, which is why the enemy forces were intent on maintaining a ruling apparatus there.

From August 14-25, 1945, the Viet Minh Front led the people of Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, and neighboring localities to rise up and seize power. After thousands of years of feudal rule and 80 years of colonial rule, power in Vietnam returned to its people.
Mr. Vo Trong Con from Cao Bang said: "Celebrating the August Revolution makes me feel like I’m putting on a new set of clothes. It’s a joyous and important event, and everyone, young or old, is excited about it. Because when the revolution succeeded, we gained freedom and have since placed absolute trust in the Party and our great President Ho Chi Minh. We are forever grateful to him. He’s a great leader who declared the birth of an independent Vietnam."
Mr. Vo Trong Con from Cao Bang province (Photo: Cong Luan/VOV-Dong Bac)

80 years on, Viet Bac is more prosperous than ever. Its people’s lives are improving day by day. President Ho Chi Minh once said: “The revolution owed its success to Viet Bac, and so will the resistance war.” Today, Viet Bac remains an important landmark, where the younger generation can learn about the heroic revolutionary traditions of their forefathers.

The ethnic communities here are united and have worked tirelessly to develop Viet Bac, the former base of the resistance, into a thriving region. They are proud of having contributed, in no small part, to the August Revolution and the victory of the resistance war.
Cao Bang, once the home of the revolutionary movement in Vietnam, has become a modern and thriving city. (Photo: Cong Luan/VOV-Dong Bac)