In 2005, I was fortunate to meet Dang Van Viet, a revered elder, in Hue, where he had come from Hanoi to join the 60th anniversary of the Frontline Youth School. There, I learned that he was the one who, together with a comrade, raised the red flag with the yellow star over the Phu Van Lau (Phu Van Pavilion) flagpole on August 21, 1945-when the August Revolution had yet to break out, Japanese forces were still armed, and the Nguyen dynasty still stood in the imperial capital of Hue.

There are flags that have passed through the smoke and fire of war, stretched against storms and floods, and flown proudly at historic milestones. Every fold, every thread is soaked with sweat and tears, embracing the shape of the homeland, igniting faith and pride in the hearts of generations

Beneath the bright red national flag proudly flying over the skies of Truong Sa (Spratly Islands), we silently call out the names of the heroic martyrs who gave their lives to defend the sacred seas and islands of our homeland, hearing their echoes within the gentle murmur of waves welcoming a new, peaceful day.

In 2020, when male officials and civil servants of the Department of Culture and Sports wore ao dai during working days and the weekly flag-raising ceremony, it immediately sparked controversy online. Then, it was not just the cultural sector, at important events, the provincial leaders (now Hue City) and intellectuals also began wearing ao dai. The appearance of the traditional ao dai for both men and women at cultural and educational events made the ceremonies more solemn, elegant, and impressive.

Already a familiar face among startup CEOs in Hue, this time I met with Ngo Duc Vuong - Director of Hue One Food Company, whose flagship product has been dubbed “Hue Pizza” - the Thuan An pressed rice cake. We chatted over coffee in Grand Prairie, Texas, as he continued his mission of spreading the story of Hue’s entrepreneurial journey through the pressed rice cake and promoting Hue culture in the U.S market.

Appearing during the revolutionary movement in 1940 in the South, the red flag with yellow star – a particularly sacred symbol of Vietnam– is closely associated with the Vietnamese People’s history of defence and preservation of national independence, as well as the renewal and development process, standing shoulder to shoulder with great powers across the five continents.

On the evening of January 11th, in Trung Son Commune (A Luoi District), the Border Guard Command of Hue City, in collaboration with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue City, organized the flagship program “Border Spring warms the people’s hearts” in celebration of the At Ty Lunar New Year - 2025.

Within the closing ceremony of the Visit Vietnam Year - Dien Bien 2024 on the evening of December 22, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong and the leaders of Dien Bien Province handed over the flag to Thua Thien Hue Province to host the Visit Vietnam Year 2025.

Though without the vibrant flowers adorning the streets and alleys, nor the sweet confections filling every kitchen, the excitement and national pride on Independence Day remain undiminished in the hearts of every Vietnamese citizen. This sacred and eternal spirit continues to shine through the colours of the flag and the clothes worn in the rhythm of today's life.

The working trip to the Spratly Archipelago lasted 18 days, but for me, the emotions in my heart are forever filled with years, when I "touched" the sacred waves. Tearful, I looked up at the proudly flying National Flag, imprinting the national image on waves, carrying the image of a resilient soldier in the open sea, and bursting into a heroic song: "The Fatherland’s echoes from the sea..."