Summary Of Parade And Marching Rehearsals For The April 30 Grand Celebration

Attending the rehearsal were: General Phan Văn Giang, Politburo Member and Minister of National Defense; General Lương Tam Quang, Politburo Member and Minister of Public Security; General Nguyễn Tân Cương, Member of the Party Central Committee, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defense; Senior Lieutenant General Phạm Hoài Nam, Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of National Defense; Nguyễn Thanh Nghị, Member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee.

According to the plan, military and police units will conduct combined parade and marching rehearsals between 8 PM and midnight. The procession will begin at Independence Palace and pass by the grandstand area at the intersection of Lê Duẩn and Pasteur streets.

Prior to these events, the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police Department (PC08) announced traffic adjustments and diversions in the city center to accommodate the rehearsals.

Accordingly, residents are advised to limit movement and avoid roads—both for vehicles and pedestrians—from 6 PM on April 18 to 1 AM on April 19, around Independence Palace and the surrounding parade area. Affected streets include: Lê Duẩn, Nguyễn Văn Chiêm, Lê Quý Đôn, Huyền Trân Công Chúa, Lê Văn Hưu, Hàn Thuyên, Alexandre De Rhodes, Công xã Paris, Đặng Trần Côn, Thủ Khoa Huân, Nguyễn Trung Trực, and Đồng Khởi.

Earlier on the same day, the Air Defense – Air Force Service continued actual flight training with formations of Mi-8, Mi-17 helicopters and Yak-130, Su-30MK2 fighter jets, preparing for the 50th Anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025).

This marks the third time the Air Force has conducted flight training in Ho Chi Minh City in preparation for the 50th Anniversary of Reunification. Notably, this is the first joint rehearsal of helicopter squadrons flying with the Party and National flags over the city.

Participating in the flag-flying formation were pilots and helicopters from Regiment 917 (Division 370), Regiment 916 (Division 371), and Regiment 930 (Division 372).

With formations of three, four, and three helicopters arranged in three vertical clusters, the teams performed visually stunning flag-flying displays featuring the Party flag and the National flag, drawing the attention of locals and tourists in Ho Chi Minh City.

After the performance, all aircraft successfully completed their flag-flying missions in line with training plans and safety protocols, accomplishing their rehearsal objectives in the central area of the city with absolute safety.