On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, before millions of fellow citizens, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, founding the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This was the greatest historical event in modern Vietnamese history, marking the end of nearly a century of French colonial rule and the overthrow of a feudal order that had existed for thousands of years.
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by President Ho Chi Minh himself, opens with quotations from the American Declaration of Independence (1776) and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1791): 'All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights; among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.' This bold opening placed Vietnam on equal footing with the world's most progressive nations, while using the West's own principles to negate their right to rule.
The ceremony took place on a stage erected at Ba Dinh Square — which would later become the site of every major national event. Hundreds of thousands of people from across the city and surrounding provinces gathered. During the reading of the declaration, Ho Chi Minh paused and asked: 'Compatriots, can you hear me clearly?' — a simple, intimate question that prompted millions of hearts to answer in unison.
The 1945 Declaration of Independence was not only a founding legal document but also an outstanding work of political literature, expressing Ho Chi Minh's profound humanism and the Vietnamese people's longing for independence and freedom. The document has been translated into dozens of languages and is studied at universities around the world as a model founding document.
September 2 is observed annually as the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, celebrated across the country with military parades, fireworks, and cultural events. Ba Dinh Square — home to President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and the Ho Chi Minh Stilt House within the Ho Chi Minh Presidential Palace Historic Site — is the nation's most sacred site, welcoming millions of pilgrims each year.