On April 30, 1975, at 10:45 AM, T-54B tank No. 843 of the People's Army of Vietnam crashed through the side gate of Independence Palace, followed by tank No. 390 breaking through the main gate, marking the end of the Vietnam War after more than 20 years. This was the historic moment an entire nation had waited for across generations.
The Ho Chi Minh Campaign began on April 26, 1975 with five army corps advancing from different directions, totaling more than 230,000 troops. Before this, the central provinces and Central Highlands had already been liberated in the Central Highlands Campaign (March 1975) and the Hue–Da Nang Campaign. The speed of the advance left the Saigon government unable to organize effective defenses.
At 11:30 AM the same day, the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was raised at Independence Palace. President Duong Van Minh — who had taken office just two days earlier — announced unconditional surrender on radio: 'I declare the Saigon government surrenders unconditionally to the Liberation Forces of South Vietnam.' The 21-year war (1954–1975) officially ended.
The events of April 30, 1975 ended one of the most prolonged and devastating wars of the 20th century, in which more than 3 million Vietnamese died on both sides, with millions more wounded and displaced. It opened an era of national reunification after over 20 years of division under the Geneva Accords of 1954, leading to the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976.
April 30 is observed annually as the Day of Southern Liberation and National Reunification — Vietnam's most important national holiday after Lunar New Year. Independence Palace (now Reunification Palace, 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 1) is preserved exactly as it was on April 30, 1975, and is a sacred historical address attracting millions of visitors each year. Tank No. 390 is displayed in the grounds of Reunification Palace as a priceless historical artifact.