(VOVworld)- Ba Dinh square is one of Hanoi’s most famous historical relic sites. At Ba Dinh square 69 years ago, on September 2, 1945 President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Half a million people from Hanoi and neighboring areas attended this historic event.

President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945.

"My countrymen. All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The immortal statement in the Declaration of Independence that President Ho Chi Minh read at Ba Dinh square 69 years ago affirmed Vietnam’s independence and opened an era of independence and freedom for oppressed, colonial nations all over the world. The profoundly significant statement still echoes in the minds of Vietnamese people when they visit Ba Dinh square. Also at Ba Dinh square, after September 2, 1969, a mourning service for President Ho Chi Minh was held with thousands of Vietnamese people and foreign friends attending. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum at Ba Dinh square attracts hundreds of visitors every day.

Few Vietnamese or foreign visitors to Hanoi miss the chance to visit Ba DInh square, especially if they are in Hanoi on the occasion of Vietnam’s National Day, September 2. Nguyen Huu Chinh was among the war veterans from Phu Tho province visiting Ba Dinh square on the occasion of National Day, September 2^nd: “We visited Ba Dinh square, the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the Ho Chi Minh museum and President Ho Chi Minh’s work place and residence. We remember in 1969, when we were on the BCK battlefield, we heard about Uncle Ho’s death. At that time, we were determined to realize President Ho Chi Minh’s wish to reunify the country. We fulfilled our task after liberating the south and reunifying the country in April 1975”.

For many Vietnamese, especially those in the central and southern regions, visiting Ba Dinh square, paying tribute to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and visiting President Ho Chi Minh’s work place and residence is their lifetime wish. Nguyen Thi Hanh, a visitor from the south-central province of Binh Thuan, told VOV: “I paid tribute at President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum today. I also visited the Uncle’s house and the fish pond. I was very moved to see the President’s portrait and his belongings. President Ho Chi Minh contributed greatly to the nation but could not live until Victory Day. I learned many things from Uncle Ho through this visit and I will tell my children about it. Visiting President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi and learning his teachings, we are all determined to follow his work to contribute to the nation’s development”.

Ba Dinh square is the largest square in Vietnam. It is 320 meters long and 100 meters wide, covers 240 grass squares with 1.4 meter wide aisles. At the center of the square is a 25-meter high flag pillar. Ba Dinh square is the venue for mass parades to mark Vietnam’s major celebrations.