Work started on a national flagpole to be erected at the Lung Po Border Station, A Mu Sung commune, in the northern Lao Cai province’s Bat Xat district on March 26 to celebrate the 85th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

The Lung Po national flagpole is being built on an area of 2,100 m2 and will have a total height of 41 metres, in which the tower will measure 31.43 metres in height (representing the height of the rooftop of Vietnam and Indochina - Fansipan peak at 3,143 metres) and the flag column to measure 9.57 metres, in addition to the large national flag which measures 25 m2, representing the 25 ethnic groups in the mountainous border province of Lao Cai.

A total capital of VND12 billion (US$540,000) for the facility has been raised from social sources from institutions, enterprises and individuals outside the province and contributions from the locality’s youth union members.

The first phase of the project is expected to complete by December.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Secretary of Lao Cai provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People's Council Nguyen Van Vinh stressed the flagpole’s importance in affirming sovereignty of national borders.

Secretary of Lao Cai’s Youth Union Giang Quoc Hung said that the facility affirms the will and willingness of the youth in volunteering for national construction and development, contributing to educating the younger generations on patriotism as well as facilitating local tourism.

Lung Po is a stream in Bat Xat district, dividing the Vietnam-China border. Lung Po meets the Hong (Red) River at the border landmark No. 92, marking the first starting point of the Red River on Vietnamese territory.