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Nearly 200 rare photographs and historical documents are being showcased at Chi Lang Park, retracing more than 300 years of the formation, struggle and development of Sai Gon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City, from a frontier settlement to a modern metropolis.
The exhibition, themed Sai Gon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City: An epic and aspirations in a new era of national advancement, opened on Monday morning at Chi Lang Park in Sai Gon Ward.
It is one of the key events marking the 50th anniversary of Sai Gon - Gia Dinh being officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honour of President Ho Chi Minh.
The exhibition features nearly 200 photographs and archival materials that guide visitors through more than three centuries of the city's history. Displays cover major historical milestones, from patriotic movements in the late 19th century and the 1940 Nam Ky Uprising to the 1945 Southern Resistance, the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the liberation of southern Vietnam in the spring of 1975.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, said the exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the city's development, honour achievements over the past 50 years and inspire a renewed sense of responsibility and aspiration among its people.
According to Cuong, bearing the name of President Ho Chi Minh is both a great honour and a powerful motivation for the city to continue promoting its tradition of dynamism and innovation, maintaining its role as Vietnam's economic engine while pursuing a future that is modern, civilised and compassionate.
Seventy-eight-year-old Nguyen Thi Thanh said she was deeply moved while visiting the exhibition.
One display recalls February 1859, when French colonial forces attacked the Gia Dinh Citadel, marking the beginning of more than 80 years of determined resistance by the people of Sai Gon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh against colonial rule, a defining chapter in Vietnam's history.
One photograph commemorates the December 3, 1973 attack by the Rung Sac Special Forces on the Nha Be fuel depot, an operation that drew widespread domestic and international attention and contributed to the revolutionary movement.
Hoang Van Hung, head of the Ba Son neighbourhood Veterans' Association, said he felt emotional and proud when viewing the iconic image of Liberation Army troops entering the Independence Palace on April 30, 1975.
"For those of us who served, it is a moment that can never be forgotten," he said.
Another exhibit highlights July 2, 1976, when Vietnam's sixth National Assembly officially renamed Sai Gon - Gia Dinh as Ho Chi Minh City, marking a new chapter in the city's development alongside the rest of the country.
The exhibition also features the opening ceremony of the Ho Chi Minh City Securities Trading Centre on July 28, 2000, which marked the birth of Vietnam's stock market.
Displays conclude with images portraying the city's modern development and community spirit.
Nguyen Hue
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