VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam News Agency Publishing House has issued a bilingual pictorial book recording historical events in the country over the past 70 years since its independence.

Ground regained: Hanoians seize control of Tonkin Palace (August 19, 1945).

Titled Viet Nam - Dat Nuoc, Con Nguoi, Thanh Tuu Qua 70 Nam Xay Dung va Phat Trien (1945 - 2015) (Viet Nam Country & People, Achievements of 70 Years' Establishment and Development), the book brings together around 400 photographs with introductions and captions in Vietnamese and English, all arranged in a chronological order.

It highlights the August Revolution in 1945; the birth of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, the anti-French war of resistance (1946-54); the course of construction and defence of the socialist political in the North, the struggle to liberate the South and re-unify the homeland (1954-75) and the present process of defending peace, reform, integration and development (1975-2015).

Bravery: Carrying ammunition to battle.

The 312-page book is divided into three parts: Viet Nam in the Resistance War for National Liberation (1945-75); Viet Nam in the Era of Peace, Renewal, Integration and Development (1975-2015) and Viet Nam: A Beautiful Country with Rich Cultural Traditions.

"We selected photos from different sources and double checked the sources for correct information about the photos," said Phung Thi My, deputy editor-in-chief of the publishing house, primarily responsible for compiling the book.

"We encountered a lot of difficulties due to the limited time (only three months)," she said. "We spent a lot of time restoring old photos as well as commissioning introductions from historical and cultural researchers."

My further said that though the book has been ordered by the State and serves political purpose, it is not at all a dry read.

"The content is light with a lot of verses as captions to many beautiful photos of people and landscapes throughout the country," she said.

The book is priced at VND350,000 (US$16.7), and is available at bookstores across the country.

Ensuring security: Patrols safeguard territorial waters.   Jubilation: Spring in Dong Van karst plateau, Ha Giang Province.       Progress: The Bac Lieu wind power plant, located in Vinh Trach Dong Commune of Bac Lieu City in Bac Lieu Province, is a pivotal and massive project on wind energy in Viet Nam.       Paying respect: A ceremony in which people clean and decorate ancestral graves in the Cham ethnic minority group

Le Huong

VNS