The exhibition also featured videos which highlight special occasions in relation to these three symbols in recent years, including the first appearance of Vietnam’s flag at the United Nations headquarters, or the cornerstones imprinted with the national emblem at Truong Sa archipelago. Here, we had the chance to see original writings preserved by the Archive. The talk ended with a visit to the exhibition of this iconic trio. Artist Bui Trang Chuoc’s writing and design modifications through the years are currently being stored at the Centre, in the exhibition area. The editing task was reassigned to artist Tran Van Can, who was mistaken as the original author for an extensive period of time. Later on, due to a confidential mission, artist Bui Trang Chuoc was sent abroad. In the text “I Draw the National Emblem” on display at National Archives Centre III, Bui Trang Chuoc wrote: “A copy was given to comrade Con to present to Uncle Ho, which received his suggestion as followed: the anvil represents individual crafts, thus it should be replaced with a symbol of the modern industry.” Since then, the emblem design has had the cogwheel like it does today, with the circular shape propped up, creating a strong, solid feel. At last, the design most similar to the current national emblem, with the circular shape, rice crops and anvil, was meticulously selected. In October 1954, of more than 300 entries sent by various artists, only 15 designs of Bui Trang Chuoc were selected to present to the Government. My father even went out into the rice fields and studied the ripe crops to accurately depict them.” Bui Minh Thuy shared with us: “To design the national emblem, my father looked for the images closest to Vietnamese people’s heart, the ones linked to Vietnam’s villages, the rice agriculture, or symbols rich in historical and cultural values of the Vietnamese. He created 112 sketches, researches and dozens of detailed designs he wanted to include on the emblem. Here, he entered the campaign to design Vietnam’s national emblem. In 1953, artist Bui Trang Chuoc, who was previously designing postage stamps and banknotes for the State Bank of Vietnam, was assigned to the Legal Department in the Prime Minister’s Office to create certificates and merit medals for the Government. The national emblem was the last to be created among the three elements, and also one with a tortuous history. National Archives Centre III still kept many of those entries, as well as the original version of the Army Marching Song with the lyrical modifications penned by the late composer Van Cao himself. The competition attracted thousands of entries with 17 selected as the finalists, but following the people’s wish, the Army Marching Song remained as the national anthem. The song was also almost replaced in 1981, when the 6th National Assembly decided to open a campaign to find a new national anthem that would better fit the new era. In English, both words bear the same meaning of “mountains and rivers” in the literal sense – and “one eternal Vietnam” in the broader context). (Translator’s note: In the Vietnamese version, there is a slight nuance when the word “núi sông” was changed to “nước non”. (“The path to glory is built by the bodies of our foes”) (“We swear to flay the enemies and drink their blood” )Įxpressing the hatred towards the enemy who caused a severe famine at the time, was changed to By the time President Ho Chi Minh approved the song as Democratic Republic of Vietnam’s national anthem on 13 August 1945, the piece had undergone several modifications in its lyrics. The Army Marching Song was not yet made the national anthem then. “There are many theories and conjectures about its author, however, as an archives centre which bases its work on data and science, we could not say for sure who the original author of the national flag is”, said Ms. ![]() In its early stage – from the first appearance to 1955 – the golden star shape on the flag was more inflated, amusingly dubbed the ‘fat-star flag’. The original design has been kept since, with only small changes added. Le Thi Ly shared with the audience, “golden star on red” had the colours of Vietnamese’s people skin and blood, and the five-pointed star represented the solidarity of five social classes – intellectuals, peasants, workers, traders and soldiers, united in the star shape, determined to fight and sacrifice for the freedom and independence of the nation. The flag design most similar to the current one, with a golden five-pointed star on a red background, first appeared in 1940 in the Southern Revolutionary war. ![]() Going into the main topics, the talk brought us back to the early days of the Revolution.
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