A symbolic moment
10 years ago, after finishing his competition in high dancing at the 28th SEA Games, right when the music of the song "Tien Quan Ca" rang out, athlete Dao Van Thuy immediately stood in a solemn position, facing the national flag and raising his hand to greet.
The event took place in Singapore, a regional sports festival, although small compared to the world, it is an iconic image. Not only because Dao Van Thuy was an athlete of the army team, but that action seems to have become the instinct of every Vietnamese child. Having music is strict. There is music as a chao. There is music, sing. With indescribable pride...
There was a moment that made the hearts of Vietnamese people - no matter where they were, no matter what they were doing, whether in the sports arena, political conferences, or any event, calm down, the emotions increased and pride were endless. That was when the National Anthem rang out. That music is not only melody, but history, the blood and bones, the soul of the whole nation. And even more proud when speaking on the world stage.
In sports, the " Camper" has accompanied the U20 football team's boys to the Youth World Cup, the impressive men's futsal team at the Futsal World Cup, and the proud Vietnam women's football team to participate in the biggest football festival on the planet. Or the victories of athletes at the Olympics, ASIAD... And most recently, the women's volleyball team made millions of people happy when the Vietnamese National Anthem resounded at the world championship. Every time like that, the whole nation breathes together, shares pride.
The spirit of a Vietnamese man
The entire Vietnamese army goes, joins hands to save the country..., the opening line is a call, a call from history. When it resounds on international playgrounds, it is no longer simply a procedure for flag-raising ceremony. It became a symbol, a musical declaration of the will, indomitable spirit and burning patriotism of the Vietnamese people.
How can we not be moved when witnessing athletes standing on the podium receiving medals. But the young people were excited and sang enthusiastically, the gray hair and prey coaches with their hands still trembling on their left breasts. Even more, in the stands, whether thousands or just a few, the singing is still wide-open, powerful but heroic. At that moment, the difference in age, gender, occupation, religion, region... all disappeared. There is only one common sample: Vietnamese.
Memories and Aspirations
What makes "The Song of the War" special is not only its heroic melody, but also its lyrics bearing the mark of a passionate historical period. Musician Van Cao wrote in 1944 - a moment when the nation was still immersed in the long night of slavery. Each sentence, each word is the breath of an entire generation determined to stand up to regain independence.
"For the people's constant fight, Tien quickly went to the battlefield...". It's not just lyrics. That is the reality of millions of young Vietnamese people at that time, those who were willing to leave behind their youth, love, and family, to fight the resistance. Behind each line of the song is a bone marrow...
Therefore, each time singing the National Anthem is not just singing a song. Instead, it is a dialogue with history, a reminder of the sacrifices of previous generations, of the terrible price that the nation paid to have peace today. That result is a reminder: Peace has never been obvious.
Emotions at the international playground
In sports, the National Anthem is not only for those standing on the highest podium. It is for the whole group, for millions of hearts that are watching. Perhaps, at the SEA Games, when the National Anthem is repeatedly played at medal awarding ceremonies, the "affection" is so great that it can only make a proud smile. But in big playgrounds - where being present is a miracle - the National Anthem becomes immensely sacred.
As in the 2023 World Cup of the Vietnam women's team. Although the results were defeats, the moment the team members sang together in front of tens of thousands of international audiences was the moment that made millions of people in their hometown cry. That is an affirmation: The Vietnamese people have arrived, and are ready to lift their heads in front of international friends.
Or the futsal team that surprised the world when they passed the group stage at the World Cup. The little boys played with all their spirit and enthusiasm, to let the National Anthem resound in an arena that Vietnamese sports had only dared to dream of before. At that moment, the National Anthem was the beat of a nation eager to assert itself.
And now, in the atmosphere of the whole country celebrating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, the Vietnamese National Anthem accompanies the volleyball girls at the World Championship in Thailand. Trust and pride cannot be expressed in words.
Listen and understand
However, singing the National Anthem is not just for singing and listening!? Instead, we must listen and understand what our ancestors have gone through. That is the song of a nation that has gone through so much pain, but has never given up. And when singing, let those lyrics be absorbed, to remember that the responsibility of today's and future generations is not only to live in peace, but also to build a country worthy of all sacrifices.
The world is also proud to sing their National Anthem. The Vietnamese people, when singing the National Anthem, are proud of their heroic history, because we have come out of the fiery days, from the darkness of slavery to the free light. And the price is immeasurable.
The Fatherland calls out his name
The national anthem is not only for international events. The song is also present at flag-raising events on Monday mornings at schools, at the commemoration of heroic martyrs, on National Day September 2. No matter the space, it is the power of connection, arousing patriotism and national pride.
For those who have grown up, each time the National Anthem is played, it is a time to educate the younger generation - for a part who is still indifferent, and consider singing the National Anthem every morning at the beginning of the week as just a procedure - about the first lesson about love for the Fatherland.
In today's flat world, when the boundaries are fading, when young people are increasingly caught up in global trends, there is one thing that still holds us back to the origin: the national anthem. That is identity, a call from history, a belief towards the future.
Every time the National Anthem is sung, it is a reminder that the Vietnamese people have gone through years of hardship so that today they can sing high among friends around the world. For every Vietnamese person - whether living in their homeland or in other countries - when the song "Marching Song" is played, all hearts are in the same rhythm of pride, gratitude, and aspiration.
Because that is the call of the Fatherland...
