In the bustling atmosphere of celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025), many people set up tents and lined up very early on major roads around Ba Dinh Square to reserve their seats to watch the A80 parade and parade.
Among them, the appearance of a familiar face on social networks - Korean blogger Dragon Kim - has attracted special attention.
Known as one of the "foreign YouTubers who love Vietnam", Dragon Kim has lived in Vietnam for 8 years. He is not only famous for his videos exploring culture and history, but also for his ability to read the 5 things Uncle Ho taught.
Its no surprise that Vietnamese people wait days to watch the parade
Sharing with Lao Dong Newspaper, Dragon Kim said he was not surprised to see thousands of people lining up, spreading tarpaulins, sleeping on the sidewalk to reserve their seats for decades before the parade.
"I have loved Uncle Ho for the past 20 years. I am a foreigner and have such deep affection, so Vietnamese people will certainly be much more intense. Therefore, the fact that they waited for 35 - 40 hours before the parade and march did not surprise me, he said.
During the A80 parade preparation, preliminary and final rehearsals, instead of attending fully, Dragon Kim chose to visit the "red addresses" of Vietnamese history.
He once went to Quang Tri Ancient Citadel - the place associated with the heroic battle of our army and people in the 81 days and nights of 1972, which left a strong impression on him through the film "Red Rain".
This blogger also went to Binh Hoa village (now Van Tuong commune, Quang Ngai), where the tragic massacre caused by the "Green Dragon" Brigade occurred in 1966.
I have apologized to those there the children of the civilians murdered, the male blogger shared.
Dragon Kim's original plan was to visit Uncle Ho's hometown in Nghe An. However, due to not having train tickets to return to Hanoi in time for the general parade and parade (8.30), he decided to postpone the trip to focus on watching the official A80 parade and parade, and plans to continue his journey to the Central region after the National Day.
Ready for National Day
To celebrate this year's National Day, Dragon Kim decided to dye her hair red - yellow with the image of a red flag with a yellow star. He revealed that this was the 5th time he had created this special hairstyle.
To get that hair color, I had to remove all the black, very burning. But if I was upset for a few days and all the Vietnamese people felt happy, it was completely worth it, he said with a smile.
Dragon Kim said he had prepared a seat and would camp overnight with people on Tran Phu - Hung Vuong street, near Ba Dinh square to watch the parade, carry a red flag with a yellow star and a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh.
Not only that, he also spent money to print 4,000 handheld fans printed with maps of Vietnam and national holiday slogans to send to soldiers participating in the parade, veterans and the elderly to watch the parade.
The total cost is about 40 million VND, of which 30 million is mine, the remaining 10 million is supported by some Korean businessmen who marry Vietnamese women, he said.
At the end of the conversation, Dragon Kim did not forget to read 5 things Uncle Ho taught, making many Vietnamese people present on the streets of Hanoi excited.
He further revealed that the Truth National Political Publishing House invited him to cooperate to publish a book about his journey of attachment and love for Vietnam.
Not only creating a normal YouTube channel, Dragon Kim has become a special cultural bridge, inspiring international friends to better understand the country and people of Vietnam.
At the important moment of the 80th anniversary of National Day, his presence in the crowd waiting to watch the parade further highlighted the deep affection that a foreigner had for Vietnam.
