As National Day (September 2) approaches, simply hearing the word “Vietnam” stirs something deeply personal in everyone's heart. With streets awash in red and familiar melodies filling the air, we are reminded of that historic autumn, when our nation voiced its aspirations for independence and freedom and began a new chapter. This day reminds us that, however different our individual paths may be, we are all connected by memory, history and love for our homeland.
In the September edition of Proud Melodies, audiences will revisit defining moments in the nation’s history through the deeply moving story of the national flag, as told by 94-year-old Colonel and composer Doan Nho, whose memories of September 2 remain indelible.
The programme also features Tran Van Thanh, a 76-year-old veteran from Vinh, Nghe An, who rode his motorcycle more than 1,300 kilometres to Ho Chi Minh City in April 2025. His 10-day journey was fueled by his desire to see the country at peace with his own eyes and to attend celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South.
More recently, Thanh set out on the road again, travelling from Nghe An to Hanoi to celebrate National Day on September 2. His image of riding his old motorcycle toward the capital with his belongings and the national flag flying behind him has inspired both admiration and emotion.
Photographer Nguyen A has made eight trips to Truong Sa, documenting memorable moments across different parts of the country, meeting people from all walks of life. He has witnessed Vietnam’s transformation firsthand. As someone who preserves time in images, he has been present at some of the nation’s most significant moments as well as the quietest scenes of everyday life.
These guests will share memories associated with national pride, each through a distinctly personal perspective. Their journeys are different, as are the ways they perceive and preserve their connection to Vietnam. Yet when the heart speaks, they converge at the same point: a shared love for the country.
Each of us is only one voice in the nation’s great symphony. Some begin with a melody. Others start with a journey, a photograph, or a good deed performed each day. But when those voices come together in pursuit of something better, they create a special kind of strength, the strength of solidarity, the strength of belief and the strength of a nation that always knows how to move forward. The generations that came before us have already written part of the homeland’s melody.
Proud Melodies, themed “Melodies of the Homeland,” will air at 8:00 p.m. on September 2 on VTV3, 2:15 p.m. on September 3 on VTV1, and 4:30 p.m. on September 3 on VTV4.
