The Ho Chi Minh City Command said on Tuesday it was renovating the ground at Bach Dang Wharf to place 18 ceremonial cannons, each weighing four to five metric tons, in celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s reunification on April 30.

Grass carpets, lights, and stone benches are being removed, and the ground is being resurfaced with concrete.

The Ho Chi Minh City Command confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday afternoon that the Ministry of National Defense, after conducting a survey, selected Bach Dang Wharf Park in District 1 as the location for placing the ceremonial cannons. 

This area is spacious, solemn, and suitable for a cannon display. It also provides a good vantage point for the public to observe the display.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has also agreed to assign the Ho Chi Minh City Command to renovate the area. As each cannon weighs between four and five metric tons, the ground must be reinforced with concrete.

District 1 handles the relocation of technical infrastructure such as lights, stone benches, and grass carpets. The Ho Chi Minh City Command is in charge of the ground renovation. 

Trees in other areas along Ton Duc Thang Street will be trimmed to create an unobstructed view for the public to watch a helicopter display.

After the holiday, the administration in District 1 will restore the area.

In a report about preparations for the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s reunification on April 30, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, stated that on April 30 morning, there would be several events in Ho Chi Minh City, including the firing of 21 cannon salutes in the background of the national anthem of Vietnam.

The event will also feature a flyover of the air force, with 13 helicopters, nine YAK-130 aircraft, and seven Su-30MK2 jets; a procession of vehicles carrying models of the national emblem, the Party's flag, the national flag, a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, and a model symbolizing 50 years of Vietnam’s reunification; and military, militia, and police parades.

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