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Hanoi - where pride is adorned in the color red.
In late August, streets like Hang Ma, Hang Luoc, Dinh Tien Hoang, and around Hoan Kiem Lake were filled with the vibrant red of flags, banners, and slogans. Generation Z in Hanoi saw this as a "stage" to prepare for September 2nd. They "hunted" for products printed with the yellow star, red scarves, and cute little accessories like hair clips, bracelets, and fabric bags in the symbolic color. Many young people took advantage of the opportunity to take photos before the holiday on streets adorned with red flags or at historical sites, both to preserve memories and to have content to post on social media.
Hanh Hanh, a travel blogger currently living in Hanoi, shared that she bought a scarf printed with the Vietnamese flag to take photos of herself checking in on the streets of Hanoi, adorned with flags and flowers, ahead of National Day. “Every year on September 2nd, I want to have a new set of photos to see myself growing through each holiday. It’s like a diary of my youth, with the national flag as the recurring theme,” Hanh said.
Beyond just clothing, Hanoi's Gen Z is also preparing for community events. The "Homeland in My Heart" concert and historical programs and events in August, such as "Hanoi - From the Historic Autumn of 1945" and "Proud to be Vietnamese" at Ba Dinh Square this year, attracted a large number of young people. Minh Thu, a student at a university in Hanoi, said she had booked tickets for events taking place before September 2nd, but buying tickets was extremely difficult, especially for the "Homeland in My Heart" concert on August 10th. "Participating in the intense ticket-buying battle, I saw many people, young people like myself, also eager to join in the atmosphere of national pride," Thu said.
Gen Z eagerly embraces the atmosphere of national pride in collective events.
Ahead of the momentous event on September 2nd, Gen Z's excitement is evident in their countdown stories, their plans for check-ins, and their preparations for "camping overnight" along the parade route. Thanh Hien (24 years old, Thai Nguyen) and his girlfriend have also planned to participate in the A80 parade. Hien researched the parade routes and viewing spots, bought shirts and national flags, and prepared water bottles, fans, power banks, folding chairs, or mats for comfortable viewing.
On the evening of August 21st, the rehearsal for the parade attracted a large crowd of people of all ages, including many Gen Z youth. Social media was flooded with images and videos capturing the sounds of trumpets and drums filling the night sky, the melodious chants, and the footsteps of the marching contingents amidst the cheers and applause of the people. In that atmosphere, Hạnh Hạnh felt the closeness and warmth of a large family.
Young people waited from afternoon until night to watch the rehearsal for the parade and march on August 21st.
On social media, in addition to clips of parade rehearsals, some young people are practicing and filming dance covers to revolutionary songs to post on social media platforms during holidays, turning patriotism into a creative trend.
Other provinces and cities - diverse preparations, varied choices.
While Hanoi shines brightly as a central stage, Gen Z in other provinces and cities is also preparing for the September 2nd holiday in many diverse ways. Bich Phuong from Ho Chi Minh City booked her flight to Hanoi before National Day, August 26th, with a round-trip ticket costing around 3 million VND. Phuong plans to attend the rehearsal on August 27th and the official performance on September 2nd. "Most hotels near the parade area are fully booked, so I plan to find cafes that are open all night to wait," Phuong shared.
In Ho Chi Minh City, homestays and local cafes are also decorating with flags and banners to attract young people to check in. Meanwhile, many young people, like the group of 21-year-old Vu Ngoc Dong Pha, are traveling back in time to historical sites right in the heart of the city. The Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum, the Saigon-Gia Dinh Commando Museum, or Nguyen Huu Canh Street, the longest mural street in Vietnam, have become popular meeting places these days, not only because of the free entrance but also because they create a vivid experience, helping young people connect directly with national memories. Many Gen Z groups even print their own matching t-shirts and hire photographers to accompany them to record this "journey through memories" like a documentary about youth.
Some young people have even bolder ideas, like the two young men who walked for over two months from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to watch the September 2nd parade. They are Cao Le Tuan Tu, a self-employed businessman in Ho Chi Minh City, and Nguyen Xuan Duy, a university student in Hanoi. Both started from the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City on June 5th, the same day President Ho Chi Minh left for Nha Rong Wharf to seek a path to national salvation, as a meaningful beginning. On average, Tu and Duy walked about 20 km each day. They expect to arrive in Hanoi around the end of August and visit several locations before joining the crowds for the National Day celebrations.
Two young men walked from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to attend National Day celebrations.
Some people choose a different approach, investing in a relaxing getaway, renting a homestay with mountain views to "change their sleeping place," as they jokingly call it. Holidays become an opportunity to temporarily set aside deadlines, spending a few days watching the sunrise and breathing in the fresh air. In Moc Chau, in celebration of National Day on September 2nd, locals have collectively hung red flags with yellow stars along the roads leading to the villages, becoming a popular check-in spot for some Gen Z individuals to express their pride even during their healing trips.
Many young people check in with the Vietnamese flag during their healing trips.
Not only in Vietnam, but also Vietnamese Gen Z abroad are finding their own ways to prepare. Bui Hong Hanh, currently living in Japan, said she has booked tickets with her husband and young child to return to Vietnam to celebrate Independence Day. Back home, the atmosphere of preparation is even more intimate. Many young people leave the city to return to their hometowns to reunite with their families, helping their parents clean and hang flags in front of their houses. These simple images evoke the deepest meaning of National Day: connection, gratitude, and reunion.
In all these preparations—from hunting for T-shirts with the golden star on Hang Ma Street, to long trips to "change sleeping places," from decorating small rooms into red flag studios, to vibrant exhibitions and concerts—Gen Z is showing that they are not standing outside tradition, but are continuing to renew it with creativity and the language of their generation.
From the perspective of Gen Z, National Day on September 2nd is not just a holiday, but also an opportunity to define patriotism in a youthful, modern, and inspiring way.
