Cultural activities held to mark 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day

In the run-up to the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947–2026), Dong Nai City is organizing a wide range of cultural and artistic activities that connect the past with the present through evocative music, images and historical stories.

Artists and performers from the Dong Nai Art Theater stage an artistic performance to pay tribute to heroes, martyrs and people with meritorious services, and entertain the public.

Each program serves as a profound expression of gratitude to heroic martyrs and those who contributed to the revolution, while fostering patriotism and promoting the traditional moral value of "when drinking water, remember its source" among all segments of society, particularly the younger generation.

Paying tribute through art and digital technology

In addition to staging performances supporting local political tasks, the Dong Nai Art Theater's traditional and contemporary art troupes performed at Tap Phuoc Communal House and livestreamed its program under the theme "The Color of Red Flowers" on the theater's fan page to reach wider audiences.

Nguyen Viet Bac, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Art Theater, said that alongside live performances, the theater is applying digital technology to bring the arts closer to the public. Its fan page and YouTube channel feature numerous cai luong plays and excerpts focusing on revolutionary wars, soldiers, and heroic martyrs, including Dong chi (Comrades), Sac hoa mau nho (The Floral Colors of Remembrance), and Ong Sau rung Sac (Mr. Sau of Sac Forest). These productions help disseminate historical and cultural values to audiences both within and outside the city.

Meanwhile, the Dong Nai Library is organizing book displays and introducing numerous book titles on war invalids, martyrs, policies for people with meritorious services, historical works, and stories about heroic martyrs through its website and fan page.

One highlight is a photo collection of Ba me Viet Nam anh hung dat Dong Nai (Heroic Vietnamese Mothers in Dong Nai) through QR codes on the library's website. The collection comprises 70 portraits accompanied by information on the lives and contributions of these mothers. Although it represents only a portion of the thousands of heroic Vietnamese mothers in the city, it is regarded as a valuable resource for preserving historical memory, fostering gratitude, and promoting the spirit of patriotism throughout the community.

With a strong focus on tribute-themed works, Pham Van Hoang, Standing Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association, said members of the association's specialized sections have continued to step up the creation and promotion of works about soldiers and people with meritorious contributions to the revolution. They have also organized spoken drama stage performances for the public and the armed forces. Productions such as Dang Thuy Tram (Dang Thuy Tram) and Nhung chien binh bat tu (Immortal Warriors) have been staged, leaving a deep impression on audiences and contributing to patriotic education among the younger generation.

Free film screenings for the public

The atmosphere of tribute and remembrance is also spreading across various units and localities through mobile information campaigns, film screenings, exhibitions, and "return-to-the-roots" activities.

At the Dong Nai Center for Culture and Cinema, alongside enhancing visual communications through flags, billboards, and banners, the center has organized dozens of mobile art performances to serve residents across 95 communes and wards. It is also collecting documents and photographs for an exhibition marking the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day.

Seven mobile film screening teams from the Dong Nai Center for Culture and Cinema continue to bring Vietnamese films, including Chang vo cua em (My Mr. Wife), Vo sinh dai chien (Martial Arts Master), Tac ke pha an (The Detective Gecko), Nha cua chuon chuon (Dragonfly's House), and Co tich Viet Nam (Vietnamese Fairy Tales), to remote areas, ethnic minority communities, industrial zones, and schools. Since early July, the teams have organized 140 screenings for more than 12,000 viewers while incorporating communications on gender equality, the prevention of social evils, traffic safety, and drowning prevention.

Nguyen Tien Dung, Head of the Cinema Department at the Dong Nai Center for Culture and Cinema, said the Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is coordinating with units and localities nationwide to organize a Film Week marking the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day. The event will take place from July 21 to 28, featuring, for the first time, the participation of the entire commercial cinema system in a free film screening program serving political tasks and tribute activities for people with meritorious services. On July 22, 23, and 24, more than 190 cinema complexes nationwide, including CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Beta Cinema, will provide free screenings of revolutionary films such as Dung dot (Don't Burn), Mui co chay (Scent of Burning Grass), Nhung nguoi viet huyen thoai (The Legend Makers), Duong xuyen rung (Path Through the Jungle), Truyen thuyet ve Quan Tien (Legend of Quan Tien), and Binh minh do (Red Dawn). Two screenings will be held each day, at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., for the general public.

Across communes and wards in Dong Nai City, incense-offering ceremonies, "return-to-the-roots" activities, historical site renovation, artistic performances, and visits and gift presentations to policy beneficiary families are being held solemnly. "Red addresses" (historical revolutionary sites), including the Central Bureau for South Vietnam in Phu Ly Commune, Tan Hiep Prison in Tam Hiep Ward, Command Headquarters for the Liberation Army of South Vietnam in Loc Thanh Commune, and the mass grave of 3,000 An Loc residents massacred by U.S. imperialists on October 3, 1972, in Binh Long Ward, continue to welcome numerous delegations, particularly Youth Union members, young people and veterans, who visit to learn about the nation's history and pay tribute to heroic martyrs.

The cultural and artistic activities organized to commemorate the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947–2026) contribute to enriching the people's spiritual life and fostering national pride. They also help keep the revolutionary spirit alive and encourage the current generation to join hands in building a more prosperous, civilized and modern Dong Nai.

By My Ny – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha