The Marching Song – 80 years standing alongside Vietnam’s revolutionary history

At his home in the capital city of Hanoi, painter Nguyen Van Thao shared with Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio-Television special memories about his father, the late composer Van Cao (real name: Nguyen Van Cao), and the Marching Song, which his father composed. The song was chosen by President Ho Chi Minh to be the National Anthem of Vietnam and has held that honor for 80 years.

Painter Van Thao said: “Fulfilling my father’s wish and testament, in 2016 our family donated The Marching Song to the State without asking for any conditions or material benefits. From then on, the song has belonged to the people and the country of Vietnam; it is no longer our family’s private property. We are proud of my father and of The Marching Song, the song he composed.”

The Song chosen by President Ho Chi Minh as the National Anthem

Painter Van Thao recalled: In the winter of late 1944, composer Van Cao was engaged in revolutionary activities in Hai Phong. At that time, the nation was suffering from a devastating famine caused by French colonialists and Japanese fascists. The enemies from both inside and outside had driven the country into extreme hardship.

The late composer Van Cao. Photo: Courtesy of the family

When Van Cao moved to Hanoi to work for Viet Nam Doc Lap (Vietnam Independence Newspaper – the organ of the Viet Minh Front), be composed songs to encourage the revolutionary forces, the armed units, and people from all walks of life to unite, rise up against the French colonialists and Japanese fascists, and seize power for the people.

The Marching song (Tiến quân ca) was composed in October 1944 in a small loft at 171 Mongrant Street (today No. 45 Nguyen Thuong Hien, Hanoi). With extraordinary emotion, Van Cao created Tien quan ca with a melody brimming with revolutionary fervor.

Painter Van Thao added: Before the August Revolution, revolutionary cadres had to operate in secrecy. Following organizational assignments, Van Cao secretly went to the Bat Trang pottery village on the other side of the Red River to print copies of Tien quan ca for wider distribution. The song was carved in reverse onto a stone slab and then printed copy by copy. That engraved stone is still preserved at the Vietnam Revolution Museum in Hanoi.

On August 16, 1945, at the Tan Trao National People's Congress in preparation for the General Uprising of the August Revolution, President Ho Chi Minh personally chose Tien quan ca by Van Cao as the National Anthem of the newly founded Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Painter Van Thao recalls his father and The Marching Song. Photo: Cong Nghia

He said: When choosing the National Anthem, three songs were presented to President Ho Chi Minh: The Marching Song and Viet Minh Soldier (both by Van Cao), and “Wipe out the fascists” by Nguyen Dinh Thi. Ho Chi Minh selected The Marching Song because of its simple march rhythm - easy to sing, easy to remember, and suitable for everyone. When musician Van Cao was still alive, he recounted: After President Ho Chi Minh chose The Marching Song as the National Anthem on August 16, 1945, that very evening, the army commanded by General Vo Nguyen Giap marched out at the Tan Trao banyan tree, sang the Marching Song loudly and received the red flag with a yellow star, marking the beginning of the historic August Revolution and the seizure of power. On August 17, 1945, the Marching Song was performed publicly for the first time at a mass rally in Hanoi in support of the Viet Minh against Tran Trong Kim’s government.

Another milestone came on August 19, 1945, when composer Van Cao himself conducted the Young Pioneer choir to sing the Marching Song in front of the Hanoi Opera House, after which our armed forces advanced to seize the Bac Bo Residence, taking control of the government.

Painter Van Thao remembered his father’s words: “ During his lifetime, my father often said that he never forgot that overwhelming moment of joy and emotion when the Marching Song resounded in the streets, together with the image of the red flag with the golden star flying proudly.”

In his memoirs, the late musician Van Cao wrote with deep emotion: “All around me, thousands of voices sang the rousing verses. On everyone’s sleeves, red flags with golden stars had replaced the yellow armbands of the Tran Trong Kim government.”

Enduring with the Nation

Since its birth 81 years ago and being chosen as the National Anthem 80 years ago, the Marching Song has been inseparably tied to Vietnam’s revolutionary history. The pinnacle came on September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, when the Liberation Army band, conducted by composer Dinh Ngoc Lien, played the Marching Song as President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Painter Van Thao plays the Marching Song on the piano beneath a portrait of his father, the late composer Van Cao. Photo: Cong Nghia

Painter Van Thao revealed a small adjustment made before that historic day: prior to the performance on September 2, 1945, composers Nguyen Huu Hieu and Dinh Ngoc Lien discussed with Van Cao and agreed to shorten two notes in the song—specifically, the first “re” note on the word “doan” and the “mi” note in the word “xac”—to give the anthem a more powerful resonance.

Later, another lyric adjustment was made: the line “Swear to tear apart the bodies and drink blood of the enemy” was changed to “Our glorious path is built on the corpses of our foes”, softening the expression but keeping its heroic spirit.

During his lifetime, Ho Chi Minh regarded Van Cao as an intellectual and patriot of great integrity. Though not yet a Party member, Van Cao was invited by Ho Chi Minh to participate in the Gold Week campaign and was later officially admitted to the Party. In August 1948, he was among the first to be awarded the Resistance Medal by Ho Chi Minh, who personally signed and inscribed: “To composer Van Cao, a talented musician who composed The Marching Song.”

Painter Van Thao recounted a story that underscores the everlasting and strong vitality of the song Tien Quan Ca with the Vietnamese revolution. That was in 1981, the last session of the 6th National Assembly, the State decided to launch a campaign to compose a new National Anthem. This campaign was carried out elaborately and widely and received nearly 1,500 songs sent by musicians.

However, in the end, the National Assembly still decided to keep the song Tien Quan Ca as the National Anthem. One of the reasons why thousands of new songs could not replace the position of Tien Quan Ca was that the Party and State leaders at that time also saw that the National Assembly's decision was the will of the people, so they agreed to continue choosing The Marching Song as the National Anthem.

Nguyen Quynh Van, daughter of painter Van Thao and granddaughter of composer Van Cao, expresses her pride. Photo: Cong Nghia

Today, whenever the anthem is sung, it ignites deep sense of pride in the hearts of all Vietnamese. The Marching Song truly deserves its place as a national treasure, accompanying every stage of Vietnam’s revolutionary history from colonial oppression, to the victorious August Revolution, the birth of the Democratic Republic, the resistance wars against French colonialists and American imperialists, and nearly four decades of national renewal.

Composer Van Cao (1923–1995) was honored with the First-class Independence Order (1993), posthumously awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts (1996), and posthumously awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order (2016)

By: Cong Nghia

Translated by: Trieu Ngan- Thu Ha