Milestone 0 – The Beginning of the Legendary Road

Historical symbol

On September 9, 1964, at the foot of Dong Mountain, the first hoes were brought down by the 98th Engineer Regiment, marking the opening of one of the most important strategic routes in the history of the resistance war against the US. At that place, a large tree was cut down and erected into a simple milestone named “Km 0” – the starting point of the supply route connecting the North and the South.

From Km 0, the Ho Chi Minh Trail stretched along Truong Son. The Eastern Truong Son route alone was 1,920 km long, divided into 5 vertical systems and 21 horizontal axes, connecting battlefields from North to South. On that route, Truong Son troops transported nearly 455 million tons of military goods and 58 million tons of gasoline and oil, contributing significantly to the Great Victory of Spring 1975, completely liberating the South and reunifying the country.

Tan Ky – with the location of Km 0, is the starting point of that bloodline, where vehicles go, people come, goods are transported to the battlefield, documents and information from the South are sent to the North. The story of the transport vehicles rushing at night, of the soldiers silently doing their duty under the rain of bombs and bullets… is still vivid in the memories of Truong Son veterans.

Mr. Doan Quang Trung - former soldier of the 559th Armored Division, now Chairman of the Truong Son Association of Tan Ky district, emotionally recounted: “I am truly honored to have fought and served on the legendary Truong Son road, not afraid of hardship, not afraid of death, just hoping that the goods would reach the battlefield in time. This road not only carries goods, but also carries hope and belief in the day of victory. Milestone 0 is not only the starting point of the road but also a place to educate traditions for today's and tomorrow's young generations.”

Choosing Tan Ky district as the starting point was not accidental. This land has all the strategic elements: the system of roads 15A and 15B running through it; important high points such as Len Roi, Bo Bo and Bu Loi ranges guarding the entire region; it is the gathering place of a series of main divisions before advancing to the South. During the fierce years of resistance, Tan Ky became the target of fierce attacks by the enemy, with more than 1,000 people sacrificed, nearly 1,500 people with lifelong disabilities.

But in the midst of that fire, the human qualities of Tan Ky shone brightly. More than 20,000 people were mobilized to join the army, youth volunteers, and frontline laborers. They dug tunnels, camouflaged themselves, and protected each convoy and each artillery piece. They shot down planes, defused unexploded bombs, repaired bridges and culverts, and kept more than 100 km of transportation routes open amid falling bombs and exploding bullets.

From historical memory to modern vitality

Also here, tens of thousands of compatriots from Vinh Linh, Gio Linh, Cam Lo evacuated to the North and were taken care of and sheltered by the people of Tan Ky during the most fierce years of the war. “A bowl of rice shared in half, a grain of salt bitten in half” – these simple images have become immortal symbols of the spirit of the great rear towards the front line.

After completing its historic mission, in 1989, the Truong Son route was reconstructed and became the Ho Chi Minh trail - one of the vital traffic routes connecting the North and the South. On April 27, 1990, Km 0 was recognized as a National Historical Relic. To date, this place has become an important cultural and tourist destination of Nghe An and the whole country.

Ms. Pham Thu Hang - manager of the Historical Site of Milestone No. 0 - Ho Chi Minh Road shared: Milestone No. 0 is now built spaciously, with a traditional house displaying hundreds of war artifacts, from transport vehicles, weapons, to valuable documents. Recently, it also received a 75m² flag that flew on Hien Luong flagpole on April 30, 2023, as a vivid testament to the historical moment."

The Truong Son Road of the past – Ho Chi Minh Road today – is not just a memory. It is a bridge connecting the glorious past with the developing present and the integrated future. Every stone, every inch of land at Km 0 is a living testament to patriotism, indomitable will and the spirit of great national unity.

In the quiet space of the traditional house, among the Zin cars, mortars or supply boxes that have faded with time, immortal stories still quietly resound. The story of a road that not only connects the two parts of the country, but also connects millions of Vietnamese hearts in a desire for independence and unification.

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Every year, tens of thousands of people come here – not only to visit but also to pay their respects. Students, veterans, and overseas Vietnamese… they all find a part of the national soul here.

Ms. Pham Thu Hang - manager of Historical Site Milestone No. 0 - Ho Chi Minh Road

More will for today

Thanks to the legendary route, more than 38 km through 6 communes of Tan Ky district has become a new driving force for development. Over the years, the "fishbone" traffic system along Ho Chi Minh road has helped expand production, trade and tourism. In particular, the N5 route connecting Do Luong to Ky Tan commune has helped strengthen regional connectivity, expanding investment and trade opportunities.

In 2024, Tan Ky district will achieve and exceed all 25/25 socio-economic targets. The total production value is estimated at VND 8,800 billion, an increase of 10.1% over the previous year. To date, the district has 18 communes meeting new rural standards, of which 3 communes have met advanced standards. Hundreds of economic models of farms, family farms combined with afforestation, sugarcane cultivation... have contributed to improving people's lives.

Not only developing the economy, the district also focuses on exploiting tourism potential. From Milestone 0, visitors can easily travel to community tourism destinations such as Thai Minh brocade weaving village, Mo cave (Tien Ky), Bon waterfall (Tan Hop), thousand-year-old banyan tree (Giai Xuan) ... Tan Ky is gradually shaping itself as a cultural - historical - ecological tourism center of the Western region of Nghe An.

The legendary Ho Chi Minh Road is not only a symbol of the desire for unification, an immortal heroic epic in the resistance war against America, but today is also a fulcrum for the socio-economic, cultural and tourism development of Tan Ky in particular and Western Nghe An in general./.