The distinctive feature of the three parade floats on Ba Dinh Square on September 2nd.

Few people know that the creator of those ceremonial vehicles is an artist and military officer of the Vietnam People's Army. He has had the honor of designing ceremonial vehicles many times for important national events.

One day in mid-August, in his small office on the third floor of a building on Ly Nam De Street (Hanoi), Lieutenant Colonel and artist Nguyen Tuan Long (Assistant Art Officer of the entire army, Propaganda Department, General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army) was busy with professional phone calls to the construction unit regarding the progress of the entire ceremonial vehicle complex.

In the weeks leading up to September 2nd, along with many other forces, artist Long also "geared up" his spirits to work tirelessly so that his "spiritual children" could soon take shape.

Ten years ago, on the occasions of the 40th anniversary of national reunification, the 70th anniversary of National Day, and most recently the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, Lieutenant Colonel and artist Nguyen Tuan Long and his team were honored to be entrusted with the task of designing and creating the ceremonial vehicles.

Speaking to VietNamNet, Mr. Long introduced each stack of A4 paper, from the initial sketches to the complete 3D versions drawn on the computer. “I don’t remember the exact date I started drawing these ceremonial objects, but with the honor of having been given this task many times, I always have ideas running through my mind; I don’t just start working when I’m given a task,” Mr. Long confided.

"In my personal opinion, the ceremonial floats are a special part of national celebrations," said artist Long. Ceremonial decorations can take place indoors or outdoors. The ceremonial floats, however, are a moving outdoor display, enhanced and elevated by the art of visual arts.

The ceremonial floats are an important part of major national celebrations, comprising elaborately designed and meticulously decorated vehicles with high symbolic value, representing political significance and national spirit. They lead and open parades and processions to demonstrate the solemnity and dignity of the event. Therefore, the role of the ceremonial floats is different from that of ordinary propaganda floats.

Artist Long explained that, traditionally, national-level commemorative events feature three ceremonial vehicles: one carrying the national emblem, one carrying a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, and one carrying a symbol reflecting the theme of the anniversary year. Therefore, the design and execution, in addition to artistic expertise, must always adhere closely to the ideological premise and nature of the event itself.

From the moment he was entrusted with this responsibility, "with the spirit of a soldier, an artist, and especially with the spirit of a Vietnamese citizen," Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tuan Long recognized this as an exceptionally important task, always prioritizing his duty. His pride in his country and his gratitude to history acted as catalysts, bringing his ideas to life. "Every day, walking along streets adorned with red flags, my heart overflows with pride, sometimes even tears of emotion," he explained.

The requirement is that the ceremonial vehicles must embody the most essential and distinctive aspects of the Vietnamese nation. However, they also need to convey the solemnity and dignity of the event; evoking a heroic spirit, self-respect, and national pride.

Mr. Long stated that the design needs to ensure ideological rigor, closely linked to the political significance and historical elements of the event; contribute to spreading the ideological values ​​of the new revolutionary period through concise and condensed forms and language of expression; demonstrate maximum artistic quality; and strongly reflect national culture...

With the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2nd, the vehicle parade design must be commensurate with the scale and significance of the celebration and the space of Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

Withvehicle carrying the national emblemMr. Long shared that the ceremonial float for the National Day celebration will be different from those for the victory celebrations. “For the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the float carrying the national emblem was designed with a combination of symbolic elements and the vehicle body to reflect the fighting spirit and victory of the Dien Bien Phu soldiers of yesteryear. Meanwhile, this time, the float carrying the national emblem will exude solemnity and splendor with elements characteristic of the national spirit,” he said.

The vehicle carrying the national emblem is constructed from two closely related blocks in terms of content and meaning (the ceremonial block and the vehicle body) that convey a message and ideology.

The vehicle's design is inspired by the "rowing boat" motif – a pattern found on Dong Son bronze drums, symbolizing "the strength of collective unity"; combined with the main ceremonial block comprising: the national emblem, the Party flag, and the national flag in the center. The intention is to honor and praise the Party and Government for successfully leading the national unity.

With a design that emphasizes forward movement, the motifs reflecting traditional Vietnamese culture are expressed through simplified shapes and carefully selected colors in the dominant "red and yellow" tones, giving the vehicle a magnificent, majestic, and dignified appearance.

The procession, combined with the parade of vehicles, represents the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. The overall mass of vehicles carrying the national emblem symbolizes the spirit of national unity of Vietnam, a commitment to following the socialist path chosen by the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, and the Vietnamese people – guiding the "Vietnamese revolutionary ship" to the shores of glory and happiness.

WithA vehicle carrying a statue of President Ho Chi Minh."Mr. Long shared emotionally that, compared to previous commemorations, the image of President Ho Chi Minh will be portrayed in a very special way," he added.

The image of the great President Ho Chi Minh shines brightly, with a calm and warm gesture, beside a block of national flags forming the shape of the letter S. The overall structure of the vehicle is stylized like a flower stem made from lotus petals, symbolizing purity and praising the noble, simple, approachable, and affectionate nature of Uncle Ho towards the Vietnamese people.

Through coherent sculptural forms, harmonious colors, and traditional-style vehicles, and especially with the procession of the statue of President Ho Chi Minh, he said this is a visual innovation to bring the public the most authentic and solemn impressions and emotions.

The procession, combined with the costumes and props of the marching youth, creates a vibrant symphony of colors, a joyful and exhilarating atmosphere, reflecting the sacred love and aspirations that Uncle Ho had for the future generations of the country.

According to artist Nguyen Tuan Long, the float symbolizing the 80th anniversary is the highlight of the celebration. He explained that the float for the 80th anniversary of National Day is completely different from the one for the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

"We were conscious of and oriented our creative work so that, in addition to meeting the necessary requirements for the anniversary celebration, we also had to closely adhere to and reflect the ideological proposition and political significance of the new revolutionary period - the period when Vietnam entered a new era, an era of national resurgence," he stated clearly.

The main image of the vehicle is the national flag, shaped to represent strength and a spirit of "soaring and taking flight," symbolizing the aspiration for a "strong and enduring nation - a prosperous and happy country." The star-shaped design, like a pioneer leading the way, reflects the nation's desire to shine, reach greater heights, and soar to greater heights in the new era.

The overall convoy of vehicles conveys a spiritual message about Vietnam's strength, proudly and steadily moving forward. The procession, combined with the costumes and props of the parade participants, will create a powerful movement, generating a positive visual impression and a beautiful aesthetic experience.

Based on the completed drawings and approved by the competent authorities, the ceremonial vehicles designed by Lieutenant Colonel and artist Nguyen Tuan Long and his construction team, after much difficulty and hard work, made their first appearance at the rehearsal, preliminary rehearsal, and final rehearsal of the parade on Ba Dinh Square and performed their official duties in the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Photos: Pham Hai - The Bang

Design: Pham Luyen