Vietnam mounted a massive celebration of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on Wednesday.

Celebrations included a grand military parade in the southern Vietnamese city of Saigon.

For the first time, a small contingent of Chinese, Laotian and Cambodian troops marched behind Vietnamese army formations.

The parade attracted huge crowds, many of whom had camped out overnight to claim a spot. The crowd, which included many young people, waved red flags and sang patriotic songs.

Helicopters carrying the national flag and jets flew over the parade near Independence Palace. About 13,000 people, including troops, militias, veterans and local citizens, took part in the parade.

The war, which started in 1954, ended on April 30, 1975 when communist-run North Vietnam seized Saigon, the capital of the US-back South Vietnam. The city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City shortly after the war, in honor of Ho Chi Minh, the North's founding leader.

'Victory of justice'

"It was a victory of justice over tyranny," To Lam, Vietnam's Communist party chief and the country's top leader, said in a speech before the parade.

He cited one of Ho Chi Minh's mottos: "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one. Rivers may dry up, mountains may erode, but that truth will never change."

The fall of Saigon, about two years after the United States withdrew its last combat troops from the country, marked the end of a 20-year conflict that killed some 3 million Vietnamese and nearly 60,000 Americans.

In his speech, To Lam also gave credit for the North's victory to "huge support" from the former Soviet Union and China as well as "solidarity" from Laos and Cambodia. He also mentioned support from "progressive" people from around the world, including those in the US.

Veterans call for peace

Former army truck driver Pham Ngoc Son, aged 69, told AP news agency there was "only space for peace and friendship" between the US and Vietnam.

"The war is over a long time ago," he said.

Another veteran, 75-year-old Tran Van Truong, traveled from the capital Hanoi to see the parade.

"I am proud of having contributed to liberating the south," he told the AFP news agency. "But what's gone is gone, I have no hatred for those from the other side of the battle," he said.

"We should join hands to celebrate the end of the war."

Vietnam has since improved its ties with the US, with this year marking 30 years since the two began diplomatic relations. In 2023, Vietnam named the US a comprehensive strategic partner, putting it on the same high level as China and Russia.

Edited by: Alex Berry