The special friendship between Hanoi, Hue and Saigon has been preserved and developed by generations over the past sixty years, said Phan Ngoc Tho, chairman of Thua Thien Hue Provincial People’s Committee. He made the remarks at the opening of a scientific seminar entitled “Hanoi – Hue – Saigon: The Stream of national life- seen from the civilised cities” held in Hue City on October 8. 

Participants attend a scientific seminar entitled “Hanoi – Hue – Saigon: The Stream of national life- seen from the civilised cities” in Hue City on October 8/ Photo: Anh Tuan

The seminar was organised by the Union of Science and Technology Association in coordination with the Provincial Science and History Association on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the friendship of three cities of Hanoi – Hue – Saigon (October 8, 1960 - October 8, 2020).

“If looking further, we could see that the relationship between Thang Long and Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan - Hue has been over 700 years, and between Phu Xuan - Hue and Saigon - Gia Dinh is more than 320 years.”

With a long-lasting history of the three political, cultural, and economic centers that used to hold the leading positions in the country, being in a unified whole – "trees of the same root, offspring’s of a family" has a great significance.

Hue ancient city/ Photo: Caracat

This is not only the history's objective trend but also the legitimate sentiment of the people of the three regions - the strong vitality of our country, becoming a driving force for the nation's development, he said.

Do Bang, vice chairman of Vietnam Historical Science Association (VHSA) and chairman of Historical Association of Thua Thien Hue, said without Phu Xuan – Hue, there would be no Dong Nai - Gia Dinh - Saigon in the 17th to 18th centuries, but without the connection of Thang Long from the 14th to the 17th century, there would be no Phú Xuân - Hue in the 17th – 18th centuries.

Thus, the relationship between Hanoi - Hue - Saigon was formed in the Tran Dynasty at the beginning of the fourteenth century, established in the Nguyen Dynasty in the 17th and 18th centuries, and developed from the 19th century when Hue was the capital of the country and in the struggle for national independence and construction over the past century.

“In the historical process of Vietnam from the Ly Dynasty to the Nguyen Dynasty, beside Thang Long - Hanoi, Hue and Saigon are the pillars which determine the success of each journey, each stage and national unification, ” said Nguyen Quang Ngoc, vice chairman of VHSA, Director of Hanoi Center for Learning and Development.

Deep relations

The relationship between Hanoi - Hue - Saigon in history is a mutual interaction and power relations.

Although there were conflicts in the leadership, they only occurred while the division of Vietnam in the 17th-18th centuries between Thang Long - Phu Xuan and 1954 - 1975 between Saigon - Hanoi.

The nature of the issue is that the country of Vietnam is one, the people of Vietnam are one, because of the same historical origin and the same historical mission, including fighting for national reunification.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel/ Photo: Pham Hung

Commenting on the relations between Hue, Hanoi and Saigon, Phan Thanh Hai, Director of Thua Thien Hue Province’s Department of Culture and Sports, once wrote: “From the cradle of the northern delta and Thanh Nghe, Vietnamese civilization has continuously been strongly conveyed to the South through Phu Xuan – Hue centre, and then formed another center in the South --  Saigon - Gia Dinh, over the past 1,000 years.

“In the thousand years of development of Thang Long - Hanoi and the country, Hue has made a very important contribution. This correct assessment will help to recognize the nation's history more objectively and fairly.”

In the nation’s history, there are many families whose careers attached to three centres representing the three regions of the country, Hanoi - Hue - Saigon, but the most typical one is the family of general Nguyen Tri Phuong under the Nguyen Dynasty.

Talking about the patriotic family of Nguyen Tri Phuong who has sacrificed his life to protect and unite the three centres, Dr. Nguyen Tat Thang and researcher Nguyen Anh Tuan said: “A family of three people who volunteered to fight against the  French to save the country and lost their lives.Their bravery deserve to be handed down forever ".

On the occasion, participants at the seminars have suggested authorities of the three localities to set aside an adequate land fund to build “Hanoi-Hue-Saigon historical and cultural space” as recognition of long-lasting relation between the three cities and continue to foster it in the future.