Vietnam celebrates 80 years since declaring independence with flags, boba tea and a military parade

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam marked its National Day on Tuesday with its largest military parade in decades, as thousands packed the streets of the capital, Hanoi, after many camped overnight to witness the grand display marking 80 years of independence.

The parade unfolded at Ba Dinh Square, the site where revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh declared independence from French colonial rule on Sept. 2, 1945.

Fighting resumed soon after as Vietnamese forces battled the French in the First Indochina War, which ended in 1954 when the country was divided into Communist North and U.S.-backed South. The Vietnam War followed, during which the Communist North fought the South and its American allies. That conflict ended when Communist forces captured Saigon on April 30, 1975 and the country was unified.

Vietnam’s top leader, Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, paid tribute to those who died in the fight for independence and reiterated the ruling party's goal that by 2045 Vietnam will be a “powerful, prosperous and happy nation,” calling it “the aspiration of the entire nation, an oath of honor before history."

“We want to be a friend, be a trusted partner with all countries in the world,” he said, adding that Hanoi would never compromise on independence or sovereignty.

Columns of troops marched past as tanks, armored vehicles, and missile systems rumbled by. Helicopters flew overhead trailing giant Vietnamese flags followed by jets while a military band played martial tunes below.

Officials said nearly 16,000 soldiers joined the event, including upgraded tanks, large artillery guns on vehicles, amphibious vehicles and missile systems made by a state-owned Vietnamese company.

For the first time, it also organized a televised naval parade off the coast of the port city of Cam Ranh in southern Vietnam, featuring warships, submarines, helicopters and sea planes.

Honor guards from China, Russia, Laos and Cambodia also joined the display, which Vietnamese state media said reflected the country’s “international friendships.” China is planning to hold a massive military parade in Beijing on Wednesday to mark the end of World War II.

Crowds began arriving in Hanoi days in advance, and thousands camped on sidewalks Monday night to secure viewing spots.

Videos of the parade went viral on social media and many gathered were in their twenties, wearing red shirts with yellow stars and cheering wildly as soldiers marched past while sipping iced boba tea. People waved the country's flag or painted it on their faces. Giant screens at intersections broadcast the parade while balconies across the city were draped with more flags.

“It’s something to be proud of,” said Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, 22, who spent the night near Ba Dinh Square. “Our grandparents fought for this. Now life is better.”

Vietnam’s transformation has been among Asia’s most striking. Since opening its economy in the late 1980s, the country has become a manufacturing hub for electronics, textiles, and footwear, supplying global brands like Samsung and Nike. Poverty has dropped and the middle class is growing fast.

But new challenges loom as the country tries to balance rapid growth with reforms, aging demographics, climate risks, weak institutions and U.S. pressure over its trade surplus. And it has to do all of this while balancing relations with major powers and asserting sovereignty in the South China Sea, where it has overlapping claims with its largest trade partner, China.

People wait to watch a parade marking Vietnam's 80th National Day anniversary, at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Luong Thai Linh/Pool Photo via AP)

Vietnamese veteran Hoai Duc Vong, 92, right, waits to watch a parade marking Vietnam's 80th National Day anniversary, at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Luong Thai Linh/Pool Photo via AP)

A Vietnamese veteran waits to watch a parade marking Vietnam's 80th National Day anniversary, at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Luong Thai Linh/Pool Photo via AP)

People wait to watch a parade marking Vietnam's 80th National Day anniversary, at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Luong Thai Linh/Pool Photo via AP)

People wait to watch a parade marking Vietnam's 80th National Day anniversary, at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Luong Thai Linh/Pool Photo via AP)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)