Soldiers from the 96th Brigade under the Artillery Corps practiced firing cannons at Bach Dang Wharf at 8 a.m. Monday. The troops were divided into groups and practiced firing 21 salutes in turn.
15 105-mm ceremonial cannons, each weighing about 4 tons, were brought to the area from Dong Nai Province the day before.
A cannon firing rehearsal on Bach Dang Wharf. Video by Quynh Tran
The ceremonial artillery team consists of 233 officers and soldiers of Brigade 96.
The artillery site was divided into five platoons with each team consisting of three guns and each gun guarded by three people.
The ammunition used in the performance contains ball propellant, which burns quickly and cleanly and produces minimal white smoke instead of black smoke when fired.
The area from Bach Dang Wharf to the Saigon River bank was fenced off, with locals and tourists observing from behind the barrier, approximately 4 meters away.
When the practice ended, many people posed for photos with the cannons.
The cannons were arranged in straight lines and set on flat surfaces to produce a uniform sound when fired.
Outside was a fence with 250 posts and carpets stretching about 90 meters long.
Tran Thi Diem and her husband traveled over 20 kilometers from home in District 12 to see the cannons.
“This is the first time I’ve seen the cannons firing together. The atmosphere was very solemn,” said the 53-year-old woman.
Tran Quynh Trang (R), 43, and her family from Binh Thanh District went to watch the rehearsal in formal ao dai.
“My father was a special forces soldier, so I feel very proud to watch the rehearsal for the upcoming grand ceremony,” Trang said.
Le Hoang My Anh, 21, a college student, said she was impressed by the sight of the cannons lined up along the banks of the Saigon River.
“Hearing the thunderous sound of the cannons was an exhilarating experience, mixed with a sense of pride,” Anh said.
A man, carrying a small national flag, poses for photos beside the cannons.
A foreign tourist poses for photos with the cannons while walking along Bach Dang Wharf.
The cannon salute is part of a larger program that includes aerial displays and a grand parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s reunification on April 30.
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