On Wednesday, Vietnam celebrated 50 years since the war with the United States ended and their modern country started. They had a military parade and talked about wanting a peaceful future.

When Saigon fell on April 30, 1975, Vietnam became one country. Before that, it was split into the North (communist) and the South (helped by the U.S.). The country's main leader said that over the past years, they had become more united.

To Lam, the leader of the Vietnam Communist Party, said that all Vietnamese people are from Vietnam. He said they can live and work freely in Vietnam, and they can look for happiness and love.

He said, "We want to forget the past, respect our differences, and plan for the future. The party, people, and army promise to make Vietnam a country that is peaceful, united, rich, and growing."

Thousands of people slept in the streets of the city, which used to be called Saigon, so they could see the parade well. Later, many people stayed in the streets and had picnics. They were waiting for shows with drones and fireworks at night.

The city was full of the red and yellow colours of Vietnam's flag. You could see them on buildings, on young people's faces, and on the shirts of people who came from different parts of the country.

"Now it's time for peace," said Nguyen Thi Hue. She lives in the city and was watching. "Everyone in the world wants peace."

One float had the Lac bird. This is a mythical bird and a symbol of Vietnam. Another float had a picture of Ho Chi Minh.

Soldiers from China, Laos, and Cambodia walked after the Vietnamese soldiers. Some of these soldiers wore clothes like the soldiers from north Vietnam wore in the war. Helicopters with the country's flag and airplanes flew above the parade near Independence Palace. This is the place where a tank from North Vietnam broke through the gates on the last day of the war.

Many people gathered outside the barriers and on some streets with big screens to watch. They held up their phones and watched with big eyes, waving and cheering for the soldiers. People at home watched on TV.

Next to the leader of Vietnam were Hun Sen, the former leader of Cambodia, and Thongloun Sisoulith, the leader of the Communist Party in Laos.

Lam said that taking Saigon was a "great moment". He said it ended a 30-year fight for freedom. This fight started when they fought to remove French soldiers.

He said Vietnam is strong today because the Soviet Union and China helped it. Laos and Cambodia were also friends and supported them. Good people everywhere, even in the U.S., also helped.

Nguyen Khac Giang, an expert, said Vietnam is now focusing on peace instead of just winning wars. He said this is because the world is changing. He also said the Communist Party uses the war to show its power and that it brought the country together. But To Lam's words show that making peace is still not finished.

Giang said the war still makes Vietnam one country, but it also shows the country's problems.

Pham Ngoc Son fought in the war for the communists. He believes that today, the U.S. and Vietnam should only have peace and be friends.

"The war finished a long time ago," said the old man. He was a truck driver in the army during the war. He took soldiers and things from the north to the south on the Ho Chi Minh trail. This was a secret way North Vietnam used to send things.

This year is also 30 years since Vietnam and the U.S. started being friends.

In 2023, Vietnam and the U.S. became very important friends. This is the best relationship Vietnam has with any country, just like its relationship with China and Russia.

But there are new problems with the relationship with Washington. President Donald Trump put high taxes on goods and stopped giving money to other countries. This has made it harder to fix problems from the war in Vietnam.

Officials in Vietnam say their relationship with the U.S. is strong because America is helping with problems from the war, like the chemical Agent Orange and bombs in the countryside that can still hurt people.

Those projects might not happen now because the Trump government stopped giving a lot of money for help from the US.

Also, because the country sells many things to other countries, it is not strong in the world economy. This is because of Trump's plans for taxes on things brought into the country.

Vietnam had to pay a high tax of 46% on its products. This makes people wonder what the U.S. wants to do in Asia, according to an expert.

She said that good relations with the USA have helped Vietnam balance its relationship with its bigger and stronger neighbor, China.

Vietnam and the Philippines have had disagreements with China about the sea.

If the U.S. focuses on money and business instead of power, countries like Vietnam in Southeast Asia might not be as important to them.

She said it will depend on how the new government sees the situation in the Indo-Pacific and how countries like Vietnam are important.

A woman from the government in Washington did not want to talk about news that the Trump government told its diplomats not to go to important parties.

The US Embassy in Hanoi said Susan Burns, who is the US consul in Ho Chi Minh City, went to the event. The US ambassador, Marc E. Knapper, did not go.

Around 13,000 people were in the parade. This included soldiers, local fighters, veterans, and normal citizens. The parade went along the main road to the Independence Palace. Then, it turned into the city streets and went past the U.S. Consulate.

A video of Chinese soldiers singing a famous song about Ho Chi Minh was popular online.