On November 16, 2024, as part of the activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the gathering of forces to the North (1954 - 2024), the People's Committee of Ca Mau Province organized a ceremony to receive the national heritage site ranking certificate and inaugurate the monument commemorating the train journey to the North in 1954. The ceremony took place in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district. Attending the event were Ms. Dinh Thi Mai, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department; Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Pham Thanh Ngai, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Ms. Le Thi Nhung, Permanent Vice-Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council; Mr. Le Thanh Trieu, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Board and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Ca Mau province; and Mr. Nguyen Minh Luan, Vice-Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Inauguration ceremony of the monument commemorating the train journey to the North in 1954.

After the historic victory at Dien Bien Phu, the French colonialists were forced to sign the Geneva Agreement on July 20, 1954, to cease hostilities and restore peace in Indochina. Vietnam designated the 17th parallel as the temporary military boundary for the gathering of troops from both sides. Song Doc seaport in Tran Van Thoi District was chosen as one of the three gathering points in Ca Mau province to transport soldiers and Southern compatriots to the North.

To commemorate this historical event and honor the contributions of previous generations, Ca Mau Province decided to invest in the construction of a monument commemorating the train journey to the North in 1954 in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district. The project was commenced on January 2, 2024, with a total investment of VND195 billion, managed by the Provincial Traffic Construction Project Management Board. After more than 10 months of construction, the project was completed in time for the 70th anniversary of the Gathering of Forces to the North (1954 - 2024).
 

The Monument commemorating the train journey to the North in 1954 illuminates the night sky of Song Doc town.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Pham Thanh Ngai, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, affirmed that this project holds great historical significance, built to recreate the glorious memories of the Party Committee, people, and soldiers of Ca Mau province during the struggle for national liberation and unification. He urged agencies, units, and localities to effectively promote the value of the project to educate patriotism, pride, and national self-esteem, while fostering solidarity, self-reliance, and resilience among the Party, people, and armed forces, especially the younger generation. He encouraged everyone to strive in labor, study, and training, contributing their efforts to build the homeland and strengthen the nation.

Mr. Pham Thanh Ngai (on the left), Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, presents the national heritage site ranking certificate for the “Gathering point to the North at the end of 1954 and the beginning of 1955” to the representative of the leadership of Tran Van Thoi District People's Committee.

During the ceremony, the leaders of the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced the decision of the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to include the heritage site “Gathering point to the North at the end of 1954 and the beginning of 1955” located on the South bank of Song Doc in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district, Ca Mau province, into the national heritage sites: Locations belonging to the Southern Party Commission - Central Southern Bureau (from late 1949 to early 1955). This is an important basis for Ca Mau Province to establish policies for the protection and promotion of the heritage site, contributing to educating the revolutionary tradition for officials, Party members, and all levels of the people in Song Doc town and Ca Mau province as a whole.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien (8th from the right), Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Mr. Nguyen Minh Luan (4th from the left), Vice-Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, presented Certificates of Merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with flowers and the Ca Mau provincial emblem,to the sponsors.

On this occasion, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit to 2 collectives and 9 individuals who made outstanding contributions to the construction of the monument commemorating the train journey to the North in 1954, along with 5 individuals who generously donated materials and artifacts for the 70th anniversary of the gathering of forces to the North (1954 - 2024). Additionally, 12 enterprises that sponsored funding for activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the gathering of forces to the North (1954 - 2024) were also awarded Certificates of Merit.