The National Assembly Office held a ceremony in Hanoi on July 15 to receive the national anthem ‘Tien Quan Ca’ (The Marching Song), donated by family members of late composer Van Cao (1923-1995), and to bestow the composer with the Ho Chi Minh Order. The Party and State always appreciate and highly value the significant contributions of composer Van Cao to Vietnam’s music, literature and the arts, she stressed. In early July, family members of the late composer signed a letter donating the song to the State and the Vietnamese people. Composer Van Cao, born in 1923 in the northern city of Hai Phong, composed ‘The Marching Song’ in 1944 as the entire country was preparing for the uprising to gain national independence. Speaking at the ceremony, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan expressed her deep and sincere thanks to Nghiem Thuy Bang, the composer’s widow, and her family members for their good will.

Source: VietNamNet News July 16, 2016 08:03 UTC