These efforts helped bolster the morale and determination of soldiers and people in the struggle for independence and freedom.

On the morning of December 19, 1946, the French issued an ultimatum to the Vietnamese government, demanding the surrender of its weapons, the cessation of all resistance preparations, and the handover of control over public order in Hanoi.

That night, at 8 PM, Hanoi went dark in a blackout before the cannons at Lang Fortress roared. From the Bach Mai transmission station at 128 C Dai La Street, VOV presenter Duong Thi Ngan announced that the beginning of the national resistance war. Journalist Tran Duc Nuoi, former Head of VOV’s Editorial Secretariat later spoke to several eyewitnesses of that historic night. 

“On the night of December 19, 1946, following VOV’s announcement, the entire nation was called to rise up. Just before leaving the Bach Mai station to join the resistance, announcer Duong Thi Ngan told her listeners: ‘I will see you again at 6 a.m. tomorrow’,” says Nuoi. 

VOV staff then evacuated to Tram Pagoda on the outskirts of Hanoi. At exactly 6 a.m. the next day, President Ho Chi Minh’s Appeal for National Resistance against the French colonialists was broadcast, marking a historic milestone for the national broadcaster.

During a visit to the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) staff members at Tram Pagoda on the night of January 21, 1947, President Ho Chi Minh recited a New Year poem he wrote for soldiers and compatriots at home and abroad: 

“The red flag with a yellow star flies proudly in the wind,
The call of resistance echoes across the mountains and rivers.”

His recitation was broadcasted live on VOV. That same night, President Ho Chi Minh also met with Tram Pagoda’s abbot and offered him a couplet:

“The resistance will triumph

National construction will succeed”

The original writing was discovered and brought back for preservation at VOV headquarters at 58 Quan Su Street, Hanoi, by Tran Quy Tuyen, VOV’s former head of program coordination.   

"When we held the couplet, written with calligraphy ink, in our hands, we were all overwhelmed. Those words, penned in the early days of the resistance war,  conveyed the great leader’s unshakable belief in the nation’s victory," Mr. Tuyen said.

During the nine-year resistance war, VOV staff relocated 14 times to safeguard their broadcasts. VOV’s unceasing programs helped unite the people and boost their determination to fight for the homeland, a spirit that ultimately culminated in the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954.

News of the great victory spread far and wide. Veteran Nguyen Quan from Bac Kan province said, "We gave our all for the resistance. Every day, we waited for updates from the fronts. Despite the hardships, that iconic line - ‘This is the Voice of Vietnam’ -  rekindled our faith in the nation’s victory."

Eighty years have passed since that first broadcast on September 7, 1945. Today, VOV remains a bridge between Vietnam’s past, present, and future.

Voice of Vietnam reforms itself to thrive

VOV.VN - The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) has worked hard to reform its programming and invested in equipment to keep the public better informed and inspired.