Ho Chi Minh Trail: An iconic path symbolic of Laos and Vietnam’s shared struggle

The Ho Chi Minh Trail, the revolutionary path that passes through Lao territory, is one of the most tangible physical icons of the friendly relations and special solidarity between Laos and Vietnam. 
The Ho Chi Minh trail traverses Lao territory over hundreds of kilometres, tracing the country’s rugged eastern spine in the Annamite Cordillera that forms the border with neighbouring Vietnam.
The rugged road allowed Vietnamese comrades to fight and eventually reunite their country, which had been colonised and later divided into North and South.

Lao soldiers at the battlefield along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Naturally, the value of Laos’s assistance to Vietnam in uniting the North and South into one country cannot easily be assessed or repaid in money or material terms.
However, it speaks to the spirit of the Lao people and their close friendship with the Vietnamese people. 
Sharing brotherly bonds and a common struggle to shrug off colonialism and imperialism without flinching despite heavy bombardment, the Vietnamese and Lao people have proved to be good friends and steadfast allies in both war and peace.
Together with their comrades, the Lao people helped create conditions and made utmost efforts to help Vietnam reunite and liberate itself from the domination of foreign aggressors, and vice versa.
The two countries linked hands to fight for their national liberation, each finding freedom in the same year of 1975.  
A willingness to help friends in a tough situation demonstrates to the world the real spirit of Laos and the country’s people.
Lending assistance to friends in a time of need is a custom for which Lao ancestors have provided good models over many centuries, and the new generation has continued following this tradition. This is a priceless legacy of the Lao ancestors, which is alive in Lao society and among the people of the whole nation. Laos is a small country, but its people are generous in helping friends near and far, as much as they can.
It has become a fine tradition of the Lao people, which generations have maintained to the present.
In the history of Laos and the Lao people, the country has never once transgressed upon the sovereignty of any other nation, yet Laos has often faced aggression from other nations many times.
Examples of the friendly Lao-Vietnamese relations, as typified by the Ho Chi Minh Trail, can prove especially potent as younger generations inherit this important relationship.
The new generations of Laos and Vietnam must keep on nurturing and boosting the traditional friendship to secure both countries against any damaged stratagem or any efforts to sow division in or discord in an attempt to weaken the solidarity between the two countries for their own benefit.
After Vietnam achieved a great victory over foreign aggressors by liberating South Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh Trail became a prestigious name around the globe.
The Vietnam War or Indochina War and the role played by the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Lao territory has been a very interesting story for people around the world. Lao and foreign writers have written several stories and books about the Ho Chi Minh Trail. 
People have wanted to know how relatively small countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia could achieve victory over countries which had modern weapons and equipment in the period of the Indochina War. It remains a story that people around the globe are keen to know more about.
The achievements of Laos and Vietnam in liberation from foreign aggressors was a great accomplishment and testament to the cooperation between the two countries.
Yet it must be said the great friendship and special solidarity of the two countries did not happen by chance. Rather, the friendship and special solidarity of Laos and Vietnam were forged in the flames of war and a serious struggle that resulted in extraordinary sacrifices.
Lao and Vietnamese leaders have recognised that the true friendship and special solidarity of the peoples of the two nations was anointed in the blood and tears that the two sided shed in a spirit of brotherly comradeship. The spirit of brotherly comradeship of Laos and Vietnam was demonstrated through a difficult time in the struggle to liberate the country from foreign aggressors.
From sharing joy, sorrow and difficulties over a long period of struggle to liberate the two neighbouring countries from foreign aggressors, the nations have certainly become the truest of friends.
The northern provinces of Phongsaly and Huaphan, through which the trail passes, were special strongholds of revolutionary fervour that helped to strengthen friendly relations and special solidarity.
Few countries in the world will feel comfortable and confident enough to authorise a neighbour to use their territory to transport weapons, soldiers and equipment in order to pave the way to liberation.
Yet in a spirit of friendship and shared struggle, both sides stood shoulder to shoulder on this difficult road, taking up and winning the fight against foreign aggressors and finally achieving liberation.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail passes through Lao territory which will not end yet. I will share my next story about the trail in the southern part of Laos soon. If readers want to know more about the trail in Lao territory, they can read the book “The Ho Chi Minh Trail through Lao territory” 

By Phon Thikeo
(Latest Update June 10, 2022)