Bắc Ninh
From Koeln to Hanoi: German man’s deep love for Vietnam’s parades
In the last 16 years German man Jean Paul has visited Vietnam 15 times, four of them just to watch military parades.
He plans to view the parade for a fifth time when Vietnam celebrates its 80th National Day on Sept. 2.
"I am arranging work so I can be in Hanoi for the rehearsal on Aug. 30 and the official celebration on Sept. 2," the 42-year-old from Koeln says.
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Jean Paul takes photos with the women’s parade unit during the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory on Mar. 7, 2025, in Dien Bien Province. |
Paul admits he is "obsessed" with Vietnam. In his bedroom at home, he keeps the country’s flag along with mementos and photos of parades he attended in Vietnam. A portrait of President Ho Chi Minh hangs in his living room.
He only knew Vietnam as a tropical Southeast Asian country with a long coastline when he planned his first trip in 2008. After the visit he fell in love and has kept returning.
He says his love for the country is due to its history, culture, scenery, and the warmth and patriotism of its people.
"The fight for independence and the achievements of its revolutionary leaders inspires me to join the country’s major celebrations."
In Sept. 2015, Paul attended his first parade in Vietnam for its 70th National Day. At the time, he had little information about the event and knew only that it would take place near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi.
On the morning of Sept. 2, he walked the streets and joined the crowds heading to Ba Dinh Square. People greeted and offered him water, and children shook his hand.
On Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, he climbed a wall to get a clear view of the parade.
He got goosebumps as national flags waved and the anthem echoed through the streets, "I had never seen a nation so proud. That was when I knew that patriotism needs no words and knows no borders."
Paul noticed there is a parade every 10 years or so and returned for his third visit ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory on Mar. 7 in Dien Bien Province.
He took photos of veterans reuniting on A1 Hill, a key battlefield in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, and ethnic girls in bright traditional dresses under flamboyant trees.
What moved him most was a wheelchair-bound veteran tearing up as he spoke about President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap and fallen comrades.
Earlier this year he arrived early and stayed longer for the 50th Reunification Day in HCMC on Apr. 30 and the 70th anniversary of Hai Phong’s liberation on May 13.
The marches reminded him of books he had read about Ho Chi Minh and "Bare Feet, Iron Will," a book about Vietnamese soldiers written by former U.S. Marine Lt. Col. James G. Zumwalt.
He had only imagined these stories until he saw silver-haired veterans, some still with shrapnel inside their bodies, marching before cheering crowds.
After attending five parades in Vietnam, he has noticed some changes: the uniforms are sharper, the weaponry is more diverse and there are more young people.
In Dien Bien, a woman soldier once asked to use his photo of her for the Women’s Army magazine. When the picture was published, Paul felt proud as if he had contributed a small part to history.
He shares other photos with friends and family in Germany. Many are surprised: "Vietnamese people look so joyful, fulfilled and grateful for life."
That reaction makes him more aware of the difference between Vietnam and the west.
He says the last time he saw an entire European country share joy was during the football World Cup at home, but even then he felt that the sense of solidarity was not as strong as in Vietnam.
"I have never seen people who love their country this much. The parades show how united its people are with their land."
In 2018, Paul met Nguyen Kim Yen, a bank employee. They married in 2022.
Yen remembers walking into Paul’s apartment for the first time and seeing the Vietnam’s national flag and a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh. "It made me so happy to marry someone who loves my country this much," she said.
Before returning to Hanoi, Paul says he was excited but also worried about finding a good spot for the Sept. 2 National Day parade.
For months, he tried to attend the event as a reporter and believed the best place to take photos would be at Ba Dinh Square. He sent applications to 20 international and Vietnamese newspapers as a contributor, but to no avail.
Paul was disappointed as he felt he knew and loved Vietnam more than any other foreign journalist.
"I’m not just taking photos of soldiers. I want to preserve a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one filled with emotion and deep pride for my new home, Vietnam."
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