Attendees included Cam Thi Huyen Trang, Vice President of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and Secretary of the Son La Youth Union, along with representatives from provincial departments and agencies, former youth volunteers, union members and students. The programme was livestreamed on the digital platforms of Son La Newspaper and Radio-Television.

During the historic Dien Bien Phu campaign, the Co Noi crossroads was among the most critical transport nodes, often described as the “throat” of the frontline supply route. Determined to keep this vital artery open, more than 18,200 youth volunteers from Son La province were dispatched to support the campaign. More than 100 of them made the ultimate sacrifice, contributing to the Dien Bien Phu victory that resonated around the globe.

Driven by deep gratitude from young people of Son La’s ethnic communities toward earlier generations, the programme honoured fallen heroes, while serving as an opportunity to pass on revolutionary traditions to younger generations.

At the event, former youth volunteers shared wartime memories marked by sacrifice and hardship at the Co Noi crossroads, once described as a frontline “fire zone.” The programme also featured a dialogue between veteran volunteers and representatives of Son La’s youth, revisiting heroic episodes and the fighting spirit of fallen heroes during years of bombs and gunfire. Younger participants responded with expressions of deep gratitude and respect for the sacrifices of earlier generations. The firsthand accounts left attendees moved and proud.

At the event, delegates and youth union members watched three documentary pieces tracing the history of the Co Noi crossroads from days of relentless bombing during the Dien Bien Phu campaign more than 70 years ago, highlighting the resilience, courage and frontline commitment of Son La’s youth volunteer force. Today, the Co Noi site is being preserved as a “red address” for revolutionary education. With pride and deep gratitude, Son La’s young people pledged to carry forward the vanguard spirit of earlier generations, contributing to and writing new chapters in the nation’s history in a new era.

The programme was interwoven with standout performances by artists from the provincial Music, Song and Dance Theater, with former youth volunteers joining in, creating an atmosphere of heroism, emotion and pride for the audience.

The programme served as a meaningful tribute to fallen heroes and youth volunteers who died at the Co Noi crossroads, while inspiring gratitude, pride and a sense of responsibility among today’s young people to carry forward the legacy of earlier generations and contribute to building their homeland.