Ho Chi Minh City readies fireworks displays for 50th anniversary celebration tonight

As planned, five sites will feature a combination of high-altitude and low-altitude fireworks, while 11 locations will host low-altitude displays.

The synchronized show will last for 15 minutes.

At the high-altitude launch site near the entrance to Saigon River Tunnel in An Khanh Ward, military personnel began installing the fireworks system early in the morning.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Dung, head of the military equipment division under the Logistics - Technical Department of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command, said that the 16 sites would feature a total of 2,840 high-altitude fireworks shells, 360 low-altitude shells, 1,200 low-altitude firing racks, and more than 12,000 pyrotechnic tubes of various types.

In particular, the Saigon River Tunnel site will feature 1,200 high-altitude shells, 60 low-altitude firing racks, and 30 pyrotechnic systems.

“The high-altitude display at the tunnel site will be operated using a fully automated firing system,” said Lieutenant Colonel Dung.

“With just a single activation, the entire fireworks sequence will run automatically for 15 minutes according to the pre-programmed control system."

The venue will also feature a special water-fireworks effect designed to enhance the performance.

Unlike conventional fireworks that launch directly into the sky, these pyrotechnics are programmed in two stages: first descending toward the Saigon River before using the water to propel themselves upward into the night sky, creating a distinctive visual highlight.

Installation and technical preparations at the Saigon River Tunnel launch site were completed at around 11:00 am on Thursday, said Lieutenant Colonel Dung.