July 2, 1976

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Vietnam’s National Assembly formally establishes the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

In one sitting the legislature settled the reunified country’s name, flag, emblem, capital and anthem — and gave Saigon–Gia Dinh a new name on the way out.

One sitting, 2 July 1976

At its first session on 2 July 1976, the newly elected all-Vietnam National Assembly declared the country reunified under the name Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The assembly had 492 deputies, split almost evenly by region: 249 northern seats and 243 southern. It came out of the nationwide election of 25 April 1976, which produced a single legislature for both halves of the country.

Name, flag, emblem, capital, anthem

One resolution, signed by National Assembly president Trường Chinh, fixed the unified state’s red flag with a yellow star, its national emblem, its capital at Hanoi and its anthem, “Tiến Quân Ca.”

The same session officially renamed Saigon–Gia Dinh City as Ho Chi Minh City. A second resolution dated that day set interim arrangements for state organization pending a new constitution.

The listing names the wrong actor

“North Vietnam dissolves the Provisional Government of South Vietnam” misattributes the decision. It was taken by an all-Vietnam National Assembly containing northern and southern deputies, not imposed by one of the two former states on the other.

The date is also not the holiday. Vietnam’s Reunification Day is 30 April, marking the fall of Saigon in 1975 and de facto unification; 2 July is the formal legal merger of the state structures.

Sources

Researched 24 Aug 2026 6 sources not yet audited

How this was checked

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What the sources leave uncertain

The date of formal state reunification is well documented. It should be distinguished from April 30, 1975, when Saigon fell and the country became unified de facto under the victorious revolutionary authorities.