Crowds cheer as grand military parade marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War“The atmosphere here today made not only me, but all the Vietnamese feel proud because we get to live in a peaceful country that is independent,

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday to revel in a massive military parade marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

Fifty years since reunification, the fall of Saigon is a distant memory and microbreweries, cool cafes and Michelin-lauded restaurants are adding another dimension to the city’s eclectic food scene.