The programme was jointly held by Nhan Dan Newspaper and the Ministry of Public Security to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.
In the early morning, thousands of residents and members of the armed forces gathered at the Ly Thai To Park in central Ha Noi to attend the launching ceremony, which began at 6 am and was synchronised with the flag-raising ceremony at Ba Dinh Square.
Speaking at the event, Nhan Dan’s Editor-in-chief Le Quoc Minh stated that the walk campaign is a highly meaningful community event, taking place as the country enters a new development phase with the reorganisation of administrative units.
He noted that this is not just a sport event in response to the national exercise movement following the example of President Ho Chi Minh, but also a journey of millions of hearts beating in unison towards the shared goal of a united and strong Viet Nam.
For his part, Deputy Minister of Public Security Tran Quoc To stated that the event is the beginning of a journey to promote a healthy living environment, enhance physical health and build a disciplined, law-abiding and secure society.
Following the deputy minister’s call, millions of people across 34 provinces and cities concurrently took part in the walk to contribute to the goal of “one billion steps into the new era.”
In Ha Noi, officials, public security officers and residents walk around Hoan Kiem Lake to spread the message of enhancing community health and demonstrating the spirit of solidarity and aspiration to rise up.
The programme is also expected to contribute to reducing carbon emissions and raising awareness on environmental protection in line with Viet Nam’s commitment to the net zero emissions goal at the COP26 conference.
According to the organisers, at the end of the launch ceremony, more than 1.1 million people joined the walk in person in 34 provinces and cities, while over 138,000 registered to participate online through the programme’s website.
