HCM City, April 30 -- Fifty years have passed, but for Pham Chanh Truc, former Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, the early days after liberation remain vivid, filled with both joy and concern.

"At that time, Saigon was in chaos: hunger, unemployment, and crime were rampant. Some families had nothing to eat. Our soldiers had to break into enemy rice stores to feed the people. In this dire situation, the city's determination to overcome difficulties began with organising youth volunteers to assist the residents," Truc recalled.

The city mobilised 10,000 youths to help restore local production, with then Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vo Van Kiet directing the entire system to support the youth...