Fifty years after a North Vietnamese tank came crashing through the front gate of Saigon's presidential palace and brought an end to the nearly two-decade Vietnam War, the metropolis that has since been called Ho Chi Minh City is gearing up for a celebration.

Vietnam celebrates the end of the war with the United States and the formation of its modern nation 50 years ago with a military parade and a focus on a future of peace.

A focus away from the past and on how the private sector can lead future economic growth underscored celebrations in the capital of the former South Vietnam.