Thousands celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, in what the country's communist leader said was a "victory of faith".

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.