And the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi marked its thousandth birthday over the weekend. To mark the occassion... a massive mural was unveiled, that took three years to make.<br /><br />It's the kind of celebration that comes—well—once every millennium.<br /><br />Spectators flooded Vietnam's capital of Hanoi marking the 1,000th anniversary of the city's founding.<br /><br />Vietnam's government has called this parade the largest the country has ever seen as soldiers, children, and artists all took part.<br /><br />Dignitaries watched the proceedings from grandstands at the mausoleum of famed revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.<br /><br />One reveler looked to the past as well as the future.<br /><br />[Nguyen Xuan Quynh, Student]:<br />"After the grand celebration of Hanoi's 1,000 years, I wish to see Hanoi more developed so that it can compare with most of the capitals in Asia and the region. And Vietnam will develop faster to become a rich and strong country that is equal to other countries in the world."<br /><br />It was King Ly Thai To who founded Hanoi—first called city of the rising dragon—when he moved his capital from the hills to flat land along the Red River.<br /><br />Now the Red River is the site of another achievement.<br /><br />In honor of the city's birth, artists have set the Guinness World Record for the world's biggest mosaic mural.<br /><br />Thirty-five artists worked on the 800 meter piece beginning in 2007.<br /><br />The goal was to work over existing graffiti and bring more color to Hanoi.
