Upon arriving at Dong Loc, visitors are immediately struck by the welcoming and enthusiastic tour guides, dressed in green soldier's uniforms, bucket hats, and rubber sandals. Their expressive voices, characteristic of Nghe An province, will lead visitors through moving stories of heroic deeds and the selfless lives and struggles of the people who lived and fought on this land.
To ensure the smooth and timely delivery of supplies to the front lines, hundreds and thousands of young men and women in their late teens and early twenties from all over the country sacrificed their beautiful youth at this crossroads, including the heroic sacrifice of 10 female volunteer youth on July 24, 1968. The war has passed, and the losses and suffering have faded into the past. Dong Loc has now transformed, becoming a vibrant green area brimming with life. The Dong Loc Crossroads Youth Volunteer Historical Site was classified as a national historical and cultural site by the Party and State in 1989. In 1995, the Party, State, and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union selected it for investment and construction to become a place for educating the people of the whole country, especially the younger generation, about revolutionary traditions.
National Highway 15A – a major branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail – the former Truong Son Road, runs through the historical site. This road is mentioned in the very famous song by composer Nguyen Van Ty, "A Heartfelt Song of a Ha Tinh Person"… “ Whoever goes far away, do they remember the way back? Dong Loc Road, Khe Giao Road, Hong Lam Road, Ngang Pass, Linh Cam, and so many other roads to the front lines. The enemy frantically dropped tens of thousands of bombs…”. The Dong Loc Road and Khe Giao Road mentioned are located on this Highway 15A.
In the most visible location is the Transport Sector Symbol Column, situated right in the center of the intersection of three roads: Lac Thien, Khe Giao, and Ba Giang.
Visitors continue straight ahead, and on the right is the National Memorial Monument for Youth Volunteer Martyrs. This monument commemorates over 4,000 national Youth Volunteer heroes and martyrs, as well as those who sacrificed their lives at Dong Loc Crossroads. The memorial is a glorious and tragic chapter in history, embodying the spirit of the "heroic and courageous" force that sacrificed their youth and blood for the independence and freedom of the nation. Here, the names of these Youth Volunteer heroes and martyrs will be remembered for generations to come, inspiring admiration, respect, and pride in their legacy.
What evokes the strongest emotions in visitors is the bomb crater and the graves of the 10 heroic female Youth Volunteers. These women, belonging to Squad 4, Company 552, General Team 55, led by Team Leader Vo Thi Tan, bravely sacrificed their lives at 4:00 PM on July 24, 1968. The ten girls of Dong Loc Crossroads, along with the sons and daughters of the Youth Volunteers nationwide, erected a monument to a great victory, not only for the land of Ha Tinh but for the entire Vietnamese nation. They have gone down in history as a heroic mark of the nation. Now they lie together in the land where they once fought, ten white graves like the rows of soldiers of yesteryear, ten graves never without incense smoke from their comrades, those who never experienced war, tourists, and even the American soldiers who once bombed and destroyed Dong Loc Crossroads. Everyone came to express their heartfelt respect and immeasurable sorrow over the heroic sacrifice of the 10 girls.
Located more than 50 meters north of Dong Loc Junction, right along the main road, is the Monument to the Heroes and Martyrs of the Transport Sector. This monument was built to educate transport sector officials in particular, and the people of the whole country in general, about the great contributions and sacrifices of the sector during the national resistance war against the US. The monument is a space to commemorate and honor 842 heroes and martyrs of the transport sector who sacrificed their lives during the resistance war against the US in Ha Tinh province.
Nestled in the valley, within the Youth Park, lies the Victory Monument. In front of the monument is the intersection of three vital roads and the Tro Voi mountain range. Behind the monument is the Mui Mac mountain range. The Dong Loc Victory Monument is an enduring symbol of the strength, unwavering determination, and indomitable spirit of the Youth Volunteer Force, soldiers, transport workers, police, and militia, who overcame all hardships and dangers. Around the base of the monument are symbols of smoke, fire, bombs, and clouds representing peace, hope, and the eternal blue of the Can Loc sky. Around the base of the monument are bas-reliefs arranged in an arc shape depicting the vibrant and urgent atmosphere of the Youth Volunteer Force, transport workers, soldiers, militia, drivers, and the people of Dong Loc and neighboring communes leveling roads, filling bomb craters, and guiding vehicles through.
One must-see attraction is the National Youth Volunteer Corps Traditional Exhibition House, where the history of the Youth Volunteer Corps is presented in its most magnificent, clear, and vivid form. The main hall features a statue of President Ho Chi Minh with soldiers and Youth Volunteer Corps members. Slogans that once embodied the burning ideals of young people are displayed throughout these three large rooms. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 artifacts and documents showing the working and fighting lives of the Youth Volunteer Corps on every front with the spirit of "All for the front line," "For every one the enemy destroys, we rebuild ten"; a vibrant life, full of steel and also full of romance. The artifacts include household items and combat tools of the Youth Volunteer Corps: ox carts, wheelbarrows, binoculars, satchels, photos of soldiers with anti-aircraft guns, traffic workers with excavators and bulldozers; photographs of scenes during combat, everyday life, and even singing by the Youth Volunteer Corps during breaks…
The Dong Loc Crossroads Traditional Exhibition Room, located next to the National Youth Volunteers Traditional Exhibition House, forms a continuous complex collectively known as the Dong Loc Museum. Here, a diorama (scale model) recreates the fierce and devastating scene at Dong Loc nearly 50 years ago, as well as the determination to keep the road open and traffic flowing, and the courage and bravery of our soldiers and people at this "death zone." Visitors can see firsthand valuable artifacts such as a letter from Vo Thi Tan to her mother, the clothes of Nguyen Thi Xuan, the electrical wire and magnet used to defuse bombs by Vuong Dinh Nho, the personal record book and songbook of Tran Thi Huong, restored photos of 10 female Youth Volunteers, original aerial photographs of Dong Loc, magnetic bomb fragments, dozens of unexploded bombs from the war, a 12.7mm machine gun… and some outdoor exhibits such as: an AD6 aircraft, 57.37mm artillery, 63.57mm gas cannons, a bulldozer…
A majestic and brightly lit architectural structure, situated on Mui Mac hill, is the Bell Tower. The tower has 7 floors, 8 roofs, and stands 37 meters tall. A 5.7-ton bell hangs at the top. Visitors can ascend the spiral staircase to the top, enjoying panoramic views of Dong Loc Crossroads or gazing into the distance at the Can Loc landscape , where the sky is as blue as Can Loc's, and the waters of the La River are as clear blue as the sea. Those who return to Ha Tinh will find their homeland…
Dong Loc Crossroads, the land and names of the 10 young female volunteer soldiers, have been immortalized in countless poems and historical accounts. It is a witness to the value of human beings whose intelligence and courage overcame the brutality of war, becoming a landmark marking the golden history of the nation. Now, with the war long over and life reviving on the site of that time, time may cause people to forget the names of rivers, mountains, and crossroads they have passed through, but few who have ever been there can forget Dong Loc Crossroads. The Dong Loc Crossroads Youth Volunteer Corps Historical Site was classified as a Special National Historical Site on December 9, 2013. It has become a cradle for nurturing patriotism in generations born after the war, so that anyone who grows up here feels a duty to live in a way that is worthy of what their ancestors left behind.
Instructions
* From Ha Tinh city, follow National Highway 1A north for 9km to Giang Junction, turn left and continue for 10km to reach the Dong Loc Junction historical site.
Contact: 0239 3844 010
* Nearby tourist attractions: 11km east of Dong Loc Crossroads is the Soviet-Nghe Tinh Monument, 18km northwest is Huong Tich Pagoda, and 5km south is the Trai Tieu Lake Eco-tourism Area.
Article author: Le Hoa. Photo: Archival material.
Source: https://dulichhatinh.com.vn/tai-nguyen-du-lich/khu-di-tich-nga-ba-dong-loc-57/
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