Martyrs' cemeteries in Quang Ninh on the S-shaped strip of land

Delegation from Quang Ninh province releases flower lanterns on the southern bank of Thach Han River, Quang Tri province, July 2024. Photo: Nguyen Thanh

Youth left on the battlefield

Early in the morning of March, in the sacred space at Ha Tu Martyrs' Cemetery (Ha Long City), there were many relatives of the heroic martyrs, they were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren coming here to find the silhouettes of their loved ones, offering fragrant incense in memory. At the grave of martyr Nguyen Trong Quy (born in 1925, hometown Ben Tau - Hon Gai - Quang Ninh, sacrificed on May 15, 1947, position of company commander), located on the right side of the cemetery entrance, a woman with white hair and her children and grandchildren gathered in front of the grave, everyone was choked with tears, offering fragrant incense and white flowers to their loved ones... In the gentle yellow sunlight mixed with incense smoke and the scent of grass, flowers, and leaves, I quietly walked through the rows of graves full of white flowers, lighting fragrant incense in memory of the heroic martyrs who fell for the Fatherland and the noble international mission in a surge of emotion.

Ha Tu Martyrs Cemetery has nearly 500 graves of heroic martyrs, who devoted their youth to the country, for national independence. Among those hundreds of graves, there are graves with restored portraits of female martyrs, they are very young, but exude resilience and courage with very familiar names and addresses: Martyr Nguyen Thi Xuan, born in 1926, originally from Thanh Cong - Hon Gai - Quang Ninh, sacrificed in October 1948; Martyr Chu Thi Nu, born in 1950, originally from Truc Thang - Truc Ninh - Nam Dinh, sacrificed on March 10, 1967; Martyr Tran Thi Quy, hometown zone 8 - Cao Xanh - Hon Gai - Quang Ninh, born in October 1944, nurse - youth volunteer, died on May 17, 1968 in Tan Duc - Tuyen Hoa - Quang Binh... Many martyrs' graves have their hometowns: Lang Son province, Hai Duong province, Thai Binh province...; some gravestones have "Information not yet determined", but they are not alone. Incense sticks, fragrant flowers are offered to each grave, spreading with the gentle breeze in the Thanh Minh festival of March, the month of remembrance with the "Drinking water, remember its source"...

Delegation of Quang Ninh province offers incense at the graves of martyrs of Quang Ninh province at the National Martyrs Cemetery on Road 9 (Quang Tri province), July 2024. Photo: Nguyen Thanh

Our country has gone through many ups and downs, rain of bombs and bullets under the yoke of invaders. During the years of resistance, many soldiers, soldiers, and generations of young people volunteered to go to war at the call of the sacred Fatherland; the blood and bones of countless Vietnamese people have merged into the mountains and rivers of this S-shaped land.

The country is at peace, the remains of soldiers are gathered in martyrs' cemeteries, showing the nation's deep gratitude to those who fell for the freedom of the people and the independence of the Fatherland. They are immortal monuments in the hearts of Vietnamese people.

I remember during a business trip of Quang Ninh Newspaper (now Quang Ninh Provincial Media Center) in Quang Tri province, my colleagues and I visited the National Martyrs' Cemetery on Route 9. This is one of the four largest national martyrs' cemeteries in the country; it is the resting place of more than 10,000 martyrs who were main force soldiers, local soldiers, militia and guerrillas, and youth volunteers who sacrificed their lives on the Route 9 front and in Laos during the resistance war against the US. The martyrs resting here are mainly soldiers of divisions 308, 304, 320...

After offering incense at the memorial in the cemetery, we went to burn incense at the cemetery of martyrs from Quang Ninh, which was planned to be located next to the main memorial area with 212 graves, including 127 graves from Quang Ninh. Each row of graves was neat, in the quiet space, the scent of incense and frangipani flowers wafted in the wind, lighting incense on the graves, I was moved. On the tombstones of martyrs from Quang Ninh, most were soldiers of Division 308. I was really moved when reading the names and hometowns, which were familiar places in Quang Ninh, inscribed on the tombstones: Martyr Vu Van Mot, born in 1940, hometown Nguyen Hue - Dong Trieu - Quang Ninh, died on June 9, 1972; Martyr Hoang Tien Loc, born in 1942, hometown Van Ninh - Mong Cai - Quang Ninh, died on August 13, 1972; Martyr Pham Hong Duong, born in 1943, hometown Cai Chien - Ha Coi - Quang Ninh, died on June 15, 1968... There are graves of martyrs without birth year, such as: Martyr Hoang Van Thinh, hometown Vinh Thuc - Mong Cai - Quang Ninh, died on April 8, 1972; Martyr Truong Van Lieu, hometown Chau Son - Dinh Lap - Quang Ninh, died on April 10, 1972; Martyr Nguyen Van Lan, hometown Xuan Lan - Mong Cai - Quang Ninh, died on June 15, 1968...

Delegation of Quang Ninh province offered incense to commemorate and pay tribute to heroic martyrs at the National Martyrs Cemetery on Road 9 (Quang Tri province), July 2024. Photo: Nguyen Thanh

There are many graves with the inscription “Unknown identity”, “Unknown full information”, or there are martyrs’ graves with hometowns but not clearly, wrong commune or district name, province name… Perhaps the war was too fierce. The brave soldiers who went to battle that year carried with them a burning heart of love for the Fatherland, when they fell, many of them did not have an address, lost information. In the process of collecting martyrs’ remains, it was inevitable that the address, information would be lost…

Standing in the middle of the vast, quiet space next to the rows of graves in the cemetery, a feeling of lingering emotion follows the warm incense smoke mixed in the wind; the solemn and respectful atmosphere of the groups of visitors offering incense in memory and gratitude. The Fatherland honors the heroic martyrs, generations forever respectfully pay tribute to those who have contributed to the revolution throughout the history of defending the country of the Vietnamese people.

At Ha Tu Martyrs Cemetery (Ha Long City), there are still graves of martyrs whose information has not been identified.

In Quang Tri province, there is also the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery, which is the resting place of more than 10,000 heroic martyrs, including 80 from Quang Ninh. They fought, heroically sacrificed, and devoted their youth to the Fatherland, many of whom were not left intact.

Remember, gratitude

Quang Ninh province currently has 21 martyrs' cemeteries with 3,719 graves, of which the two largest cemeteries are Ha Tu Martyrs' Cemetery (Ha Long City) and Yen Tho Martyrs' Cemetery (Dong Trieu City) with over 500 graves each. The province also has 135 steles with the names of heroic martyrs, 1 shrine to heroic martyrs, and 8 monuments to heroic martyrs.

Delegates of Quang Ninh Provincial Media Center offer flowers at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs of Ha Long City, March 2025.

Over the years, the province has always paid deep attention and gratitude to heroic martyrs, wounded soldiers, and families with revolutionary contributions. Every year, the province directs localities to pay attention to devoting resources to repairing, upgrading, and embellishing works honoring martyrs in the locality. The province promptly and fully allocates the central budget to upgrade and repair large martyr cemeteries in the area and repair and build martyrs' tombs at martyrs' cemeteries. Localities in the province proactively allocate local budgets and socialize to upgrade and repair works honoring martyrs, ensuring spaciousness, cleanliness, and solemnity. In 2022, from socialized funds of over 1 billion VND, the province will organize the repair of martyrs' tombs from Quang Ninh at the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery and the National Martyrs' Cemetery on Road 9 in Quang Tri province...

Relatives of heroic martyrs burn incense in memory at Ha Tu Martyrs Cemetery (Ha Long City).

The province maintains the work of searching for, collecting martyrs' remains, and identifying the remains of martyrs with missing information. From 2013 to present, the province has organized the reception of dozens of martyrs' remains transferred from other localities; and handed over martyrs' remains transferred to other localities when requested by martyrs' relatives. The province provides information on many martyrs' files to the Center for Legal Advice and Legal Aid for Martyrs' Relatives, to match information to identify martyrs' remains by empirical methods. At the same time, the province directs and supports families who wish to bring martyrs' remains from other localities to local martyrs' cemeteries and vice versa... With that act of gratitude, countless heroic martyrs' remains have returned to their homeland, to the Motherland amid the weary waiting of their relatives.

Mr. Tran Cong Vuong (younger brother of martyr Tran Quang Thinh, born in 1949, hometown Hon Gai - Ha Long City, died on October 29, 1968 at the Western front of Quang Tri) was moved: "During the fierce war years, communication was extremely difficult. In a battle, my brother was injured and died. It was only later that my family received a death notice but his remains were lost. Ten years ago, during a visit to the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, I was startled when a tombstone had information that matched my brother's. With the support of all levels, sectors and localities in identifying the martyr's relatives, my family completed the procedures and requested to move my brother's remains back to my hometown for burial. I was so sad when I saw my brother's remains!"

There are still many remains of soldiers buried on the battlefield; there are still families who are looking forward to finding the remains of their loved ones every day. Time may be longer, the bones of soldiers may be buried deeper into the ground, but the search, collection of martyrs' remains, and identification of remains of martyrs with missing information will not stop. That is the principle of "remembering the source of water when drinking", it is gratitude, gratitude to those who have sacrificed themselves for the country.

During the Qingming Festival in March, people burn incense to commemorate heroic martyrs at Ha Tu Martyrs Cemetery (Ha Long City).

In order for the martyrs to be closer to their families and hometowns, at the request of many martyrs' relatives, the province's functional units have sent letters of introduction to move the martyrs' remains to the management boards of martyrs' cemeteries in many localities to support relatives in bringing the martyrs' remains back to their hometowns for burial. Specifically, in 2024, they supported the return of Martyr Nguyen Van Canh (from Uong Bi City, sacrificed on January 21, 1979 at the Southwest front) to be buried at the Dong Trieu City Martyrs' Cemetery; the return of Martyr Vu Van Thuc (from Hiep Hoa Commune, Quang Yen Town, sacrificed on April 27, 1975 at the Trang Bom Front, Bien Hoa City) to be buried at the Cong Hoa Martyrs' Cemetery, Quang Yen Town; Bringing martyr Hoang Tien Loc (from Van Ninh commune, Mong Cai city, sacrificed on August 13, 1972 at the southern front) to be buried at the family-run cemetery in Bac village, Van Ninh commune, Mong Cai city...

To pay tribute to the heroic martyrs, every year, the delegation of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front Committee, and National Assembly Delegation of Quang Ninh province respectfully offer incense and flowers at the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, the National Road 9 Martyrs' Cemetery, the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel National Special Relic Site, and many cemeteries and memorials to heroic martyrs in localities across the country, to express deep gratitude for the dedication and noble sacrifice of heroic martyrs for peace, independence, and national reunification.

Nguyen Hue

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/nghia-trang-nguoi-quang-ninh-tren-manh-dat-hinh-chu-s-3351844.html