Quang Tri in July – In tribute to those fighting for the nation

In July, the central province of Quang Tri welcomes people from all parts of the country who silently come to this land to pay their tribute to fallen heroes. Quang Tri, indeed, is not just a place but a land that symbolizes the courage and resilience that the nation of Vietnam has shown through years of fierce battles.

Quang Tri in July reminds people of the sacrifice of heroic martyrs who fought for Vietnam’s independence. Photos: Le Truong, Le Tu

A journey to Quang Tri is a moment of silent reflection on the scars of war and a chance to hear the poignant stories etched into the land. The stories are reminders that deepen our appreciation for the hard-won peace we cherish today.

Quang Tri is now a land of peace and sustainable development.

Where the past and present meet

Emerging from Vietnam’s resistance wars, Quang Tri holds a uniquely solemn place in the nation’s history. Nowhere else in the country bears such a dense concentration of war cemeteries. Across the province, there are 157 Martyrs’ Cemeteries where more than 70,000 fallen soldiers from all corners of Vietnam rest in peace. Among them, the two national cemeteries, the Truong Son and Road No. 9, are revered as sacred altars honoring the nation’s heroes.

There, gratitude is expressed in a profoundly moving way, with candles of remembrance burning through the night, offering warmth and reverence. This ongoing tradition not only comforts families of the fallen from distant provinces but also serves as a meaningful gesture to ensure that younger generations never forget the sacrifices of their heroic ancestors.

In late July, Quang Tri sees a surge of visitors who come to pay tribute to those fighting for the nation.

In late July, the month that marks Vietnamese War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27), Quang Tri sees a surge of visitors, who are veterans, relatives of martyrs, and both domestic and international tourists, to the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel to pay tribute to the thousands of young souls who once laid down their dreams and pens, leaving classrooms behind to heed the call of their homeland. Most of them were barely in their twenties when they sacrificed their lives for Vietnam’s independence and reunification.

Quang Tri nurtures pride and patriotism among younger generations.

“I can’t put into words the emotions I feel. It’s a deep, overwhelming silence before the legacy of those who came before us,” said Ho Thi Hien Luong, from Rach Kien commune, Tay Ninh Province. “For my July pilgrimage, I chose to visit the Quang Tri Citadel instead of any other destination. Being here, I’ve made a personal vow to fulfill the civic responsibilities that the martyrs entrusted to our generation.”

Sharing this sentiment, Colonel Nguyen Thi Huong of Corps 11 under the Ministry of National Defense, said: “Every visit feels like the first and is deeply emotional. Born and raised in peacetime, I feel profound gratitude and respect for the previous generations who gave their lives so we could live in peace.”

No land in Vietnam has been paid for at a higher price than Quang Tri where blood poured for the national sovereignty.

For many visitors, Quang Tri Citadel evokes a rare and powerful stillness. No land in Vietnam has been paid for at a higher price. In 1972 alone, the amount of US explosives dropped on this area equaled seven Hiroshima bombs. Journalists at the time wrote: “Every square meter gained at Quang Tri Citadel was a square meter of blood.” The Thach Han River, too, is remembered as the “River of Fire and Flowers.”

As such, July in Quang Tri has become a month of remembrance. It’s like a spiritual pilgrimage that stirs echoes of the past in today’s peaceful reality. This sacred land, once ablaze with war, is now the resting place of countless martyrs, both known and unknown, many still buried deep within the earth.

In Quang Tri, July is considered the “Month of Gratitude.”

A living classroom for generations

In Quang Tri, July is considered the “Month of Gratitude.” On certain days, tens of thousands of people visit, regardless of martyrs’ families, veterans, youth organizations, and citizens from across the country. They come not only to pay respects, but also to reflect on the meaning of peace.

The 81-day battle for Quang Tri Citadel saw an estimated 328,000 tons of bombs and ammunition dropped, meaning each liberation soldier endured an average of 100 bombs and 200 artillery shells.

As one visitor poignantly said, those who fell here didn’t seek to become heroes. They died so others could live in freedom and peace. In Quang Tri, July’s intense sun and torrential rains are eclipsed by a deeper, sacred stillness that settles even into the blades of grass.

In July, the province’s cemeteries and historical sites are full of incense and candles showing respect for the fallen.

Across the province’s cemeteries and historical sites, the bright blue shirts of youth volunteers light candles of memory. In this light, Quang Tri’s young people quietly write new pages of history, driven by love, gratitude, and a desire to serve their homeland.

Nguyen Duy Anh, a high school student from Le Loi High School in Dong Ha, traveled many kilometers to the Road 9 National Martyrs' Cemetery. “For me, the most meaningful activity each summer is joining my fellow youth union members to clean and tend to martyrs’ graves during July. We also take part in meaningful programs organized by various levels of government. These experiences help us better understand and take pride in our country’s history, and feel grateful to those who sacrificed so we can live in peace.”

Across the province’s cemeteries and historical sites, the bright blue shirts of youth volunteers light candles of memory.

Speaking to the press, Tran Thi Thu, Secretary of the Quang Tri Provincial Youth Union, said that from early July, especially between July 20–27, youth unions across the province organized a wide range of activities to promote patriotism and revolutionary tradition among young people. These included visits and candle-lighting ceremonies at martyrs’ cemeteries and historical sites, volunteer clean-up campaigns, health checks, and free medicine distribution for Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, war invalids, martyrs’ families, and others who made contributions to the nation.

On the night of July 25, youth unions across the province simultaneously held remembrance ceremonies, lighting candles and offering incense and flowers at all provincial and local cemeteries. More than 89,000 youth members participated, illuminating thousands of martyrs’ graves in a shared moment of national gratitude.

Thousands of martyrs’ graves shown in a shared moment of national gratitude.

These meaningful activities not only honor the country’s heroic tradition but also serve to instill patriotism, historical consciousness, and civic responsibility in Vietnam’s younger generation.

The Quang Tri of over 50 years ago, shrouded in war and destruction, is now a place of pilgrimage, a destination that draws people from across Vietnam and around the world.

Although the war has receded into the past, its pain and memories remain deeply embedded in the land and in the hearts of those who remain.

Quang Tri today hosts flows of people from every corner of Vietnam to come to show their tribute to the heroic martyrs.

As a Vietnamese poet once wrote:

“The earth stretches wide, the grass trembling with softness

Still green from blood that once flowed red.”

Le Truong, Le Tu – Linh Pham

0:27:07:2025:14:03 GMT+7