by Tao Jun, Wang Di, Bui Long
HANOI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A line of 14 tombs peacefully lie on a hill slope full of plumeria plants, moss roses and peach blossom trees in Vietnam's northern Ha Nam province, which always receive due attention and full respect of both Chinese and Vietnamese people.
On Monday morning, an army of Chinese and Vietnamese people stood still, bowing their heads in front of a monument featuring a golden star and red phrases in both Chinese and Vietnamese reading "Everlasting Remembrance of Martyrs" at a Chinese martyrs' cemetery in the province's Kim Bang district.
Representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, Chinese veterans and their family, entrepreneurs and students, led by Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo, accompanied by local officials, attended a memorial ceremony at the cemetery on the occasion of Martyrs' Day of China which falls on Sept. 30.
Silently, they walked on steps flanked by peach blossom trees to reach the monument and the 14 tombs lying in the shade of old plumeria plants, laid a wreath to honor the Chinese martyrs.
After burning incenses in front of the monument, they placed a fresh yellow chrysanthemum against every headstone with the martyr's name and other information carved with Chinese and Vietnamese characters in front of each tomb. Earlier, local people had grewn moss roses next to the headstones.
"We always treasure Chinese martyrs' contribution to our revolutionary cause, and we always take good care of them here," Luu Tran Son, vice chairman of the People's Committee of Kim Bang District, told Xinhua at the cemetery.
In 2015, the district used state budget to considerably refurbish the cemetery, Son said, noting that local authorities conduct regular upgrades from time to time, local associations are also assigned to manage and look after the cemetery.
According to Nguyen Trung Van, chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Sao Town of Kim Bang District, various organizations and people in the town are in charge of taking care of the Chinese martyrs' cemetery which was built decades ago.
"Members of the town's War Veterans Association and the Association of the Elderly frequently visit this cemetery to pay tribute to fallen heroes, keeping their 'home' (tombs) clean and beautiful," Van said, pointing to pink moss roses and green peach blossom trees surrounding the tombs.
"A lot of people come here during Tet (Lunar New Year Festival) and Martyrs' Day of Vietnam. They come to show gratitude to fallen heroes who have made contributions to the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China," Van told Xinhua.
In addition to the two occasions, local people often come to the cemetery to trim trees, clean tombs, and offer incenses and fresh flowers on the 1st and 15th day of lunar months.
Vu Van Chung, a farmer in Ba Sao Town, is growing four hectares of peach blossom trees near the cemetery. He sometimes comes to the cemetery to help with the gardening, sweep tombs and burn incense to show respect and gratitude to Chinese martyrs.
"We regard Chinese martyrs as Vietnamese martyrs. I often take my son to the martyrs' cemeteries so that he can know more about the friendship between Vietnam and China," the middle-aged farmer told Xinhua.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, in the latter part of the 20th century, upon the request of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese government, more than 320,000 Chinese troops joined Vietnamese people in their fight defending the country's independence. After the war, more than 1,400 Chinese who died in the fighting were laid to rest in Vietnam.
The Chinese martyrs "sacrificed their valuable youths, erecting eternal steles of the China-Vietnam friendship," Chinese ambassador to Vietnam said on the ceremony.
Nowadays, the socialist construction cause of China and Vietnam is progressing day by day, and the two peoples will stick to major orientations of the China-Vietnam friendship, and jointly foster the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, sound and sustainable manner, the ambassador said.
These days, Chinese people nationwide are celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, said the ambassador, adding that the achievements of China would become great comfort to the martyrs.
