President Truong Tan Sang on February 16 visited the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long to inspect the construction work of a memorial site for Professor Tran Dai Nghia – a brilliant student of President Ho Chi Minh and a pioneer in modernising Vietnam’s military technology.

Construction on the site started on November 24, 2013 on the occasion of the 100 th birthday anniversary of Professor Nghia.

It is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2015 with a total capital of 50 billion VND (2.35 million USD).

Covering an area of about 16,000 sq.m in Tuong Loc commune, Tam Binh district, the site will contain a memorial house, a gallery, a library, a conference hall and a screening room.

At a working session with provincial leaders on the construction process, President Sang stressed that the cultural work aims to honour Nghia’s great contributions to national liberation and reunification.

Tran Dai Nghia (1913-1997), whose real name was Pham Quang Le, was a big name in the field of weapons manufacturing in Vietnam . His name is associated with famous weapons used in the country’s resistance wars, such as bazooka bullets, SKZ guns and flying bombs.

Earlier on February 15, President Sang attended a ceremony to inaugurate a memorial stele for President Ho Chi Minh’s father Nguyen Sinh Sac in Hoa An commune, Cao Lanh city, the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.-VNA