Quang Tri (VNA) – A delegation of outstanding teachers and students from the Nguyen Du Lao–Vietnamese Bilingual School in Vientiane paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, the Road 9 National Martyrs' Cemetery and the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery in the central province of Quang Tri on June 29.
The visit was organised by the Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee to enable the overseas teachers and students to return to their homeland, visit cultural and historical sites, and learn more about Vietnam's history, people and traditions.
At the memorial monument inside the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Special National Relic Site, the delegation solemnly offered flowers and incense in memory of heroic martyrs who fought and sacrificed their lives for national independence, freedom and lasting peace.
The 35 teachers and students heard about the fierce 81-day-and-night campaign to defend the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel from June 28 to September 16, 1972. The battle has become a shining symbol of Vietnamese revolutionary heroism, contributing significantly to the success of the Paris Peace Accords negotiations and laying the foundation for the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, which led to the liberation of the South and national reunification.
Thousands of liberation soldiers and Quang Tri residents laid down their lives on the sacred battlefield in exchange for the nation's peace and independence.
The delegation later paid tribute at the Road 9 National Martyrs' Cemetery, the final resting place of nearly 11,000 martyrs from across Vietnam who fought and died on the Road 9 Front in the Quang Tri battlefield and in Laos during the resistance war against the US.
At the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, where more than 10,000 soldiers who sacrificed their lives along the legendary Truong Son Trail are buried, the delegation observed a minute of silence in remembrance of those who devoted their youth and lives to the cause of national liberation and reunification.
Vila Xayyavong, an eighth-grade student, said the journey helped her better appreciate the value of peace. She now understands that many people sacrificed their lives for today’s independence, freedom and happiness, adding that the trip deepened her understanding of history and made her cherish peace even more.
School Principal Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong said this was the third consecutive year the school had joined the programme.
She described the journey as a meaningful opportunity for teachers and students to experience first-hand historical sites they had previously known only through textbooks, helping them better understand their responsibility to preserve national traditions while continuing to foster the special friendship between Vietnam and Laos built and safeguarded by generations of people in both countries./.
