Young faces aiding veterans in caring for the graves of fallen soldiers has become a familiar sight in the central city of Da Nang.

The moving deed began in Hoa Tien commune in Hoa Vang district four years ago as part of a programme to honour war martyrs.

Since then, on the 1 st and 15th days of every lunar month, local residents, including youth and veterans, gather at a martyr cemetery, assiduously clearing weeds, burning candles and offering incenses at 1,150 graves. Their voluntary effort follows a flexible schedule adjusted by seasons, starting at 4:30 pm in the winter and 5 pm in the summer.

In mid-2012, the programme’s management board decided to collect battle stories and share them with participants during their work.

The monthly event has spread rapidly among the younger generation with more than 1,000 students and children joining in, according to Secretary of Hoa Tien Youth Union Dang Quang Hung.

Le Van Tuan, a student living in the locality, said he and his peers are paying tribute to the ultimate sacrifice of their descendants, hoping the burning candles and incense will warm the graves of unknown soldiers.

After its successful launch in Hoa Tien, the programme has come to a number of communes such as Hoa Phong, Hoa Lien, Hoa Phu, and Hoa Khuong.

Hoa Phong, a home to approximately 900 martyr graves, conducts an additional large-scale incense offering ceremony on the 15th day of April, July and October (of the lunar calendar).-VNA