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Feature: Vietnam "forever grateful" to Chinese martyrs in Vietnam-U.S. war

Xinhua, October 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Vietnamese people are "forever grateful" to the Chinese martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam-U.S. war, as shown by the marker at the Dao My Cemetery in Vietnam's northern Bac Giang province.

"The Chinese martyrs, who died in helping Vietnam in the war against the Americans, are interred here and I am taking good care of them as if they are my own people," Duong Quang Kien, the 66- year-old cemetery custodian, told Xinhua.

Hong Xiaoyong, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam, led the Chinese delegation in paying respects to the Chinese martyrs during the memorial at the Dao My Cemetery held Wednesday.

The ambassador was joined by Vietnamese officials led by Nguyen Van Linh, chairman of Bac Giang provincial people's committee. Also present were Chinese businessmen, local residents, students and media reporters.

"As a local resident, I hope that the relationship between Vietnam and China will last forever and the two countries will continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation in all areas, including diplomatic and people-to-people exchanges," said Duong Quang Kien, who has been the cemetery custodian for the past 18 years.

According to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi, in the latter part of the 20th century, especially in the war against the U.S. invasion in the 1960s, upon the request of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people, over 320,000 Chinese troops joined Vietnam's army in defending the country's independence and territory.

After the war, more than 1,400 Chinese who died in the fighting were laid to rest in Vietnam.

The Chinese martyrs were buried in 40 cemeteries in 22 provinces across the northern and central Vietnam.

Dao My Cemetery holds the largest number of 217 Chinese martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Vietnam in 1967 and 1968.

Hong said the current development of the China-Vietnam relations has proved that Chinese blood spilt during the Vietnam-U. S. war was not in vain.

The Dao My Cemetery has been upgraded several years ago. All the tombs are built with granite and inscribed with a red five- pointed star on top and the name of the martyr, his army unit and the date of his death.

In the middle of the cemetery, it stands a monument with the inscription in Vietnamese, "Forever Grateful to the Martyrs" with a large censer in front.

"They are Chinese martyrs who sacrificed here in Vietnam for our country's independence, therefore, we are taking care of them the same as we take care of Vietnamese martyrs," Nguyen Van Linh said in the remarks during the memorial rites. Endi