People visit Quang Tri Ancient Citadel. (Photo: VNA)

The national relic site of Quang Tri Ancient Citadel in the central province of Quang Tri saw a record number of visitors during the National Day (September 2) holiday, with thousands of people from across the country coming each day to pay tribute to fallen soldiers.

According to the Management Board of the Memorial Site for late Party General Secretary Le Duan and Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, from August 30 to September 2, the site welcomed nearly 10,000 visitors. On September 2 alone, more than 3,800 people visited to offer incense, marking the highest daily number ever recorded.

For many, the visit carried deep personal meaning. Nguyen Xuan Loc, a resident of Quang Tri, said he brought his family there after watching the film Mua do (Red Rain), which depicts the fierce 81-day battle of 1972. Standing within the ruins, he said, helped his children understand that today’s peace was won at a tremendous cost in blood and sacrifice, and inspired them with a sense of gratitude and responsibility toward their homeland.

During the summer of 1972, Quang Tri town endured 81 days and nights of intense bombardment, with Western media at that time comparing the destruction to the impact of seven atomic bombs like those the US dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. Though reduced to rubble, the Ancient Citadel became a lasting symbol of revolutionary heroism and the Vietnamese people’s determination for national independence and reunification.

To serve the influx of visitors during the holiday, the management board mobilised its entire staff to provide round-the-clock guidance and interpretation, while coordinating with local forces to ensure security, sanitation, and logistics. Each staff member, officials said, viewed the duty as both professional responsibility and a sacred mission to honor the martyrs’ sacrifice.

Plans are also underway to screen Red Rain at the site for war veterans, relatives of martyrs, and local residents as part of continued commemorative activities.

Source: VNA