Gen Giáp’s family takes over management of tomb

QUẢNG BÌNH — Border guards in the central province of Quảng Bình are going to hand over the management of legendary General Giáp’s tomb to his family and local authorities.

Border guards have managed the tomb site for five years. According to the local People’s Committee, the decision was made by the Ministry of Defence, which did not give any reasons for the move.

Related agencies in the province are to work with the General’s family to finalise a new management plan. The committee said visits to the tomb would still be allowed.

Quảng Bình was the home of General Võ Nguyên Giáp. The General is buried on Vũng Chùa-Yến Island. 

Since the day it opened to the public in 2014, it has welcomed millions of people wishing to pay their respects to the late hero.

General Võ Nguyên Giáp (1911-2013) was the commander-in-chief of the Việt Nam People’s Army in two wars against the French and the Americans. The general was famous for leading the victorious Điện Biên Phủ campaign in 1954, which contributed to the country’s liberation from French colonialism.

To the Vietnamese people, General Giáp was not only a wartime hero but also an icon who dedicated his life to the development of the country. Millions of people lined up streets across the country in mourning after his death in 2013 and millions more have visited his final resting place in Quảng Bình. — VNS