Mai Dịch Cemetery - The final resting place of high-ranking leaders

Mai Dịch Cemetary houses the graves of many martyrs, high-ranking officials and celebrated artists. Photo vietnamplus.vn

HÀ NỘI - A state funeral for the late Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng is being held on July 25 and 26, with his final resting place at the Mai Dịch Cemetery in Cầu Giấy District, Hà Nội.

The cemetery was built in 1956 with a total area of 5.9 hectares to house the graves of martyrs from the anti-French resistance war in the city.

It was renovated in 1982 and the grave areas were reorganised to reinter the remains of high-ranking officials including the General Secretary, State President, National Assembly Chairman and Prime Minister.

From 1993-1995, the Hà Nội People's Committee invested in renovating and rebuilding the infrastructure of the cemetery.

It now houses the graves of 1,224 martyrs and hundreds of high-ranking officials. Many celebrated artists and writers such as Nguyễn Đình Thi, Huy Cận, Phạm Huy Thông and Trần Hoàn are also buried there.

In addition to the burial areas, there are also flower gardens, grassy lawns and internal walkways.

The burial site for General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng is situated to the right of the National Monument, behind the graves of late General Secretaries Lê Duẩn and Lê Khả Phiêu.

Mai Dịch Cemetery has received many visitors these days commemorating the 77th anniversary of Vietnamese Wounded Soldiers and Martyrs' Day on July 27 (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2024). They visit the site to burn incense to pay tribute to the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of the nation.

Nguyễn Văn Thắng from Hai Bà Trưng District, after tending to his relative’s grave and lighting incense said: " I’m filled with emotion and gratefulness. When I see thousands of graves, I could feel the immense sacrifice of the heroic martyrs. My family also has a martyr, so these days are even more meaningful to us.”

A corner in Mai Dịch Cemetary. Photo courtesy of the Hanoi Funeral Committee

Another visitor, Lê Thị Bích Hằng from Nam Từ Liêm District, said: “Earlier on July 19, when I heard the news that General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng had passed away, I was so surprised and sad. I have always admired him for the great contributions he has made to the country. I am deeply grateful to him.”

According to the announcement from the funeral committee, the state funeral for General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng is organised in the national mourning etiquette. The respect-paying and memorial ceremonies take place concurrently at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Trần Thánh Tông Street, Hà Nội, Thống Nhất Hall in HCM City and at the leader’s native land in Đông Hội Commune, Đông Anh District, Hà Nội on July 25-26. The burial ceremony will be held at 3pm at the Mai Dịch Cemetery in Hà Nội on July 26.

The Vietnam Television and the Voice of Vietnam broadcast the ceremonies live.

During the two-day state funeral on July 25-26, national flags are flown at half-mast at State offices and public places, while recreational and entertainment activities are suspended.