The construction of Dong Loc bell tower has been completed and will opened on January 2 in the northern central province of Ha Tinh, Nguyen Xuan Hung, head of the Dong Loc T-junction relic site, said on Monday.
The Dong Loc bell tower began construction in the same name commune, Can Loc District on July this year, with a total expenditure of VND27 billion (US$1.4 million). It was funded by donations from individuals, organizations and businesses nationwide.
The seven-floor tower comprises a six-ton bronze bell hung at the highest floor. The bell, four meters high and 1.92 meters wide, was casted by the artist Nguyen Van Ung, from the Hoa Mai workshop in Hanoi.
The Dong Loc T-junction, which played a vital role in the transportation of necessities and ammunition, from the north to the south, is well-known for the story of 10 young unmarried female volunteers, who laid down their lives to ensure transport on the Ho Chi Minh Trail on July 24, 1968.
From 1965-1968, the US army dropped nearly 50,000 bombs and fired tens of thousands of missiles at the T-junction, in the hope of cutting off the transport route to the southern front.
Dong Loc has become a historical symbol for the nation’s patriotic traditions.
