Organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization, the program, titled Journey of Gratitude – Back to the Land of Fire, is led by Mr. Le Van Minh, Permanent Deputy Head of the commission.
Joining the delegation were Mr. Pham Quy Trong, Deputy Director of the Department of Local Affairs III under the Central Commission for Information and Education; Mr. Tang Huu Phong, Deputy Head of the HCMC Party Committee's Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization; Mr. Tran Trong Dung, Vice Chairman in charge of the Southern region of the Vietnam Journalists Association; and Mr. Duong Vu Thong, Permanent Vice Chairman of the HCMC Journalists Association.
The delegation comprises more than 100 propaganda and mass-mobilization officials, along with senior executives, reporters, and editors from leading Ho Chi Minh City news and publishing organizations, and central press agencies based in the city.
In Hue, the delegation paid tributes to fallen soldiers at the Hue City Martyrs Cemetery in An Cuu Ward, where more than 2,000 martyrs from across Vietnam are laid to rest.
At a solemn memorial ceremony, members of the delegation expressed their profound gratitude to those who fought and died for national liberation, reunification, and the defense of the country.
The cemetery currently contains 1,456 graves whose identities have yet to be identified. As part of a nationwide 500-day campaign to accelerate the search, recovery, and identification of martyrs' remains, Hue authorities have collected DNA samples from all 1,456 graves for forensic testing in an effort to determine the identities of the fallen.
The delegation also toured the Hue Imperial City, the former seat of the Nguyen dynasty and a major component of the Complex of Hue Monuments, which UNESCO inscribed on its World Heritage List.
The program runs through August 14, with the delegation scheduled to travel to Quang Tri and Da Nang in the coming days. The delegation will pay tribute at Truong Son Martyrs Cemetery, Road 9 Martyrs Cemetery, and Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, visit the Hien Luong-Ben Hai historical site, and take part in activities supporting families who made sacrifices for the nation.
The journey provides Ho Chi Minh City's press and publishing community with an opportunity to reflect on the country's revolutionary traditions and reinforce the enduring Vietnamese principle of remembering and honoring those who came before.
