Learn about Mai Dich Cemetery - the resting place of high-ranking leaders
Mai Dich Cemetery (Hanoi) was built in 1956 with a total area of 5.9 hectares, and is the resting place of many high-ranking leaders and people who have made great contributions to the country.
Located on Ho Tung Mau Street, Mai Dich Ward, Cau Giay District, connecting National Highway 32 to Son Tay Town, Mai Dich Cemetery is a martyrs' cemetery in Hanoi and is also the resting place for many high-ranking leaders and those who have made great contributions to the country.
The funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will be solemnly held according to the State funeral protocol for 2 days (July 25 and 26, 2024), after which he will be buried at Mai Dich Cemetery.
Scale of Mai Dich Cemetery
Mai Dich Cemetery was built in 1956 with a total area of 5.9 hectares to collect the graves of martyrs from the anti-French period of Hanoi city.
In 1982, the cemetery was renovated and planned to accommodate the burial of high-ranking officials. This is the burial place of high-ranking officials including the General Secretary, President, National Assembly Chairman, Prime Minister and the funeral will be held according to the National Funeral or State funeral rites.
From 1993 to 1995, the Hanoi People's Committee invested in reforming and rebuilding the entire cemetery infrastructure.
Currently, Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi has 1,224 martyrs resting here and hundreds of high-ranking officials with clearly divided areas.
Right at the main gate are the graves of former Politburo members such as Truong Chinh, Le Duan, Pham Van Dong, Pham Hung, To Huu, etc.
According to the cemetery's diagram, the groups of graves are divided into different areas, such as the group of graves of generals in the army, police, the area for artists such as Nguyen Dinh Thi, Huy Can, Pham Huy Thong, Tran Hoan, etc.
Mai Dich Cemetery Park will have its existing fence system renovated and a new fence built around the expanded land. In the expanded area, a burial site for martyrs (about 500 graves) and a burial site for senior officials will be planned when they pass away.
The remaining area is used for flower gardens, lawns and internal roads (road cross-section width is about 4.5m).
Mai Dich Cemetery Expansion
In December 2013, the Hanoi People's Committee issued a document assigning the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to prepare for investment in the project to renovate, upgrade and expand Mai Dich Cemetery (Cau Giay District).
Specifically, the cemetery grounds will be adjusted and expanded by about 3,000m.2with a total investment of more than 70 billion VND to plan burial sites for 500 more martyrs and senior officials when they pass away.
According to Decree 105/2012/ND-CP dated December 17, 2012, the Government of Vietnam stipulates that senior officials are eligible for burial at Hanoi Cemetery.
They are members of the Party Central Committee and above, scientists, cultural figures, writers, poets who have received the Ho Chi Minh Prize, outstanding generals, and heroes of the armed forces.
The Cau Giay Cemetery area includes 1,228 unknown martyrs' graves in the back, 394 graves of famous people arranged along both sides of the Monument of the Fatherland.
The outer row faces the main axis, with 10 graves on each side. The other graves are arranged horizontally from the main axis, in front of the tomb of the unknown martyrs, with a separate horizontal row along the front next to two small lakes.
Regarding the renovation and upgrading of Hanoi Cemetery, the cemetery's martyrs' graves will have their old stone cladding removed to be rebuilt and covered with new bricks. The foundation, walkways will be paved with red bricks and the low flower wall will be paved with stone. The high-class cemetery will have its old paving bricks removed from the walkways and re-paved with Terazzo bricks.
The graves are usually more than 2 meters wide and nearly 3 meters long, with a green grass carpet in the middle. Each incense burner of the revolutionaries has a golden star of victory attached to it.
In addition, Mai Dich Cemetery will renovate the drainage system, flower gardens, roads, and bench systems in the areas, and replace lighting and decorative lights in the central areas.
Proposed 2 locations for building new Mai Dich Cemetery
The Ministry of Construction proposed to select two specific locations to build the new Mai Dich Cau Giay Cemetery, including: Location in the Yen Ky Cemetery area expanding to the South, Ba Vi district, about 60 km west of Hanoi center in the direction of National Highway 32. Building a cemetery at this location will save initial costs on technical infrastructure investment.
The second location proposed by the Ministry of Construction is Yen Trung commune, Thach That district, about 50 km west of Hanoi center in the direction of the extended Thang Long Avenue connecting to Hoa Binh city./.
