Ho Chi Minh City Unveils Memorial Preserving 1968 Tet Offensive Memories

The Revolutionary Tradition Memorial Area of the 1968 Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising, located in Tan Nhut commune, Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City, stands as a significant site preserving the memories of fierce battles in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) during the 1968 Tet Offensive. The memorial area, approximately 20 km from the city center, spans 12 hectares. With an investment of over 590 billion VND (approximately $23 million) from the city's budget, it was inaugurated in 2020. The facility serves to commemorate the fallen soldiers and citizens and to educate the younger generation about patriotism. A central highlight is the circular square, designated for rituals such as incense offerings and flower ceremonies. At the heart of the square stands a symbol representing the indomitable flame, accompanied by a 9-meter-high, 90-meter-long copper relief. This artwork vividly reconstructs the battles targeting the nerve centers of the Saigon administration during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Beneath the square lies the circular traditional memorial house, situated 6 meters below ground level. Spanning 3,200 square meters, this space exhibits various artifacts and documents related to the 1968 Tet Offensive, organized by thematic sections. Near the entrance to the memorial house, a recreated scene of the battle on Minh Phung street in the Cholon area is displayed with life-sized models, illustrating the intense combat between the Liberation Army and opposing forces. This battle, occurring during the first phase of the Tet Offensive when the Liberation Army advanced into Saigon, played a crucial role in dispersing enemy forces and supporting attacks on key objectives. Numerous weapons, ammunition, bombs, and artillery pieces used during the 1968 Tet Offensive are on display. The largest artifact is a bomb weighing over one ton. Nguyen Thi Hai Linh, a student from Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance, commented, "The exhibition space is rich and vividly recreates the intensity of the battles, with easy-to-understand explanations, allowing visitors to better visualize the fierceness of the fighting." Other exhibits include jeeps equipped with machine guns used by the US Army and the Saigon administration for patrols, Honda motorcycles used by the Saigon-Gia Dinh courier force, ox carts employed by biệt động (special forces) to transport weapons, sewing machines used to make flags, weapon crates, typewriters, and handkerchiefs belonging to soldiers. The display also features rubber mattresses used by the Saigon Biệt động units to camouflage and conceal weapons during their transport into the city. Since its inauguration, the Mau Than 1968 Memorial Site has welcomed an average of over 200 groups and approximately 23,000 visitors annually. The area outside the memorial includes inscriptions, a lotus pond, resting pavilions, green spaces, lawns, walking paths, and cultural service areas, creating a communal space for visits and activities.