National Cemetery Hue

An important sightseeing site in Hue is the National Cemetery and Park. The National Cemetery, Hue has been constructed in the memory of the anonymous war veterans, many of whom were never identified. As soon as you walk into the Cemetery, a wired sensations tingles you as you watch so many gravestones without a name on them. This novel park and cemetery is based on a lovely idea of providing a place on earth for those souls who have no one left.

It is believed that when a full moon occurs, the spirits of thee people buried here are able to leave their graves and visit the park. Once you visit the park, you will understand how they do this - in each gravestone a hole is left in the top - so that the spirit is able to leave and enter through this hole. Spirits who have no family left on Earth can also go to this park.

This Vietnamese cemetery with row upon row of countless nameless headstones, reminds visitors of a Vietnamese version of Arlington Cemetery. The hyped media focus on much of America's experience of the war almost wiped out the Vietnam's side of the war. On visiting the National Cemetery in Hue one learns that Vietnam lost approximately 3 million people in this war that wiped out an entire generation of young men.

Despite Vietnam's gory past drenched in the blood of an entire generation, the future looks bright. Tourism is booming while new infrastructure and industry are developing at an amazing pace. Today even though Vietnam is a Communist country, it has expanded its policies to accommodate a blend of ultra-liberal economics and ultra-conservative politics for a more apt modern day approach towards tourism and capitalism for the prosperity of the country and for the better future of its people.

With a new generation taking the lead of country's economy (sixty-five percent of Vietnam's population is under the age of 30) a more liberal interpretation of the government policies are emerging. Most of the Vietnamese are too young to remember or don't want to remember, the scale of havoc and destruction wreaked by the American War and are moving on with fond memories of the brave martyrs buried in National Cemetery, Hue.