Hai Phong launches search for 1951 martyr remains

Authorities in Hai Phong have launched an official mission to search for and recover the remains of eight martyrs and numerous civilians killed by French forces in 1951. The excavation is centered in the Ma Chia area of Vinh Bao commune.

In 1951, the Ma Chia site served as a mass burial location for revolutionary soldiers, guerrillas, officials, and hundreds of local residents. During a ceremony held on September 26, officials from the National Steering Committee 515, Military Region 3, and Hai Phong city leadership joined relatives and witnesses to commemorate the victims.

Local officials described the mission as both a professional task and a political responsibility to honor those who sacrificed their lives for national independence. The ceremony included traditional rites at spiritual gravesites, often referred to by locals as ‘wind graves,’ which had been maintained by families over the past 75 years.