After a night's drive, a car drops Le Thi Thom at the gate of Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery in Quang Tri, where her father, Le Anh Hien, who died in 1973, now rests.

Thom has made it a tradition to visit Quang Tri’s cemeteries every year on July 27th. Thus, the guest house has become a familiar address during her travel.

"I feel very welcomed here. The house provides accommodation and simple meals while helping me locate my father’s tomb. The staff’s soothing words and kind gestures help ease my family’s pain,” Thom said. 

The guest house for war martyrs’ relatives in Quang Tri. (Photo: VOV)

Many years have passed, but the pain and loss left from the war is still imprinted in the search for the martyrs’ remains. Veteran Nguyen Duc Duan is a member of an association in the northern province of Hoa Binh, which supports martyrs' family in searching and identifying martyrs’ tombs.

Duan said many families have been to Quang Tri several times a year with the hope that they can find and bring home the remains of their relatives. For those families, the support from the guest house is greatly meaningful.  

“The house provides everything for free for martyrs’ families who want to repatriate the remains of their loved ones from Quang Tri’s cemeteries. The staff consults families on papers and procedures for smoother searching. Sometimes I arrive at the guest house at 1.am, I still receive so much support from the staff,” Duan said. 

Floating lanterns are released on the Thach Han river every year to pay tribute to war martyrs. (Photo: VOV)

The guest house, which was built in 1997, was a place for local war invalids then upgraded to a destination for martyrs' relatives visiting Quang Tri.

Phan Thi Bay, a receptionist at the house, witnessed many touching stories while working here.   

“We open round the clock .we are ready to take martyrs’ relatives to the cemeteries even at night. We also have 2 cars available to bring martyrs’ families home to help them cut traveling costs,” Bay said. 

Every year, Quang Tri welcomes over 70,000 visitors from all over the country to pay gratitude for the heroes who fell for the motherland’s independence and freedom. The guest house contributes to serving 10,000 martyrs’ relatives looking for graves or visiting cemeteries in the province.