Headstones Tour 2009 - Part 3 Vietnamese Headstone Monuments con't

Continuing on in the Vietnamese cemetery, touring Vietnamese headstones, memorials and monuments we wish to share some of the spectacular memorials here outside of Ho Chi Minh City.

A typical Vietnamese monument Size is good More of the same The Vietnamese gravestones here are set up in sections for the officers and civilian leaders with larger custom red granite tablets or headstones in one area and then small circular arrangements for the lower ranks. Many have ceramic photos and most are arranged in groups that encompass fallen soldiers from a specific city or local area.  
 

Monuments for the officers Soldier’s monument This arrangement takes a lot of space From there we left for a traditional Vietnamese cemetery where we were able to talk with the caretaker who told us that it costs about $100 US to be buried here. The monuments are extra and as you can see they are quite varied in size and quality. Some monuments are made of solid granite and are quite elaborate but most are concrete with inlayed granite name plaques. Many are painted and there is no rhyme or reason for the cemetery layout. Often there are no paths between the stones and there weren’t many roads so we were climbing over monuments to get from one place to another. Our guide picked out some hypodermic needles lying in the grass as we were walking through the cemetery. Even though the penalty for dealing drugs in Vietnam is death, the area around this cemetery is noted for its drug activity.