The annual commemoration ceremony honoring the heroes, revolutionary soldiers, and patriotic compatriots who sacrificed their lives in Côn Đảo is held on July 27, coinciding with Vietnam’s Day of War Invalids and Martyrs. This solemn occasion allows the nation to express profound gratitude and remembrance for those who gave their blood, youth, and ultimately their lives for the independence and freedom of the homeland.
Festival Name: Commemoration Ceremony for Heroes, Revolutionary Soldiers, and Patriots Who Sacrificed Their Lives in Côn Đảo
Location: Côn Đảo Temple, Hàng Dương Cemetery
Time: July 27 annually (Gregorian calendar)
Côn Đảo – A Place Engraved with the Nation’s Unyielding Spirit
For 113 years (1862–1975), the Côn Đảo prison system—infamously known as the “Hell on Earth”—was used by colonial and imperial powers to imprison tens of thousands of Vietnamese revolutionaries. More than 20,000 people perished here under brutal and inhumane torture.
Yet from this land of suffering arose the indomitable will of the Vietnamese people:
- Unyielding in the face of torture,
- Steadfast in revolutionary struggle,
- Resolute in upholding the integrity and ideals of the Communist soldier.
Today, Côn Đảo stands as a sacred destination—a national memorial site—where generations come to honor the fallen and reflect on the enduring strength of the Vietnamese spirit: courageous, resilient, compassionate, and magnanimous.
Honoring Those Who Became One with the Motherland
Vietnam’s history has been forged through countless life-or-death battles. Every inch of the homeland is soaked with the sweat, tears, and blood of its most devoted sons and daughters.
In the 20th century alone:
- More than 1.2 million martyrs sacrificed their lives,
- Over 600,000 war invalids and sick soldiers,
- Millions of veterans carry lifelong wounds of war,
- Over 9.2 million people were officially recognized for their contributions to the revolution,
- Nearly 140,000 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers,
And millions of family members of martyrs, former revolutionaries, resistance fighters, prisoners of war, and victims of toxic chemicals.
There is no sacrifice greater than the sacrifice of one’s own life. There is no deeper patriotism than the willingness to fall so that the nation may rise.
It is their courage, their youth, and their unwavering devotion that paved the way for today’s independent and free Vietnam.
