Vietnamese want city, airport, avenue named after Gen. Giap Mourners hold the portrait of the General during his funeral procession in Quang Binh October 13, 2013. Tuoi Tre Following the death of General Vo Nguyen Giap, the demand to have a facility named after the legendary military leader quickly emerged, with local residents and experts suggesting a wide variety of options. Topping the list of suggestions is the proposal to have a Vo Nguyen Giap Museum. Other widely supported proposals are to name an international airport, a modern highway, and even a city after the country’s revered independence hero who passed away earlier this month at 103. During a week-long mourning ceremony in tribute to General Giap’s death, a number of locals, from military leaders and scientists to veterans and civilians, expressed their wish that Vietnam should have a Vo Nguyen Giap Museum. For instance, Lieutenant General Pham Hong Cu said the only thing he as well as all veterans wishes to see is the establishment of such a museum. Meanwhile, Professor Vu Khieu said briefly: “Setting up the museum is a must, and the entire nation wants this.” Other experts, including Associate Professor Nguyen Manh Ha, chief of the Institute for Communist Party History, have strongly backed the idea. “It’s certain that we will have the Vo Nguyen Giap Museum, just like we already have Ho Chi Minh and Ton Duc Thang museums,” said Ha, who holds a Ph.D. Meanwhile, Associate Professor and Doctor Nguyen Minh Hoa said no facilities can live up to the legendary name of General Giap, while suggesting that a city would do. “Currently there are two cities for us to consider: the Dien Bien City of Dien Bien Province, and Dong Hoi City of Quang Binh,” Hoa, deputy chief of the HCMC Planning and Urban Development Association, said. Dien Bien is where General Giap earned his worldly reputation by defeating the French troops during the renowned Dien Bien Phu victory, while Quang Binh is both his hometown and resting place. “Hence, both cities deserve to be named after him,” Hoa concluded, while asserting that the idea of having a Vo Nguyen Giap city will be widely supported. Avenue and airport In an email sent to Tuoi Tre, a reader nicknamed pklieu suggested naming an international airport after General Giap. “This could be the operational Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports, or the future Long Thanh terminal,” he said, while backing his argument with examples of the Paris-based Charles de Gaulle and New York’s Kennedy airports. “A Vo Nguyen Giap school or road would always be known within the country, while his name would be spread worldwide along with an international terminal,” he added. For his part, Doctor Vo Van Sen, schoolmaster of the HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said a wide, modern, and beautiful road should soon be renamed Vo Nguyen Giap. “We should first look for such avenue in Hanoi, HCMC, and Quang Binh,” he said. Sen added that the General’s name can also be used to name a locality like his hometown Le Thu District, or a warzone where he used to lead the military operations. “Naming an area after a famous person is common in the world,” he said. TUOITRENEWS