Giao Te Hill, a historical relic in Quang Binh

Giao Te Hill is located in Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh. This place has the important task of welcoming international delegations when coming to Quang Binh.

Giao Te Hill is 3km west of Dong Hoi city center. From Dong Hoi, follow Le Loi street to Duc Ninh and you will see the relic site. During the war, Giao Te Hill was the place to welcome and serve domestic and international delegations. Delegations came to visit and work in Quang Binh.

See more: Quang Binh tour

During the years of carrying out their great responsibility, the staff of the Giao Te Area have always overcome all difficulties, successfully completed their assigned missions, leaving good impressions and feelings in the hearts of domestic and foreign guests who have come here.

Giao Te Hill marks many historical events of great significance in the process of operation and development of the province.

Construction process of Giao Te Hill

Quang Binh Exchange Hill Area was built after 1954, when peace had just been restored, the province was facing many difficulties and shortages. In the early period, Quang Binh Exchange Hill Area was built in Dong Hoi town, the task of the Exchange Hill Area at that time was to transport delegations of cadres and soldiers from the South to the North, and delegations of guests visiting and working in the province.

Since 1964, when the US launched a war of destruction in the North. At this time, Dong Hoi Town became the focus of extremely fierce attacks by the US imperialists. To ensure all activities, the Giao Te Hill Relic Site moved to Duc Ninh. As the war spread, the Giao Te Site was divided into many small groups. The sites were located at many locations such as Con, Nghia Ninh, Ly Ninh, Bo Trach… To facilitate the implementation of the mission, the working groups proactively went to the people, together with the people to take care of welcoming and serving guests.

In 1970, the Quang Binh Administrative Committee decided to build the Communication Zone at Duc Ninh Hill. While the construction was still unfinished, the US imperialists returned, continuing to expand the war with increasingly cunning plots. The Communication Zone continued to evacuate to the Con region.

In 1973, when the Paris Agreement was just signed, the Party Central Committee and the Government instructed Quang Binh to urgently build the Exchange Area to promptly respond to the new situation. With the many difficulties and shortages of a province that had just escaped from a fierce and long-term war, Quang Binh quickly began to implement the new task.

After a short time, the Exchange Area was basically completed and put into operation. With an area of ​​nearly 4 hectares, the Exchange Area is divided into many areas such as: a guesthouse for domestic guests, a guesthouse for foreign guests, an office building, a hall, a kitchen…

During the operation, with their spirit, responsibility and affection, the staff of the Exchange Area have left good impressions, admiration and love in the hearts of visitors who have come here.

The diplomatic hill welcomes many important domestic and foreign delegations.

Among the more than 450 domestic and foreign delegations that have come to the Quang Binh Exchange Zone, we can mention the delegation of the National United Front of Cambodia led by Prince Sihanouk on the way from Hanoi to the South to pass through the liberated zone of northeastern Cambodia, which was received twice by the officers and staff of the Exchange Zone, the delegation of the Asia-Africa Solidarity Organization, the delegation of the Hungarian Government Economic Organization, the Soviet Union’s artists and writers, the Chinese sailors, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, the parties of Singapore, Burma, Malaysia… all stayed at the Exchange Zone.

Many domestic delegations stayed at the Giao Te Area during their working trips to Quang Binh, such as the delegation of the Provisional Government led by comrade Nguyen Thi Binh, the delegations of comrades Truong Chinh, Vo Nguyen Giap, Ha Thi Que, To Huu, Le Duc Tho, Dong Sy Nguyen…

Resting place of Cuban leader Mr. Fidel Castro

Among the delegations that came to the Exchange Zone, we cannot fail to mention the guest whose name had a strong influence not only on the officers and employees of the Exchange Zone, on his homeland Quang Binh, but also on the Vietnamese people. He was also his closest friend, Fidel Castro – the leader of the brotherly Republic of Cuba.

In September 1973, when the war in Vietnam had just ended, Fidel Castro decided to visit the two heroic provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Tri.

During this journey, which lasted only 2 days from Quang Binh to Quang Tri and back to Quang Binh, he shed tears many times when witnessing the death and pain of the people of Central Vietnam. He visited the Ngu Thuy Women’s Artillery Company, the unit that twice shot down an American warship.

Passing through Dong Hoi town, Fidel Castro got out of the car and walked through the beautiful town, which at that time was just a pile of rubble and still had many unexploded bombs underground. He could not hold back his tears when visiting Me Suot ferry, where his 60-year-old mother still transported soldiers across the river day and night, and it was also here that American bombs and bullets killed her when she had just returned home as a hero from the National Assembly.

Also during his visit to Quang Binh on September 16, 1973, the Cuban President promised to help Quang Binh build a large hospital. Only 5 years later, a large-scale hospital was completed in Ly Ninh commune, Dong Hoi town (now Nam Ly ward, Dong Hoi city). Not only that, in the next 10 years, Cuba sent many delegations of highly qualified medical experts to work directly with Vietnamese medical staff to exchange expertise as well as to combine medical examination and treatment for the people.

Go to Giao Te Hill National Historical Site

In 1998, Quang Binh Giao Te Hill was ranked as a national historical relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

In 2009, the Giao Te Hill historical relic site was renovated to be more spacious. The international and domestic guest rooms, conference rooms, garden systems, gates, fences, etc. were all invested in and renovated. In particular, the Relic Management Board has also collected relevant documents and artifacts. To open an additional exhibition room in the conference hall of the Giao Te Area to help visitors understand more about the relic.

Therefore, since then, the Giao Te Hill relic site in Quang Binh has attracted more and more visitors. Many groups of visitors want to revisit the place that was once a stopover for many leaders of the Party and State. Especially the place where Cuban President Fidel Castro stayed when he visited Quang Binh in the days when the resistance war against the US had just ended.

Located near the center of Dong Hoi city, and on the tourist route to visit historical sites and scenic spots in the west. Giao Te Hill historical site is one of the attractive and convenient stops for tourists when coming to Quang Binh. Tourists can choose it in the Dong Hoi City Tour.