The shrine to the legendary general Vo Nguyen Giap, whose death in October this year attracted much public attention and foreign media, was inaugurated in southern Dong Nai province on Dec 22.

Located on a mound in An Vien Vinh Hang Cemetery in Vinh Cuu district, the 450m2 shrine has three wooden chambers built in the traditional style.

Apart from Gen. Giap, the shrine also worships some other historical figures, namely senior lieutenant-general Tran Van Tra, lieutenant-general Nguyen Binh, female general Nguyen Thi Dinh and Marshal Huynh Van Nghe.

The edifice is built from the donations of local enterprises and residents.

Also on Dec 22, the making of a bronze drum, a pair of cannons and a sword also kicked off in Thanh Hoa province. The finished objects will be given to the commemorative center to Gen. Giap in central Quang Binh province, his hometown.

The 400kg bronze drum is cast manually and modeled after the country’s iconic Ngoc Lu bronze drum. The drum measures 103cm in diameter, which is symbolic of Gen. Giap’s age when he passed away, and 91.1cm in height, which stands for 1911, his year of birth. The drum also boasts intricately carved images of the general and his commemorative house in Quang Binh on its surface.

In addition, work also started on a pair of cannons, which are indicative of the revered hero’s imposing air during his years in service. The cannons are 103cm long, which again is symbolic of the general’s age. The barrels of the cannons are 48cm in perimeter, which serves as reminder of the year 1948, when Giap was made General by the late President Ho Chi Minh.

A bronze commanding sword is also being cast, with its hilt featuring the images of Vietnamese heroic mothers.

The three objects, which are made with donators’ funding, will be gifted to the Vo Nguyen Giap Commemorative House on Yen island in Quang Binh province on Jan 10, 2014 to mark the 100th day of his death, traditionally believed to be significant to the deceased person’s reincarnation.

Following Gen. Giap’s death, locals expressed their wish for a facility to be named after the legendary military leader. Local residents and experts have suggested a wide variety of options, including a museum, an international airport, a modern highway, or even a city.

Vo Nguyen Giap, the first four-star general and the former commander-in-chief of the Vietnam army, died on Oct 4 at the 108 Army Hospital in Hanoi, more than a month after he celebrated his 103rd birthday.

He started his career as a history teacher before joining the army to become a legendary general who led the Vietnam Army to defeat the French and US invaders in 1954 and 1975 respectively.

His funeral, the largest in Vietnam for decades, attracted thousands of locals who queued for several hours to pay tribute to the general. People are still visiting his resting place in Quang Binh province.