Tag Archives: national mall

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located at the National Mall area in Washington, DC, near the Lincoln Memorial. This memorial was created to remember the US armed forces service members who died in Vietnam/Southeast Asia and those who were Missing in Action during the War. The memorial was designed by architect Maya Lin, who won the design competition as a 21-year old Yale University student. The design was a source of controversy given its unconventional design. But over the time, people came to appreciate the beauty of its simplicity and emotional power of seeing the wall with names of those perished and missing.

I think the most moving part of this memorial is not only seeing the list of names of soldiers who perished during the War, but often times observing visitors coming to visit to look for a specific name of someone they know, and also seeing pictures, notes, letters, and other item left at the wall to remember someone.

The photo below was taken during a visit one weekend last summer. There were many people there, including a group of veterans, some in wheelchairs, coming to visit the memorial. There were also groups of young students who only learned about the Vietnam War from history books. As I saw one of the wall panels closely, I saw a reflection of the other side of the wall with visitors observing the wall, the Washington Monument and blue sky in the background, and an older gentleman observing the wall on the left corner, and the names etched on the wall. It made for a unique perspective to capture a scenery at this memorial.

Names on the wall at Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

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The Lincoln Memorial is located at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, DC. The memorial was dedicated in 1922 in honor of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln served as the US President from 1861 to his assassination in 1865. He led the country through a very difficult time, the American Civil War, and credited with preserving the Union and for ending slavery. Lincoln has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest US presidents in the history.

The Lincoln Memorial itself over the years had become a special place in the US history as its steps had been the venue for many Civil Right Movement events. It was the place where in 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.

I’ve visited the Lincoln Memorial many times whenever I come to the National Mall, especially when taking out-of-town visitors. It’s a great place to visit both during the day and at night. The Lincoln statue is illuminated at night, and it’s open for visitors 24 hours a day, so sometimes late night is a good time to visit as there wouldn’t be as many visitors. I’ve also been there for an Easter sunrise service — it was quite a sight seeing the sunrise over the National Mall area from the steps of Lincoln Memorial.

The photo below was taken during a day visit to the memorial. The whole Memorial building architecture was quite impressive, but even just looking at the Lincoln statue when thinking about what he had to go through to lead the country through such difficult times, gave me goose bumps.

Lincoln Memorial

National Mall

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The National Mall in Washington, DC, is an open-area park right at the heart of city. This area is among the most popular places to visit in Washington, DC, particularly because there are many monuments located here and its proximity to landmarks like the White House, the US Capitol, and the Smithsonian Institute Museums. During the weekends (and summer evenings) this area is also popular among locals who go there to play sports, or simply go for a jog or a walk. On the west end of the National Mall you find the Lincoln Memorial. On the east end you find the US Capitol, and roughly in the middle you find the Washington Monument. It’s about 1.9 miles to go from one end to the other.

I live in the suburb of Washington, DC, so I don’t go to the downtown area on daily basis. But often times I would go there during the weekends especially either to visit one of the museums or if there is a special event (festivals, charity walks). The National Mall is pretty nice (and safe) to visit at night as well. You can see the Washington Monument and some of the memorials lighted up. During special days like Memorial Day or Fourth of July (or presidential inauguration), the whole area could be packed with people coming to attend concerts, fireworks, etc.

The photo below was taken from the steps of Lincoln Memorial. You can see the Reflection Pool, the Washington Monument, and the US Capitol in the distance.

National Mall