Islanders commemorate soldiers of ancient Hoang Sa Flotilla
Residents in the island district of Ly Son in central Quang Ngai province commemorated sailors of the historic Hoang Sa (Paracel) flotilla with a traditional ceremony at An Hai village temple on March 25.
Quang Ngai (VNA) – Residents in theisland district of Ly Son in central Quang Ngai province commemorated sailorsof the historic Hoang Sa (Paracel) flotilla with a traditional ceremony at An Haivillage temple on March 25.
The “Lekhao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang SaSoldiers) pays tribute to the men enlisted in the flotilla to patrol the HoangSa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos to tap natural resources and defendnational island sovereignty.
According to history, the Hoang Sa flotilla was established in early 17th century under the Nguyen Lords’ reign in the south of Vietnam. Each year, 70 fishermen from An Vinh and An Hai villages around the Sa Ky estuaryand the An Vinh and An Hai villages on Ly Son island were enlisted in theflotilla, which was assigned the mission of surveying sea routes, erecting sovereignty landmarks and steles declaring national territory in Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. They began their trip in the secondlunar month and returned six months later.
Sincetheir mission was fraught with danger, a ceremony was held before the trip topray for their safety. Puppets representing the soldiers and basics like rice,salt, fuel wood, and drinking water were put on replica boats which were thenreleased into the sea to symbolically substitute for the soldiers.
🏅 Theceremony has been observed over centuries by families in Ly Son and manycoastal areas in Quang Ngai, attracting increasing participation from visitors acrossVietnam in recent years.
Truong Duyet, head of the ritual board of An Hai village's communal house, said that every year in the second lunarmonth, villagers in An Hai organise a ceremony to commemorate and paytribute to the heroic soldiers of Hoang Sa in the past. The ceremony also helpsislanders and tourists better understand the difficulties, hardships andcontributions of the Hoang Sa militia in protecting and preserving nationalmaritime sovereignty.
ꦐ After the ceremony this year, a boat race washeld. In the past, such races were organised to select skillful and strong seafarers to join the Hoang Sa flotilla./.
The first photo exhibition on Hoang Sa (Paracels) and Truong Sa (Spratlys) in the central province of Quang Ngai opened in the central park of Quang Ngai city on August 19.
Hoang Sa (Paracels) and Truong Sa (Spratlys), like integral pieces of Vietnamese blood and flesh, form part of the country’s territory, which is an immutable truth cherished by the Vietnamese people for generations. Fifty years have passed since January 19, 1974, when Hoang Sa was illegally occupied by China, this archipelago remains a persistent concern of the Vietnamese people.
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A ritual at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA broadcasts) 
