Truong Sa Lon (Big Spratly) island, 254 nautical miles from Cam Ranh port, part of the Truong Sa island district in the central province of Khanh Hoa, is standing out at sea as an oasis.

Dubbed the capital of the islands in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, Truong Sa Lon has seen great changes in the life of soldiers and people on the island.

Substantial investment was poured into construction of infrastructure on the Truong Sa Lon island, with the aim of developing the marine economy combined with national defence and security facilities.

Not only the town’s headquarters but also many public projects like classrooms, a meeting hall and a medical station were built to spacious dimensions. The road system on the island was completed cemented and is lined with green trees.

The most impressive projects are the Memorial House to President Ho Chi Minh and the Fallen Soldiers Monument, standing beside the airport’s runway of the island as an architectural introduction to the town.

Visitors to the island will stay in the “Capital Guest House”, which was built by contribution from Hanoi people. If someone needs a place for religion, there is a pagoda near the guest house.

To take the advantage of the sun and wind, the Naval Command built three clean energy complexes which were put into operation in April last year and effectively help improve the lives of soldiers and local residents.

“With electricity, Truong Sa is nearer to the mainland thanks to uninterrupted telecom signals and accessing the Internet is no longer a luxury thing to the islanders now”, Nguyen Duc Thien, Deputy Chairman of the town’s People’s Committee said happily.

The fresh water reservoirs on the island are now capable of meeting demands for daily life and production of people on the island. Soil is regularly brought to the island from the mainland, thus effectively helping to grow vegetables and produce food.

The Truong Sa archipelago especially the Truong Sa Lon has been regular shelters for fishermen from the southern central and southern regions whenever storms arrive or they need to collect fresh water, food and fuel. With its favourable location, Truong Sa Lon can be developed into a seaport to supply services for fishing.

According to Vo Van Truong, a fisherman on the island, Truong Sa sea area has plentiful marine resources with high economic value and is a traditional fishing ground of fishermen from Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan and Phu Yen provinces.

That is the reason why the archipelago has clear evidence of the Vietnamese ancient people. Archaeological discoveries on the island provide historical and legal bases to affirm the sovereignty of Truong Sa archipelago, which belongs to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

There are many things to write about achievements in Truong Sa Lon island and the whole Truong Sa district. With its unyielding vitality, Truong Sa is not only an island outpost defending the country’s sovereignty at sea but also emerged as a fast-growing island district, keeping pace with life and the development of the whole nation./.