Hanoi (VNA) – With three booming whistles, the “Great Unity Ship” roared out of Da Nang Port, its passengers buzzing with raw excitement. This wasn’t just a cruise, it was a sacred pilgrimage to Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, a far-flung cluster of islands sacred to Vietnam. For many aboard, these were no mere dots on a map but a homeland they had only dreamed of through stories and the media.
In late April, over 60 overseas Vietnamese (OVs) from 24 countries, plus local ethnic and religious leaders and intellectuals, boarded this seven-day adventure to meet the soldiers and folks living on Truong Sa in Khanh Hoa province and a DK1 platform on Vietnam’s southern continental shelf.
It is a yearly mission, kicked off in 2012 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) and the Vietnam People’s Navy, to glue the nation together and show the world Vietnam’s iron grip on its seas.
The ship landed at Da Thi, Sinh Ton, Len Dao, Co Lin, Da Tay A, and Truong Sa islands, and the DK1/8 Que Duong platform. For many, it was not merely a journey to the front lines of Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty but a heartfelt homecoming, a shared heartbeat of pride and duty to their country.
“Standing on Truong Sa, seeing our soldiers’ blood and sweat up close, I truly got what ‘homeland’ really means”, said SCOV Chairman Nguyen Trung Kien, choking back tears.
Truong Sa: Where souls come home
Nguyen Quang Thanh and his spouse Nguyen Thi My Van, Vietnamese expatriates living in the US, could not hide their emotions and pride as they finally reached Truong Sa after many attempts and years of waiting.
“We are beyond blessed! Not everyone gets this chance”, Thanh gushed. “All those worries melted away the second we arrived”. The couple swore to spread the word to Vietnamese communities worldwide. “We’ll do our best to share truthful information and images, showing that Truong Sa is an inseparable part of Vietnam, and that our navy is steadfastly safeguarding our sacred sovereignty,” Van added.
Cao Hong Vinh, Chairwoman of the Hoang Sa-Truong Sa Club in Poland, was on her third visit to the archipelago, yet her emotions remained undimmed.
“Every time we dock, my heart is ready to burst”, she said. “The tight hugs from soldiers, the teary handshakes, and the looks that say it all, those moments tie us together, unbreakable”.
Maritime sovereignty - Vietnam’s sacred flesh and blood
The voyage’s most soul-stirring moment came during a sombre wreath-laying event near the waters of Gac Ma, Co Lin, and Len Dao, honouring the 64 Vietnamese naval heroes who gave their lives defending Gac Ma on March 14, 1988.
Thirty-seven years on, their “immortal circle” – brave souls locked hand-in-hand against a hail of enemy fire, stands as Vietnam’s ultimate symbol of revolutionary heroism and love for the Fatherland’s seas and islands.
As wreaths floated over the waves, some bowed their heads, others sobbed, but every single person felt the weight of a sacrifice that will burn bright forever.
The “Great Unity Ship” may be back in port, but Truong Sa’s spirit is still alive, pumping through the veins of everyone who made the trip. Like the waves that never stop kissing Vietnam’s shores, their love for these islands is deep, quiet, and everlasting./.
