The annual “Lekhao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast and Commemoration Festival for HoangSa Soldiers) pays tribute to the men enlisted in the flotilla to patrolthe Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos to tap naturalresources and defend national island sovereignty.
According toVietnam’s feudal state history, the Hoang Sa flotilla was set up whenthe Nguyen Lords began their reign in the south of the country.Thousands of sailors overcame roaring waves and storms to survey searoutes, plant milestones and erect steles affirming national territoryin Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, and tap marine resources at orders by theNguyen Lords. Their missions were full of dangers, and many of themnever returned to mainland.
To pay tribute to the menenlisted in the flotilla, the ceremony has been observed throughhundreds of years by families in Ly Son and many coastal areas in QuangNgai.-VNA