Ritual held at Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers (Source: VNA) Quang Ngai (VNA) – The “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast andCommemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers) was organized in Ly Son district,the central province of Quang Ngai, on April 20.
According to Vietnam’s feudal state history, the HoangSa Flotilla was set up when the Nguyen Lords began their reign in the south ofthe country. Thousands of sailors overcame roaring waves and storms to surveysea routes, plant milestones and erect steles affirming national territory inHoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, and exploit marineresources ordered by Nguyen Lords. Their missions were full of dangers, andmany of them never returned to land.
To pay tribute to the men enlisted in the flotilla,“Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” has been observed through hundreds of years byfamilies in Ly Son island and many coastal areas in Quang Ngai.
The festival, which is held every April on the island,was recognised as part of the national intangible cultural heritage by theState in 2016. It reflects Vietnam’s history of protecting the nationalsovereignty in the East Sea, especially over Hoang Sa and Truong Saarchipelagos.
Ly Son island covers an area of less than 10 sq.km butit has nearly 100 relics, most of which are related to the Hoang Sa Flotilla,such as the empty graves built for Hoang Sa soldiers who never returned toland, the temples dedicated to Pham Quang Anh and Vo Van Khiet who werecaptains of the Hoang Sa Flotilla, and a showroom displaying the items of theHoang Sa Flotilla sailors who also controlled Bac Hai and Ba Ri Lagoon.
A monument and memorial house dedicated to the HoangSa Flotilla stand near the main road of the island.-VNA
VNA
