From bygone days, the people of Ly Son Island, Quang Ngai Province, have traveled to Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands and stayed during the seasons when the sea was calm.

Floating miniature boats is one part of traditional rites on Ly Son Island praying for the safe return of Hoang Sa soldiers (Photo: SGGP)

Tradition has it that after the Nguyen Lords, a series of rulers in southern Vietnam, between 1558 and 1777, claimed sovereignty over Hoang Sa. They began to send soldiers and laborers to the islands to set up border landmarks. Many went and lost their lives in the sea.

Built by a wharf, An Vinh Temple in Ly Son was the place where the soldiers of Hoang Sa army offered tributes to Heaven, Earth and ancestors before they set sail for Hoang Sa.

Overtime, the temple became seriously damaged by the elements. In 2008, it was rebuilt as part of a project to conserve all the historical monuments and ruins related to Hoang Sa.

Located next to the temple is Am Linh Pagoda, a place to worship and pay respects to soldiers who died on battlefields. Erected in front of the pagoda is a memorial plaque, which describes the ultimate sacrifice of fallen soldiers.

In Ly Son, there still exist many empty tombs, which the locals call mo gio. They were built some 300 years ago to commemorate soldiers of Ly Son, who had been sent on missions to Hoang Sa and never came back.

Every year, on the 16th of the third month of the lunar year, thousands of people of Ly Son gathered at Am Linh Pagoda to pray for the safe return of soldiers and laborers. People would burn paper and bamboo dolls, as offerings to deities to spare the lives of the soldiers and laborers.

This tradition is still alive and has been maintained by locals for over 300 years, who now use the day to pray to their ancestors.

On Ly Son today, local people still sing a number of folk songs about the risky departures of the Hoang Sa army. For example:

Many soldiers have gone to Hoang Sa, a remote island off the coast and lost their lives in the sea.

In every third month of the lunar year, we hold a rite to pray for their safe return.

Such songs have been seen as intangible evidence of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa.

One piece among many that speaks loudly of Hoang Sa as an inseparable part of Vietnam is an order, issued by King Minh Mang (1791-1841) of Nguyen Dynasty (1802 -1945), to send three ships and 24 sailors to Hoang Sa in 1834.

To commemorate the sacrifice of soldiers of Hoang Sa, since September 2007, the Quang Ngai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has carried out a project to preserve and promote the value of Hoang Sa heritage sites in Ly Son. These include An Vinh and Hoang Sa Temples and tombs of Hoang Sa soldiers.

The project is also responsible for managing the border on the Spratly Islands.

The conservation project is almost complete. The project has also rebuilt the museum of Hoang Sa army and Hoang Sa Flotilla Memorial.

VietNamNet/SGGP