Local residents in the northern province of Hai Duong’s Chi Linh District unwittingly bought hundreds of Chinese made decorative lanterns that proudly displayed the name of the Chinese local government body responsible for administration over the Vietnam's Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

Decorative lanterns hang in Haiphong 

The largely fictional Sansha City administrative body was established in July last year by the Chinese government despite protests from Vietnam and the international community.

After sharp-eyed local officials noticed the problem, the lanterns were taken down. Chi Linh District Police claimed only a few lanterns had been used on the city’s main streets.

In Haiphong City, after receiving reports from local residents the local authorities moved to ban their sale and use.

Many households in Haiphong have removed Chinese lettering from the lanterns and added Vietnamese national imagery in their place.