Hoang Sa sailors commemorated in Ly Son
Part of the ceremony (Source: quangngai.gov.vn)
The annual “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” ((Feast and Commemoration
Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers) ceremony is to pay tribute to the
soldiers and sailors who sacrificed their lives over the centuries
guarding the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.
The event has been observed through hundreds of years by communities in Ly Son islands and many coastal areas in Quang Ngai.
Ly Son Island covers an area of less than 10 sq.km but it has nearly 100 relics, most of which are related to the Hoang Sa Flotilla, such as the sacred temple, the empty graves built for those Hoang Sa soldiers who never returned, the communal houses of An Vinh and An Hai Villages, the chambers worshipping Pham Quang Anh and Vo Van Khiet who were captains of the Hoang Sa Flotilla, the showroom displaying the items of the Hoang Sa Flotilla who also controlled Bac Hai and Ba Ri Lagoon. In particular, “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” which is held every April on the island has been recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage by the State.
A monument and the memorial house dedicated to the Hoang Sa Flotilla stand near the main road of the island. The exhibits at the memorial house include the mats, identity cards, bamboo splints and rolls of rattan strings, which the militia-soldiers often took with them on each trip to Hoang Sa.
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