The central coastal province of Quang Ngai will hold the
traditional ceremonies to commemorate the sailors of the Hoang Sa
(Paracel) Flotilla on April 27-28 in Ly Son island district.
The 2013 Quang Ngai Sea and Island Cultural Week will also be launched on this occasion.
This will be the first time Quang Ngai organises at provincial level
the Hoang Sa Soldier Feast and Commemoration Festival. This is a unique
rite observed by the locals on Ly Son Island in either the second or
third lunar month, to pay tribute to their ancestors who crossed the sea
to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos to mine natural resources and
defend the national island sovereignty.
The festival
also aims to raise awareness among people, especially youths, about the
importance of protecting the national sea and island sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
A wide range of ritual activities will be
held during this year’s event, including a requiem for the dead, a
procession of the four supernatural creatures, the release of lanterns,
boat races, and the launching of replica boats carrying effigies of
Hoang Sa-Truong Sa fleet sailors to sea.
A discussion
concerning Vietnamese legal and historical sovereignty over Hoang Sa and
Truong Sa archipelagoes plus an exhibition of art works and photos, and
folk games will also take place.
According to Vietnam’s feudal state history, the Hoang Sa Flotilla was set up when the
Nguyen Lords began their reign in the south of the country. Troops were
sent to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes throughout the past three
centuries, since the time of the Nguyen Lords and through the Tay Son
and Nguyen dynasties. The Hoang Sa Flotilla was then assigned to control
Bac Hai (Truong Sa).-VNA