A troop banquet ceremony honoring and commemorating the Hoang Sa fleet which patrols the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in the Nguyen Dynasty was held on Ly Son island in the central province of Quang Ngai on April 28.
The event is an age-old cultural belief of the people on the island aiming to pay tribute to the ancient strong army of Paracel cum Spratly who devoted their life to the country.
The program includes a procession taking tablets of soldiers to the An Vinh communal house, a requiem for these martyrs, and a release of flower lanterns on to the sea.
There is also an inauguration ceremony of commemorative area including An Vinh Temple, Am Linh Tu Pagoda and Hoang Sa naval monument, exhibition hall which were built to honor and commemorate the Hoang Sa fleet.
The activities aim to mark the 35th anniversary of Truong Sa’s Liberation Day (April 29) and Southern Liberation Day (April 30). The event will also celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Navy.
