WRITING CONTEST “INVISIBLE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY: Love for the land, love for people with Hoang Sa

The affection of the people of Ba Lang An region for Ly Son is always strong, forged through the journey of conquering the ocean and protecting the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland.

Standing at My Khe beach looking to the East, An Vinh village, Tinh Khe commune, Quang Ngai province has an arc shape along the sea. This place has many relics associated with Hoang Sa team managing Truong Sa, and to distinguish it from Ly Son, researchers call it Hoang Sa relics managing Truong Sa on the mainland.

Same place name, same family name

Mr. Le Qua, resident of An Vinh village, said that in this village there is an ancient communal house, Ba Thuy palace, Am Linh Tu, and a temple to worship General Nam Hai (also known as Hoang Sa temple by the locals) similar to those in Ly Son. In Ly Son special zone, there are 13 clans of ancestors, and the same is true here. Because from this place, the ancestors came to the island to reclaim land.

Mr. Le Qua led us along the newly opened concrete road towards the sea, where the sea breeze blew fiercely. Ships returning from their long voyages were flying the national flag. The majestic Hoang Sa Temple faced south, next to it was an ancient banyan tree with green leaves.

A corner of An Vinh village, Tinh Khe commune, Quang Ngai province

I followed Mr. Le Qua into the temple. After burning incense, Mr. Qua pulled the red cloth from the main altar. A piece of whale bone was revealed. He said: For generations, the people of An Vinh have used the sea as their source of livelihood. Once upon a time, on a trip to the Hoang Sa archipelago, they encountered a stranded female elephant. Together, they tied a rope to pull it back to the mainland to hold a funeral. But the elephant was too big to move the whole thing. So they prayed to bring its head back to the mainland to hold a ceremony and then build a temple. Because its origin is in the Hoang Sa archipelago, many people call it the Hoang Sa Ong temple, or more simply, the Hoang Sa temple.

From Hoang Sa temple, follow the sea about 500 meters to reach An Vinh communal house, where the ancestors who opened up this land are worshiped. In the past, before setting off on a mission, Hoang Sa Team always came to burn incense and pray at An Vinh communal house and Hoang Sa temple.

In addition to these two relic sites, in An Vinh there is also the ancient Don Garden which was chosen as the headquarters of the Hoang Sa Team.

According to the research work "Folk culture of coastal residents of Quang Ngai" (author Nguyen Dang Vu; National Culture Publishing House), during the Nguyen Dynasty, An Vinh and An Hai villages included the land of An Vinh, An Hai on the mainland and An Vinh, An Hai outside Re island (now Ly Son special zone); it was not until the third year of Gia Long (1804) that they were separated into two independent communes and on January 1, 1993, these two communes separated from Binh Son district to establish Ly Son island district. The Hoang Sa team, established during the Nguyen Lord's reign, was from An Vinh and An Hai villages on the mainland and also from Ly Son island. From the 19th century onwards, the Hoang Sa team was mainly from An Vinh village on Ly Son island, with the task of measuring hydrographic routes, building temples, drawing maps, and erecting sovereignty steles on the Hoang Sa archipelago.

The soul of the countryside

Also from conquering the sea and protecting the islands, An Vinh people love the sea and the village more, contributing labor and money to build spacious communal houses and temples.

Mr. Vo Binh, 96 years old, shared: "The old Hoang Sa Temple and An Vinh Communal House were both built with stone walls, plastered with lime mixed with molasses, ironwood pillars, and roofs covered with yin-yang tiles. It was a custom for people to stop by these two places before going to sea to burn incense and pray for protection and blessing."

Worshiping ceremony at the temple of General Nam Hai - Hoang Sa in An Vinh village

Mr. Nguyen Thang, 85 years old in An Vinh village, said: "Before opening the sea, the boatmen (ie boat owners - PV) contributed money to buy offerings for the women and girls to cook. The men were in charge of preparing the feast. The elders in the village wore long dresses and turbans to gather to worship their ancestors at An Vinh communal house, then transferred the offerings to the Hoang Sa Temple and Am Linh Tu to worship the souls. In years of good fishing season, the fishermen invited the opera troupe from Binh Dinh to perform all night long.

But through the resistance wars, the old communal house and Hoang Sa temple were ruined. In 2017, Quang Ngai province implemented the project "Preservation and restoration of Hoang Sa relics and management of Truong Sa", the temple was restored and by February 2025, Quang Ngai province recognized it as a provincial historical relic. An Vinh communal house has not been restored yet. But all are vestiges of a time, recording the efforts of our ancestors in exploring and protecting the sea and islands.

Continuing the tradition of our ancestors

Mr. Vo Xuan Linh, Head of the Vo clan's worshipping committee in An Vinh village, said that the ancient Ba Lang An area included An Vinh and An Ky villages in Tinh Ky commune, Son Tinh district and An Hai village in Binh Chau commune, Binh Son district. Now, An Vinh and An Ky belong to Tinh Khe commune and An Hai belongs to Dong Son commune, Quang Ngai province. From this place, many centuries ago, people followed the king's orders, along with people from many other places in the mainland, to Re island to settle down and participate in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands. Remembering their roots, they used the name of their hometown in the mainland to name their new home on Ly Son island, An Vinh and An Hai.

The boat racing festival is held in the ancient Ba Lang An sea area.

In the years after the country's reunification, when the government had not yet built Sa Ky port, the departure point for ships to Ly Son island was in An Vinh village, taking more than 3 hours. There were days when the wind was strong, so the ships turned in the afternoon before leaving the port. Transportation was difficult, so the people of Ly Son island had to go to the mainland. When returning, they often stayed at relatives' houses to leave the port the next day. On the island, whenever there was a storm, people on the mainland asked all kinds of questions. Mr. Le Khuan, a fisherman of Ly Son, said: "In the open sea, when any ship is in trouble, we all come together to rescue it. But when we rescue the ships of the people of An Vinh and An Hai areas, it is naturally warmer."

Mr. Vo Xuan Huyen, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Ly Son district, said that every year when the death anniversary comes on the mainland, the Nguyen Xuan clan sends people to pay respect to their ancestors and burn incense. Following the tradition of their ancestors, many generations of Ly Son youth have become marine soldiers.

From July 2025, Ly Son island district will be reorganized under the name of Ly Son special economic zone, wearing a new coat, developing into a special marine economic zone. The coastal villages of An Vinh, An Hai, and An Ky are also changing day by day.

And perhaps, for generations, the affection of the people of Ba Lang An region for Ly Son has always been strong, forged through the journey of conquering the sea and protecting the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland. They understand more about the task of protecting the sea and islands and are attached to the family affection, from the mainland to the Ly Son special zone, to love this land more.

Blood and bones mixed in the sea

In the past, the Hoang Sa Team traveled from the mainland to the Hoang Sa archipelago by sampan, facing the stormy waves, so many people never returned. Their blood and bones mixed in the blue sea. For generations to come, the old song of the mother and young wife will still be passed down: "The season of the cuckoos calling loudly is over/ The flying fish have fled but you have not returned yet".

For today's young generation, respecting the Hoang Sa Fleet is a way to show patriotism and the spirit of protecting the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland's sea and islands.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cuoc-thi-viet-chu-quyen-quoc-gia-bat-kha-xam-tinh-dat-tinh-nguoi-voi-hoang-sa-196251004205719132.htm