A decade of students' journey to affirm sovereignty over seas and islands

From May 29 to June 4, 2023, the KN290 ship carried more than 200 outstanding Vietnamese students from home and abroad to visit Truong Sa. According to Mr. Le Hai Binh - Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, "this is a historic ship", bringing such a large number of student delegates to Truong Sa for the first time.

Mr. Bui Quang Huy, alternate member of the Party Central Committee, First Secretary of the Central Youth Union; Major General Nguyen Van Oanh, Director of the School Department, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army presented flowers to the leaders of the delegation.

During that special voyage, many meaningful programs and activities imbued with student spirit were held for the first time in Truong Sa island district, such as: "For beloved Truong Sa" running race, Student art exhibition with the sea and islands of the Fatherland; the Student Song journey sung for the first time from Truong Sa; a thematic talk: "The cause of protecting sovereignty over seas and islands in the new situation" on ship KN290...

The Run for Beloved Truong Sa is one of the unique and emotional activities, organized for the first time by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association in the special voyage of the program "Students with the sea and islands of the Fatherland" in 2023, taking place on Truong Sa island (Khanh Hoa province).

The uniqueness of the race is that for the first time on the runway of Truong Sa island, under the high sky and strong wind, more than 200 delegates ran together to raise funds for beloved Truong Sa. Each kilometer of the athlete will contribute 5,000 VND with a maximum of 50,000 VND to student projects, activities to support the lives of officers, soldiers and people of Truong Sa island district as well as DK1 Platform. With that special meaning, despite going through a long and tiring journey, along with the shaking seasickness, all delegates were excited to enter the race, walking proudly on the sacred island of the Fatherland.

Duong Pham Huu Khuyen from Kien Giang Province Student Association shared that the first time running in the middle of Truong Sa Island brought a lot of emotions. “Before running, I lay down on the runway, stretched my whole body on the runway, looked up at the sky with the warm feeling of the runway, breathed the air of Truong Sa, a feeling of being in the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland was so elated, so wonderful”, Huu Khuyen said emotionally. Although it took a lot of energy, Khuyen tried to complete the journey with a bright smile and full of pride. Huu Khuyen shared that he will spread these emotions and spirit of pride to the youth of Kien Giang Province so that they can strive to train well and participate in many more meaningful Journeys like this.

Nguyen Thanh Danh, from the Binh Dinh Province Student Association, shouted with joy when he finished the run on Truong Sa island. Thanh Danh shared that he had participated in many running competitions at school, the Healthy Students program, and the running competition organized by the Vietnam Student Association, but running in Truong Sa was a very special feeling. “We, students from all over the country, were able to run on the same runway with the soldiers and delegates, running together, sharing the same heartbeat for beloved Truong Sa. That is a very sacred and precious thing,” Danh shared.

During the voyage “Students with the sea and islands of the Fatherland” in 2023, the art program “Journey of Student Songs” was performed for the first time in Truong Sa. Even more special, this is the program that kicks off the largest music playground for Vietnamese students, organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association nationwide to celebrate the Congresses of the Vietnam Student Association at all levels, towards the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Student Association, term 2023 - 2028.

Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department Le Hai Binh sings the song "Faraway Island" in Truong Sa town

The stage of the art program was placed under the sovereignty marker of the large Truong Sa island. Participating in the program were not only students and singers but also Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department Le Hai Binh, cadres, soldiers, people and even children of Truong Sa. All of them sang their hearts out in many songs praising the islands and the Fatherland, such as: "Truong Sa Military Song", "Truong Sa is home", "Oh Vietnam", "Fatherland seen from the sea", "Green Island", "Vietnamese hearts", "My homeland Truong Sa"...

When holding the microphone to sing the song “On the Distant Island”, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department Le Hai Binh introduced: “I would like to present a song that is very familiar to the island soldiers and every islander, so familiar that they don’t want to sing it anymore, but today it is extremely suitable; because there is moonlight, there is the image of soldiers guarding under the moonlight, there is the front line, there is the rear, there is a ship going out to sea and there are eyes sending trust to those ships going out to sea”. What a beautiful coincidence that the art program took place on the full moon night of the fourth lunar month with a bright moon. Under the moonlight of the sky, Truong Sa island, people who love the sea, islands, and the Fatherland resonated in every word and melody.

Throughout the program, in almost every performance, everyone joined in the melody, the lyrics, the singing, together transformed into artists in the choruses, the choruses of love for the Fatherland, love for the homeland. The stage of the Student Song Journey truly became the stage of all those present on that special evening, there was no longer any distance between the audience and the performers.

The host of the program is Nguyen Thi Chau Anh - President of the Student Association of International University (VNU-HCM), Vice President of the Student Association of HCMC, National Leader of 2022. Chau Anh shared that although she has stood on many stages, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, she has never been as nervous as the time she stood on the Truong Sa stage. "Maybe because that stage was so special, because in front of me were not just ordinary spectators. They were strong, steadfast naval soldiers in front of the sea," Chau Anh said.

Chau Anh shared that when she received the news that the Organizing Committee had chosen her to be the MC for the "Student Song Journey" program in Truong Sa Town, she was both happy and worried. Happy because she had the opportunity to work with everyone to create a meaningful cultural program for the soldiers on the island, and to work with everyone to give them strength and motivation. Worried because it was the first time she was standing in front of a very special audience, because she wanted to fully convey the feelings and thoughts of Working Group No. 17 in each introduction and each story shared on stage that day to the soldiers and people on the island.

“The moment the stage lights lit up, seeing the national flag and the Vietnam Student Association flag fluttering in the distance amid the love of the soldiers and people on the island and the delegates from the mainland, I believe this is the most memorable stage in my life,” Chau Anh said emotionally.

Another special and unique art program taking place during the trip was the art exchange program between the delegation and the officers and soldiers of DK1/2 Phuc Tan Platform. Due to weather conditions not allowing direct visits to the platform to the officers and soldiers, the organizing committee decided to organize a special art exchange program on the deck of KN290.

Amidst the vast waves of Truong Sa, an art program without a band, without a grand stage sparkling with lights, the microphone was replaced by a walkie-talkie, the stage was the deck of a ship. Through the walkie-talkie, the emotional lyrics and songs echoed over the sound of the waves and the wind of the ocean to convey love to the officers and soldiers of the DK1/2 Phuc Tan platform. The special art program brought many emotions that are difficult to describe in words to the delegates and officers and soldiers with duets "words of the wind", "rain of love"... where the singers did not know each other's faces or names...

Singer Ngo Lan Huong, who participated in the performance throughout the journey, said that going to Truong Sa was the most special “show” she had ever performed in her life. “Singing at Truong Sa once was a moving experience, even making me cry. That feeling comes from love, admiration, and gratitude to the officers and soldiers who are guarding the sky and sea of ​​the Fatherland day and night, preserving peace for people on the mainland today,” Lan Huong said.

Lan Huong shared that the most memorable memory was the moment she sang through the walkie-talkie, dedicated to the soldiers of DK1/2 Phuc Tan Platform. “We were so close, but in the end we couldn’t go up to visit them and could only send our songs through the walkie-talkie. My feelings at that moment were summed up in two words: “interesting” and “choking”, Lan Huong emotionally said. According to the female singer, “interesting” was when the walkie-talkie sound was sometimes on, sometimes off, but she and the soldiers on the other end of the line still responded and successfully sang the song “Love Rain” together, laughing out loud with happiness. “Choking” was when she realized that there were things that seemed so close but she still couldn’t touch them, she could only express her affection indirectly like that. “The ocean waves are so big and complicated! Only then can we know how difficult it is for the soldiers to carry out their duties every day in such harsh conditions," Lan Huong said.

The singer said that the trip helped her understand the situation of her country, and appreciate the life on the mainland that she has more than ever. The singer cherished a song about this special trip to spread to many other young people.

Participating in the program were: Mr. Le Hai Binh - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department; Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet - Secretary of the Central Youth Union, President of the Central Vietnam Student Association; Colonel Le Hong Quang - Deputy Head of the Navy's Technical Department, Head of the working delegation; Ms. Ho Hong Nguyen, Head of the School Youth Department of the Central Youth Union, Permanent Vice President of the Central Vietnam Student Association; Mr. Lam Tung - Deputy Head of the School Youth Department of the Central Youth Union, Director of the Center for Supporting and Developing Vietnamese Students. Accompanying the working delegation were also two beauty queens: Do Thi Ha and Doan Thien An.

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Source: https://tienphong.vn/mot-thap-ky-hanh-trinh-sinh-vien-khang-dinh-chu-quyen-bien-dao-post1563508.tpo