The “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers) took place at An Vinh communal house in Ly Son district on May 5. (Photo: VNA)The event is to pay tributeto the soldiers who sacrificed their lives over the centuries guarding theHoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly).
It has been observed through over 400 yearsby communities on Ly Son island and many coastal areas in the province.It was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage by the State in2013.
During the rituals, paper boats with effigies ofsailors are launched into the seas and respects are paid to the lost sailors’symbolic tombs.
According to Vietnam’s feudal state history, the Hoang SaFlotilla was set up in 17th century when the Nguyen Lords begantheir reign in the south of the country.
Thousands of sailors braved roaring waves andstorms to survey sea routes, plant markers and erect steles affirming the national sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. Theseareas were secured marine resources under the order of the Nguyen Lords. Theirmissions were full of danger, and many of them never returned to land.
Therefore, before the soldiers left for theirmissions, a feast was held for them, hence the beginning of the tradition.
Paper boats with effigies of sailors are launched into the seas and respects are paid to the lost sailors’ symbolic tombs.(Photo:VNA) After the commemoration on the day, the TuLinh boat race was held to pray for a year of favourable weather and bumpercatches ahead. The festival is called Tu Linh because the racing boats aredecorated with symbolic shapes of the quartet of mythological creatures inVietnam’s traditions and beliefs including the dragon, qilin, tortoise, andphoenix./.
VNA
