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| The festive atmosphere of Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) spread throughout Truong Sa Island with joyful activities that fostered close bonds between the military and civilians. |
A warm and peaceful spring.
Tet (Lunar New Year) is a natural cycle. In Truong Sa, the approaching Tet is signaled by the arrival of ships from the 4th Naval Region carrying countless goods and Tet gifts from the mainland to the islands. That is also when Truong Sa begins celebrating Tet.
At dusk, having just finished his guard duty, Corporal Phan Van Thanh (from Da Tay Island) took the opportunity to visit Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh and Mrs. Le Ho Phuong Nhu's home to help the family repair some parts of their house and decorate for Tet. Originally from Bac Nha Trang ward, this was Corporal Thanh's first Tet on the island, so he had many different feelings. "Although it's also in Khanh Hoa , my hometown, Tet in Truong Sa is very different! Instead of the warm atmosphere of my family, I'm celebrating Tet with my comrades in the unit and the people on the island. This will definitely be the most special Tet for me," said Corporal Thanh.
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| While enjoying the Lunar New Year, soldiers on Truong Sa Island do not forget their duty, standing guard to protect the sovereignty of the nation's seas and islands. |
While not as noisy and bustling as on the mainland, the Tet atmosphere in Truong Sa is truly warm for those who are far from home, living and serving in this remote, windswept place. Taking out carefully wrapped fabric apricot blossoms to make a vase for the ancestral altar, Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh shared: "Unlike on the mainland, where people hunt for apricot and peach blossoms before Tet, here we make use of durable decorations like fabric and plastic flowers that arrived on the mainland along with other Tet goods this year to prepare the whole island for the New Year. That's enough, it's very cozy! On Tet, neighbors visit each other to exchange greetings, and the soldiers come to visit and wish us a Happy New Year – it's very joyful."
On the last day of the year, after tidying up the ancestral altar and cleaning the house, Mr. Le Van Hoa and Mrs. Le Thi Huong Tram's family (on Truong Sa Island) took their children to the temple to pray for peace and a happy, healthy new year, with favorable weather. They met with Venerable Thich Nhuan Dat, the abbot of Truong Sa Temple, shared a cup of tea, and chatted, asking for blessings for their children's academic success. The faint scent of incense mingled with the salty sea breeze, creating a feeling of excitement and nostalgia. "Although Tet on the island is simple, it's full of warmth and affection. After visiting the temple, my family went to wish the officers and soldiers on the island a Happy New Year. On the first day of Tet, the whole island will gather to organize New Year's celebrations. It can be said that Tet in Truong Sa is different from Tet on the mainland, but it still retains the rich cultural identity of the Vietnamese people," Mr. Hoa confided.
Tet (Vietnamese New Year) for soldiers on the island.
On the first morning of the new year, the red flag with a yellow star fluttered over Co Lin Island. Officers and soldiers eagerly participated in the sacred and meaningful New Year's flag-raising ceremony. Corporal Tran Thuong Men (from Binh Xuan ward, Dong Thap province) – a soldier on Co Lin Island – emotionally said: "Standing before the national flag, on this sacred sovereign land of Vietnam on the first day of the new year, amidst the vast sea and sky, and singing the national anthem, moved me deeply. This is probably the Tet holiday I will remember forever."
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| Soldiers and civilians on Truong Sa Island participate in the New Year's flag-raising ceremony. |
Mến and his comrades meticulously prepared for a special Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration at sea. In the unit's assembly hall, a platter of five fruits, green sticky rice cakes, and candies were all laid out. The unit's spring-themed corner, in addition to peach blossoms recently transported from the mainland, also featured island Tet decorations: skillfully crafted branches of flowers and plants made from seashells and steel and copper wires.
For the soldiers on Truong Sa Island, the most joyful moments of Tet are probably when comrades gather to wrap banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes). On New Year's Eve, the island commander, along with officers, soldiers, and civilians, gather for activities, including "picking flowers for democracy" and cultural performances celebrating the Party and the Spring Festival. The entire island hall is bustling, warm, and more convivial than usual. Lieutenant Colonel Vu Duc Quynh, Commander of Truong Sa Island, shared: "Most of the soldiers on the island are young; many are celebrating Tet on the island for the first time, so organizing Tet activities is very important and is given special attention by the island command to create a warm and intimate atmosphere like a family. As a result, the officers and soldiers are all enthusiastic, creating a spirit of competition in the new year."
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| Officers, soldiers, and residents of Truong Sa Island compete in making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes). |
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| Officers and soldiers on Truong Sa Island visited and extended New Year greetings to local households. |
Celebrating the Lunar New Year, but not forgetting their duties. According to Lieutenant Colonel Lam Duy Duong, Political Officer of Da Nam Island, in addition to New Year's activities, officers and soldiers on the island have also been well-informed ideologically, maintaining strict combat readiness, organizing patrol and guard forces, and preparing combat and rescue plans, assisting fishermen, and avoiding being caught off guard in any situation. Every soldier on the island understands the honor and sacred responsibility entrusted to them by the Fatherland when performing their duties in the Truong Sa Special Zone.
Amidst the vast ocean, although the Tet holiday in Truong Sa is somewhat different, it still retains the rich national identity with green banh chung (traditional rice cakes), red couplets; with the close bond between soldiers and civilians; and the joyful sounds of children receiving lucky money...
Truong Sa, another spring has arrived!
VT
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/bao-xuan-2026/202602/am-ap-tet-o-truong-sa-df95be5/
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