Difficulties in preserving special evidence of Hoang Sa

SYMBOL OF STRONG WILL

Tourists and locals stop at the intersection of Hoang Sa - Phan Ba Phien streets running along the coast of Da Nang (in Son Tra Ward) to visit the Hoang Sa Exhibition House (NTB), and will see the ship DNa 90152 standing tall with its bow facing the East Sea. On display since 2019, this artifact has become an important highlight of the NTB. The large size of the artifact easily attracts visitors' attention, but what "holds them back" is the historical story associated with it. Before being sunk by a Chinese ship in May 2014 during the Haiyang 981 drilling rig's illegal placement in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone, the ship DNa 90152 used to fish all over Hoang Sa to preserve its traditional fishing grounds.

According to documents of NTB Hoang Sa, DNa 90152 TS is a wooden-hulled boat owned by Ms. Huynh Thi Nhu Hoa (residing in Thanh Khe District, old Da Nang City). The boat has an engine capacity of 450 CV, maximum load capacity of nearly 18 tons. The general structure of this type of fishing boat includes the main beam (ky), bow (xơ), frame, hull, deck (xa crow), cabin, storage compartment, steering system, stern keel... During the days of May 2014, when the East Sea was in turmoil due to the Haiyang 981 drilling rig, DNa 90152 and many other fishing boats were frequently present at sea, despite the illegal pursuit of many steel-hulled boats from China. On May 26, 2014, while exploiting seafood in the Hoang Sa waters, DNa 90152 was sunk by a Chinese iron-hulled boat. On May 30, 2014, fishing boat DNa 90152 was towed by transport ship VT 57 to Da Nang port.

Gian nan bảo tồn chứng tích đặc biệt về Hoàng Sa- Ảnh 1. — Fishing boat DNa 90152 is on display outdoors.

After the incident, Ms. Huynh Thi Nhu Hoa decided to keep the status quo and donate the ship to Da Nang City for display. Due to many objective reasons, nearly 5 years later, on April 9, 2019, the ship DNa 90152 was put on display. On October 27, 2021, the Hoang Sa island district government (now Hoang Sa special zone) assigned NTB Hoang Sa the task of protecting, managing and using the hull of the fishing boat DNa 90152 with the goal of serving the display and educating the spirit of patriotism, protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands for generations of people.

From a means of livelihood for Da Nang fishermen, DNa 90152 has become a historical witness, a special artifact demonstrating the indomitable will of Vietnamese fishermen in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands.

Gian nan bảo tồn chứng tích đặc biệt về Hoàng Sa- Ảnh 2. — Hole in the hull of ship DNa 90152 after being rammed by a Chinese ship

URGENT TO BUILD A ROOF

Unlike the documents and images kept inside the NTB, due to its large size, the fishing boat DNa 90152 has been left outdoors, exposed to the sun and rain for more than a decade. With its wooden structure, the artifact is subject to many impacts of weather and coastal climate, and many details have deteriorated rapidly. Historian Dr. Le Tien Cong, Chief of Office of the Hoang Sa Special Zone People's Committee and Director of the Hoang Sa NTB, said that from 2014 to 2019, the ship was anchored at Tho Quang fishing port (Da Nang). After that, the ship was brought to be displayed outdoors next to the NTB. Due to the lack of a roof, the artifact has to endure the harshness of the sun, wind, salt spray and sea storms. This poses many challenges for the work of preserving the artifact intact.

Mr. Cong informed that assigned by the People's Committee of Da Nang City to manage and protect, NTB Hoang Sa has proactively cleaned, periodically treated termites, and painted anti-rust paint for metal parts. In 2022, the unit will carry out major renovations, including dismantling and replacing rotten hatch covers, ribs, beams, deck boards and bevels; installing new parts of the correct size, while cleaning and preventing termites and insects... In 2023 - 2024, cleaning and spraying anti-termite chemicals will continue to be maintained. Along with that, NTB reinforced the hatch cover, bow, stern and crane tower to ensure the stability of the structure... "However, before it sank in 2014, DNa 90152 was bought by the ship owner so it was decades old. Wooden ships are born to go to sea, exposed to water and salt, but when placed on land, exposed to sun and rain, the structure quickly rotted, the paint peeled, and termites attacked...", Mr. Cong said.

Gian nan bảo tồn chứng tích đặc biệt về Hoàng Sa- Ảnh 3. — Many wooden structures on fishing boats are dilapidated and rotten.

According to the Director of NTB Hoang Sa, NTB has built a scientific profile, digitized the entire ship in 3D for storage, in case the worst happens. NTB also invited consultants to evaluate and propose 2 options, including building a fixed roof or a mobile roof. Thereby, the mobile roof option is preferred because the ship is located at the front of NTB, so aesthetics must be ensured. The estimated budget for this item is from 2 - 3 billion VND.

Mr. Cong also said that with the current state of the ship, it is necessary to carry out a restoration to replace rotten wooden details, reinforce the frame while still ensuring the originality, especially important parts such as the main deck. "The most difficult point is the structure of the ship. With thousands of rusted steel rivets, deeply embedded in the wood, replacement is almost impossible. Because just pulling out a nail can risk damaging the entire structure of the ship. Therefore, the most feasible solution is to reinforce to maintain stability. Currently, NTB has completed the documents and will advise the City People's Committee to organize an inter-sectoral meeting to request official approval," Dr. Le Tien Cong added.

Problems from procedures to costs

Dr. Le Tien Cong said that one of the difficulties in preserving the fishing vessel DNa 90152 is the legal procedures. According to him, NTB can handle small items, but large items require professional consulting documents. In Da Nang City, there are almost no real wood conservation consulting units, only carpentry workshops. To have standard documents, you have to hire one from Hanoi, the cost alone is more than 100 million VND. "The cost of conservation is not small, just replacing a 7-meter-long wooden crane pillar costs 70 million VND. Many businesses are not interested because the bidding package is small, the procedures are complicated, and the materials are hard to find. Financial principles have constraints on the process, the bidding process is complicated... making conservation difficult," said Mr. Cong.