At the competition, students were able to express their thoughts and feelings about their love for the sea, islands of their homeland, and the Coast Guard soldiers through an innocent and pure perspective.
We went to Nat Son to coordinate the competition, a high-altitude Muong village with the green of the mountains and forests, terraced rice fields, and the swaying sound of gongs. Surprisingly, through each drawing and story that the students brought to the competition, there was an innocent charm, shining with intense love, directed towards places with waves and soldiers who are carrying out their duties day and night far out at sea.
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The organizing committee presents awards for the Literary and Artistic Creation Contest on the sea, islands, and the Vietnam Coast Guard. |
The competition, themed "Proud of Our Homeland's Seas and Islands," was launched with the following themes: praising the beauty of Vietnam's seas and islands, and the qualities of the Ho Chi Minh's soldiers – the Coast Guard officers – in carrying out their duties of protecting, rescuing, and assisting fishermen, as well as fighting to protect sovereignty and maintain security and order in the seas and islands of the Fatherland. The competition is part of a series of activities under the "Coast Guard with Ethnic and Religious Communities" public relations program in Nat Son commune, organized jointly by the Coast Guard General Staff.
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The organizers presented gifts to families entitled to preferential treatment. |
Over the 20 days of the competition, we witnessed truly beautiful moments. Using materials like roasted rice, eggshells, dried leaves, shredded paper, and crayons, the small hands of the Muong, Tay, and Dao ethnic minority students created vibrant paintings; along with many touching poems and short stories, they conveyed meaningful messages about their love for the sea, islands of their homeland, and the Vietnamese Coast Guard soldiers.
In a short period of time, the competition organizers received nearly 1,000 entries, diverse in color, materials, ideas, and rich in content. After the preliminary round, 50 literary works and 50 paintings of high quality were selected to participate in the final round.
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| The organizers presented gifts to underprivileged students who have overcome difficulties. |
It was touching to see that many of the children had never been to the beach before, further confirming the positive impact the competition had. Bui Thi Thanh Thuy, a student in class 8A at Son Thuy Primary and Secondary School, shared: "I learned about the beach from watching TV and from my mother's stories. My mother said the beach is beautiful, with clear blue water, but I've never been to the beach. Today, we learned about it from the Coast Guard officers, and I really want to stroll along the long and beautiful beaches of my homeland."
We asked Nguyen Viet Trinh, a student in class 9A2 at Thuong Bi Primary and Secondary School: "When you drew about the sea and islands, what did you think of?" She answered: "I thought of the soldiers and the Vietnamese Coast Guard officers guarding the sea and sky. They work so hard, so I wanted to draw them beautifully as a gift."
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| Each artwork by the students tells a story about the sea, the islands of their homeland, and the soldiers of the Vietnam Coast Guard. |
With their simple and unpretentious nature, the students from the mountainous region express their love for the sea in their own unique way. Many beautiful poems about naval soldiers, written by the students themselves, made a strong impression at the competition. Bui Thi Kim Tien, a 7th-grade student from B Du Sang Primary and Secondary School, wrote the poem "Homeland in the Open Sea" with verses full of student spirit: "The red flag flies proudly / Deeply in love with my country / Silent heroes / Guarding the sleep of the open sea…."
Watching the gentle and affectionate students from the mountainous regions participate in the competition with such enthusiasm and passion, we realized that each artwork was a story told through drawings and poems. They expressed the beauty of the sea and the image of the Vietnamese Coast Guard soldiers with gratitude and admiration. Although many of them had never set foot on the sea, they felt the hardships and silent sacrifices of the sailors at the forefront of the waves and winds. This made us even more aware of our responsibility in promoting the most beautiful images of Vietnam's seas and islands and its sailors, so that they could be widely disseminated and have an even more positive impact.
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| Each of the students' artworks tells a story about the sea, the islands of their homeland, and the soldiers of the Vietnam Coast Guard. |
In a conversation with us, Ms. Bui Thi Huong, a Literature teacher at B Du Sang Primary and Secondary School, emotionally shared: "Through accompanying and guiding the students in participating in the competition, I have noticed that they are more confident, bolder, and have a deeper understanding of Vietnam's maritime sovereignty and the Vietnamese Coast Guard soldiers. The content of the competition contributes usefully to the classroom lessons of teachers in educating the students about love for the sea and islands, and gratitude for the Vietnamese Coast Guard soldiers who are patrolling day and night, enforcing the law, and firmly protecting the sacred maritime sovereignty of the Fatherland."
In summary, for each category of painting and literature, the Organizing Committee awarded 1 A prize, 2 B prizes, 3 C prizes, and 10 consolation prizes. The most outstanding works were honored with radiant joy, emotion, and pride. More significantly, the competition transcended geographical distance to connect a love for the forest and the sea – a place of majestic mountains; and simultaneously ignited a flame of love for the sea and islands in the pure hearts of the students here. Each painting and poem by the students is a profound tribute to the naval soldiers, and also an affirmation of the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland.
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| Each artwork by the children tells a story about the sea, the islands of their homeland, and the soldiers of the Vietnam Coast Guard. Photo: THU THẢO |
Immediately after the competition ended, the 32 outstanding works were neatly and respectfully arranged in the school's reading room, creating a miniature exhibition space with artistic qualities rich in educational and emotional value.
Amidst those distant hills and mountains, the children's shouts still echo in our ears: "We love the Vietnam Coast Guard," "Proud of our homeland's seas and islands."
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/ket-noi-tinh-yeu-rung-va-bien-997240
