Festival to honor the meritorious deeds of the Hoang Sa heroic troops.

On March 25th, the An Hai Village Temple's Celebration Committee, along with the clans of An Hai village (Ly Son district, Quang Ngai province), organized the Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa ceremony to express gratitude and commemorate the soldiers of Hoang Sa in the Hoang Sa Bac Hai heroic army of the past.

Historical records show that in the early 17th century, Lord Nguyen established the Hoang Sa and Bac Hai patrol team in An Vinh and An Hai villages, now part of Tinh Ky commune (Quang Ngai City). Accordingly, each year, 70 able-bodied young men skilled in swimming were assigned to the Hoang Sa and Bac Hai patrol team.

The ceremony honoring the soldiers of Hoang Sa took place in a solemn and respectful atmosphere. Photo: N.Trang

By the 19th century, the militiamen of the Hoang Sa and Bac Hai patrol teams were mainly young men from clans on Ly Son Island. Their nhiệm vụ was to survey sea routes, erect markers, plant sovereignty markers, and collect resources in the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. To fulfill the royal mandate, these militiamen had to spend six months at sea in fishing boats.

Since then, generations of people in Ly Son, despite knowing the extremely difficult and dangerous task, have still sailed out to sea, carrying with them the mission of planting permanent markers of national sovereignty in the ocean.

Every year in the second lunar month, the clans in An Hai village organize the Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa ceremony. This is a way to remember and express gratitude for the merits of the brave soldiers of Hoang Sa who, in the past, planted markers and erected sovereignty monuments on the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

The ritual involves carrying fishing boats and effigies out to sea. Photo: baoquangngai.vn

The Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa ceremony is held according to traditional rituals, recreating the ceremony of bidding farewell to the brave soldiers of the past who, obeying the imperial court's orders, went to the Hoang Sa archipelago to plant markers, erect monuments, patrol, and exploit resources.

The ceremony took place in a solemn and respectful atmosphere. After the main ritual of offering sacrifices to the soldiers of Hoang Sa, the shaman performed the rituals of placing the spirits of the Hoang Sa soldiers in their places before releasing the boats into the sea. This is a deeply humane ritual of the people of Ly Son - offering sacrifices on behalf of the living to pray for the safety of the Hoang Sa soldiers before they set off on their mission.

After the ceremonial rituals concluded, the resounding sound of conch shells signaled the young men of the village to carry their fishing boats to the waters of the Hoang Sa archipelago. This was the same path their ancestors took more than 400 years ago, crossing the vast ocean from Ly Son Island in simple fishing boats, enduring hardships and even sacrificing their lives in the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands in the cause of protecting the nation's maritime sovereignty.

A model fishing boat, adorned with effigies and symbolic objects, was set adrift in the direction of the warriors over 400 years ago. Photo: DDK

Following the ceremony is the traditional Four Sacred Animals (Dragon,麒麟, Turtle, Phoenix) boat race. In the past, the Four Sacred Animals traditional boat race was held to select strong, skilled seafarers to join the Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) militia.

The Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa ceremony was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage - a type of social custom and belief - in 2013.

T. Toan

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/le-hoi-tri-an-cong-duc-doi-hung-binh-hoang-sa-post289152.html