On March 25, the Festival Committee of An Hai Village Communal House and the clans of An Hai village (Ly Son district, Quang Ngai province) organized the Commemoration Ceremony of Hoang Sa soldiers to pay tribute and commemorate the Hoang Sa soldiers in the Detachment. heroic soldiers of Hoang Sa Bac Hai in the past.
History books record that in the early 70th century, Lord Nguyen established the Hoang Sa fleet and governed Bac Hai in An Vinh and An Hai villages, now in Tinh Ky commune (Quang Ngai city). Accordingly, each year there will be XNUMX strong men and good swimmers who will be assigned to the Hoang Sa team and manage Bac Hai.
The Commemoration Ceremony of Hoang Sa soldiers took place in a solemn and respectful atmosphere. Photo: N.Trang
By the 6th century, the militiamen in the Hoang Sa detachment and the Bac Hai administration were mainly young men from clans on Ly Son island. The team's mission is to measure maritime routes, erect markers, set sovereignty markers and collect products in Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. To carry out the king's mission, the militiamen had to float at sea on fishing boats for XNUMX months.
Since then, generations of Ly Son people, despite knowing that the task was extremely difficult and dangerous, still sailed to the sea, carrying the mission of planting an eternal milestone of the country's sovereignty at sea.
Every year in the second lunar month, the clans in An Hai village hold a Ceremony honoring Hoang Sa soldiers. This is a tribute and gratitude to the heroic soldiers of Hoang Sa in the past who had the merit of erecting sovereignty stele on the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.
Ritual of carrying fishing boats and life-like figures to the sea. Photo: baoquangngai.vn
The Commemoration Ceremony of Hoang Sa soldiers is held according to traditional rituals, recreating the ceremony of sending off the heroic soldiers of the past who obeyed the court's orders to go to the Hoang Sa archipelago to plant markers, erect steles, patrol, and exploit products.
The ceremony took place in a solemn and respectful atmosphere. After the ceremony of the Chief Priest commemorating Hoang Sa soldiers, the shaman performed the rituals to place the souls of Hoang Sa soldiers before releasing the boat to the sea. This is a ritual imbued with humanity of Ly Son people - offering offerings to the living to pray for peace for Hoang Sa soldiers before leaving for duty.
At the end of the ceremony, the conch blew loudly, signaling the village's men and women to carry fishing boats to the waters of the Hoang Sa archipelago. The path that more than 400 years ago, his father took from Ly Son island to cross the sea on simple fishing boats, accepting hardships and sacrifices to stay in the waters of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands in the work of protecting the sea. protect the nation's sovereignty over seas and islands.
The model of a fishing boat with human figures and symbolic items floated in the direction of heroes from more than 400 years ago. Photo: DĐK
After the ceremony, there is the traditional boat racing festival of the Four Spirits (Dragon, Lan, Quy Phung). In the past, the Four Spirits Traditional Boat Racing Association was used to select healthy soldiers and good seamen to join the Hoang Sa heroic fleet.
The Commemoration Ceremony of Hoang Sa Soldiers was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage - a form of social customs and beliefs in 2013.
T.Toan
