At the top of the wave

For generations, the homeland's seas and islands have been an inseparable part of the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people. The S-shaped landmass has a coastline stretching 3,260 km from North to South along the East, Southeast, and Southwest coasts. Vietnam's maritime territory includes over 3,000 islands of varying sizes, and the two offshore archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa hold crucial geostrategic importance. During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh instructed: “In the past, we only had night and forests; today we have day, sky, and sea. Our coastline is long and beautiful; we must know how to preserve it.” Following his teachings, successive generations of Vietnamese people have built, preserved, and firmly protected every inch of the sacred land, sky, sea, and islands of the Fatherland.

At those remotest points, soldiers are stationed day and night at sea, protecting the country's sovereignty . Vietnam.vn presents to you the photo collection "At the Forefront of the Waves" by author Nguyen Thi Hang, taken in the waters of Ba Ria - Vung Tau . The author submitted this collection to the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

Only by setting foot on each island of our homeland can we truly understand the hardships and difficulties faced by the soldiers stationed there, and better comprehend the struggles, sacrifices, and dedication of the officers and soldiers who are day and night guarding our sovereignty. Through this, the sacred values ​​of sovereignty; the sea and islands being an inseparable part of Vietnam and our homeland, are more deeply ingrained in the blood of every citizen than ever before. Therefore, we feel even more appreciative, respectful, and grateful to the generations of our forefathers who shed so much blood and sacrificed so much for the sovereignty of our sea and islands. Furthermore, we admire the unity, the collective effort, and the determination of the military and civilians on these islands to overcome difficulties and build and protect our sovereignty.

On remote islands, amidst the vast ocean, the task of guarding the sovereignty of the sacred sea and islands is a great honor, pride, and responsibility entrusted to the soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army by the Party, the State, and the People. They do not waver or falter in the face of difficulties and hardships, always upholding unwavering loyalty, resilience, and indomitable spirit in the cause of protecting the nation's sea and islands. Moreover, they see this as an opportunity for young people to "forge their manly spirit" in these remote islands. This is the sentiment shared by officers and soldiers currently serving on various islands across Vietnam.

In 2024, the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest continued to be organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists on the website.   https://happy.vietnam.vn is open to all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above. The competition aims to honor individuals and groups with positive informational products that make practical contributions to promoting a beautiful image of Vietnam to the world. Through this, it helps people at home, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends access authentic images of Vietnam, its people, its achievements in ensuring human rights, and working towards a happy Vietnam.

Each competition category (photos and videos) has the following prizes and prize values: – 1 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND – 2 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND – 3 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND – 10 Consolation Prizes: 5,000,000 VND – 1 Most Voted entry: 5,000,000 VND. Winning authors will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Award Ceremony and Certificate Presentation, broadcast live on Vietnam Television.

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