Through the lens of a photojournalist to Truong Sa

For a photojournalist who first visited Truong Sa Island, it was a trip that was deeply engraved in his mind. The eyes, smiles, waves, winds… were recorded as vivid slices, not only to see and feel, but also to tell in the language of images, light and emotions about the sacred land of the Fatherland.

Don't miss a moment

When the ship with the code KN390 left Cam Ranh port, the mainland gradually receded behind, and ahead was the vast ocean. The waves embraced the ship's side like a greeting from the ocean. Each member of the 23rd working group carried with them their own eagerness. But for the photojournalists who set foot on Truong Sa for the first time, the trip was a precious opportunity, not only to work but to live a very different part of the journalistic life.

Journalist Le Quoc Minh (middle), member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan newspaper, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association with journalists during a working trip to Truong Sa.

“The first time I went to Truong Sa, seeing the red flag with yellow star fluttering on the island, I was really moved. It is not just a piece of land, but the flesh and blood of our ancestors,” journalist Mai Anh Minh, Nhan Dan Newspaper, emotionally shared. For journalist Dinh Cao Nguyen ( Son La Television), who only sees mountains all year round, standing in the middle of the ocean waves is an unprecedented experience: “I have never seen the ocean. But now, I walk in the middle of the ocean, carrying in my heart the image of the Fatherland more sacred than ever.”

On the deck, amidst the sound of the sea breeze whistling through the gaps in the railing, one can capture the image of the national flag fluttering against the deep blue sky in the middle of the vast ocean, or the eyes of the soldiers guarding the island when the sun rises, the innocent smiles of the soldiers, military and civilians during the cultural exchange... For them, each moment recorded is a story. Then someone shed tears when looking at the photo he took of a young soldier standing solemnly next to the sovereignty stele, behind him is the sea sparkling in the early morning sun.

Navy soldier's watch on Dong A Island, Truong Sa archipelago.

The Navy forces guard day and night to protect the peace of the Fatherland in the Truong Sa archipelago.

Without any captions, the light in the photo and the faces in the photo are enough to move the viewer. Photojournalists say they have to capture every moment in unpredictable lighting conditions, between the sun, wind, salt water and the swaying of the ship. Sometimes, if there is just a second of a missed beat, the frame will be gone. Therefore, each photo is the result of a combination of skill, emotion and awareness of the person behind the lens.

Truong Sa - Where waves beat into people's hearts

From Song Tu Tay Island to Sinh Ton Dong, from Truong Sa Lon to DK1 platform, every image captured is imbued with the breath of the Fatherland. It is the white foaming waves at the watchtower rock, the sunlight slanting through the stormy mountains on the island, the sweat of soldiers during training, the simple meal on a remote island, the tight handshake between the mainland and the outpost... "Sovereignty is no longer an abstract concept, but a face, a smile, every glance that I have captured through the lens", said journalist Mai Anh Minh.

Accordingly, each photo is like a vivid depiction of life on the island. There is not only hardship, but also faith; not only salty wind, but also human love. Those images, simple yet touching, become priceless assets for each person working in the profession.

Hundreds of paper beads were folded by members of working group No. 23 to send gratitude to the souls of heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in Truong Sa archipelago.

Releasing wreaths and offerings in memory of heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in Truong Sa archipelago.

Despite big waves and strong winds, the Navy soldiers still stick to the sea, protecting the sacred islands of the Fatherland.

More memorably, in the middle of the journey, the Memorial Service for the Heroes and Martyrs who sacrificed their lives in Truong Sa took place on an unexpectedly rainy afternoon. When the group was preparing to offer incense from a small boat, a storm came, dark clouds covered the sky, strong winds blew, big waves rose, paper cranes fluttered on the waves, and cameras were still pointed out to sea. No one dared to blink, because every moment was priceless - a wordless gratitude, a minute of silence for those who had fallen in the deep sea. "People were soaked, machines were covered with raincoats, but no one backed down," journalist Vu Quang recounted.

When the ship docked at Cam Ranh, the wind from Truong Sa was still lingering in the reporters’ hair, and the seawater was still salty on their clothes. The photojournalists brought back to the mainland not only hundreds, thousands of photos, but also vivid memories, emotions, and silent changes in perception. Those photos would be published in newspapers, printed in exhibitions, and featured in television reports... but more importantly, they would become part of the nation’s memory. “Being a journalist in Truong Sa is no longer just a job, but a mission,” said journalist Dinh Cao Nguyen.

Navy soldiers in Truong Sa are excited about the press publications transferred from the mainland to the remote island.

Delegates of working group No. 23 interact with children on Song Tu Tay island, Truong Sa archipelago.

Every year, thousands of journalists travel across the ocean to visit and encourage soldiers on duty at DK1 Platform.

That is also the common confession of all those who have held their cameras in the middle of the ocean, because the journey of reporters there does not stop at the photos taken, but will continue in each story they tell, each time they return and each moment they quietly raise their cameras, waiting for a miracle to appear through the lens. Because Truong Sa, a trip is a very special journey, an unforgettable mark in the life of a journalist.

Article and photo series: An Hieu/News and Ethnic Newspaper

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/anh/theo-ong-kinh-phong-vien-anh-toi-truong-sa-20250618124440413.htm