Early Mid-Autumn Festival on a frontier island.

Mai Le Bao Ngoc's painting depicts the Long Bien Bridge standing isolated amidst the floodwaters, along with images of police officers and soldiers helping people in danger - Photo: BD

After a three-hour journey, the coast guard vessel 8002 not only carried carefully packaged gifts but also experts, doctors, and specialized equipment to examine the children and fishermen on the island.

A happy day on the island

At dawn the next day, the courtyard of the Military-Civilian Medical Center on Ly Son Island was packed with people. Besides elderly patients, many students in their uniforms, with medical records in hand, lined up waiting for their turn to see the military doctor for a health check-up.

Not far away, at Cau Cave – a popular tourist spot on Ly Son Island – dozens of students, along with coast guard officers, border guards, and some journalists from the Military Radio and Television Center, participated in a painting competition. With a self-chosen theme, one student drew an image of the Long Bien Bridge (Hanoi) standing amidst the raging waters during Typhoon No. 3, which moved many people.

Mai Le Bao Ngoc, a 5th-grade student from An Hai Primary School and the author of the painting, said she was deeply moved to see her compatriots in many northern provinces immersed in the rain and storms. She vividly remembers the image of the Long Bien Bridge standing precariously amidst the floodwaters, so she sketched the bridge along with images of police officers and soldiers helping people in danger.

"I hope everyone stays safe and overcomes these difficulties. My dream is to become a member of the rescue team so I can help people in disaster-stricken areas in the future," Ngọc said.

On the night of September 12th, thousands of adults and children gathered in the central square of Ly Son island district for the "Autumn Moon on the Border" program. Laughter filled the air throughout the more than two-hour event. Various organizations donated 80 bicycles and 1,000 gift packages containing mooncakes, school supplies, and toys for the children at the festival.

Surprise gifts

Mid-Autumn Festival is not just about sweets, lion dances, lantern parades, or magic shows, but also about scholarships for underprivileged students in Ly Son who are striving for success. Colonel Pham Van Tu, deputy director of the Army Radio and Television Center, said that the "Mid-Autumn Moon on the Border" program aims to connect benevolent hearts to help children in remote island and border areas celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival fully and warmly.

"Bringing the Mid-Autumn Festival to the islands is a way for the mainland to share in the difficulties faced by those living on remote islands. It also encourages students to strive for academic excellence, build a sustainable future, and contribute to the common cause of building and protecting the Fatherland," said Colonel Tú.

Le Hoang Phuc's family (12A1 class, Ly Son High School) is facing great hardship. His parents are often ill but still struggle to cultivate garlic. Phuc's story reached the ears of the soldiers and was thoroughly investigated. Just in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival, a ship from the mainland visited his home and awarded Phuc a scholarship of 160 million VND, sponsored by Hung Vuong University (Ho Chi Minh City), which also covers his tuition for four years at the university.

Besides Phuc, his classmate Le Thi Hong (class 11A1) also received a scholarship of similar value. Hong also received an additional 24 million VND in living expenses from the Warm Love Charity Club.

The early Mid-Autumn Festival celebration on Ly Son Island was organized by the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army in coordination with the Army Radio and Television Center, the Military Medical Department, the Committee for Population, Family and Children ( Ministry of National Defense ), the 5th Military Region Command, the Border Guard Command, the Vietnam Coast Guard Command, and Military Hospital 354, in collaboration with the local authorities, from September 10 to 12.

Ly Son Island currently has over 4,700 households. Of these, approximately 60% live by fishing, 30% by farming (mainly growing onions, garlic, and corn), and 10% work in other occupations. Statistics show that more than 23% of the households here are classified as poor or near-poor.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trung-thu-som-noi-dao-tien-tieu-20240915140050129.htm