Mid-Autumn Festival wishes on a remote island.

Amidst the sun and wind of the open sea, the cheerful chirping of children drowns out the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. The children on Bich Dam Island (Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa ) have never experienced a truly fulfilling Mid-Autumn Festival…

Bich Dam Island (Vinh Nguyen Ward, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province) is far from the mainland, and living conditions are still difficult. Therefore, the children there have never had a complete Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.

Dreams under the full moon

After braving the waves for about an hour on the speedboat, we finally arrived at Bich Dam Island. The image that will stay with us to this day is that of the wide-eyed, smiling faces of over 150 children eagerly gathered, waiting for their Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. As soon as they saw us approaching, the children, who were playing happily, all greeted us in unison: "Hello, uncles and aunts!"

Amidst the sun and wind of the open sea, the cheerful chatter of children drowns out the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. These children have never experienced a complete Mid-Autumn Festival, because the festival also includes lion dances – something they only see on television, as it doesn't exist where they live.

Holding my hand, eight-year-old Hoang Tam innocently pointed towards the moonlight and asked, "Teacher, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, there's Chang'e, the Moon God, the moon, star lanterns... we've all seen those things, but we've never seen the lion dance. I wish I could touch the lion once; it must be beautiful and fun."

Not far away, the adorable six-year-old Quynh Anh was engrossed in admiring the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts she had just received from the neighborhood association and the Bich Dam Women's Association. "Today I received many delicious candies and participated in games, so I'm very happy. I hope that we will always be loved and have a bright future on our journey to literacy," Quynh Anh said.

In the warm atmosphere, the little girls and boys eagerly participated in group games, singing and dancing together in a lively and joyful manner. In that moment, the hardships faced by these children living on the island seemed to fade away. Only smiles and dreams shone brightly on the full moon night.

Looking out at the sea, 10-year-old Trung Nghia expressed: "I love the sea so much, because it has provided for my family. I hope my father goes to sea safely, and my mother gets a good price at the market so we can buy many battery-powered lanterns with cheerful music to give to his friends."

Growing up surrounded by the sound of waves, these young children love the sea and share a common dream: to grow up and contribute to protecting and developing the beautiful and vast islands. And so, under the full moon, these dreams are kindled in their innocent eyes.

Give each other a beautiful memory.

According to Mr. Tran Quang Thinh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Nguyen Ward, Nha Trang City, the lives of the people on Bich Dam Island mainly depend on fishing. Although Bich Dam Island belongs to Nha Trang City, it is one of the islands furthest from the mainland, at 8 nautical miles (about 15 km). There is no electricity grid here, so for the past 15 years, the lives of the people have depended on the island's generators, which only provide electricity from 5 PM to 9 PM.

The island has a kindergarten and a primary school, so children who finish grade 5 must go to the mainland to continue their secondary education. Over the past period, the local government, in coordination with relevant units, has continuously maintained secondary education classes in Bich Dam residential area, giving students who cannot afford to go to the mainland the opportunity to continue their studies.

Currently, the lower secondary education classes in Bich Dam residential area have a total of 25 students across 3 classes, including 7 students in grade 6, 11 students in grade 7, and 8 students in grade 8. The classes are organized in a way that teachers from 25 lower secondary schools in the city take turns teaching on weekends.

When we shared the story of the children's Mid-Autumn Festival aspirations with Mr. Thinh, he shared: "Because we are far from the mainland, no lion dance troupes can come here to perform for the children. Small gifts and activities for the children during this time will help keep the flame alive in their pursuit of education, realizing their dreams of a bright future."

For children, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a pure and unforgettable memory throughout their childhood. Seeing the radiant smiles on their faces as they receive simple yet meaningful gifts helps them continue to write beautiful and fulfilling memories. This shows that, even in a remote island location, these children, the future owners of the country, are always cared for.

We returned to the mainland with the children's voices still echoing behind us: " Tung rinh rinh, cac tung rinh rinh! Here the joyful starlight shines brightly far and wide..." The melody of the Mid-Autumn Festival night resounded throughout the roads of Bich Dam Island. In this life, what could be more meaningful than giving each other a beautiful memory?

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/uoc-vong-trung-thu-noi-dao-xa-20240917214843461.htm