Service held to commemorate heroes who died to protect sea and island sovereignty

It is a practice for any working delegation to the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago to stop at the waters of the reefs of Gac Ma, Co Lin and Len Dao and hold a memorial service for those who have fallen to protect the motherland’s sea and island sovereignty.

Service held to commemorate heroes who died to protect sea and island sovereignty

Below is a series of photos of the service shot by Nhan Dan’s reporter during a working trip in late June and early July.

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The service takes place on the deck of a ship carrying the working delegation to Truong Sa.

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Many members of the working delegation are monks of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha.

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Navy Captain Ho Thanh Hoang, as head of the delegation, and other members of the delegation attend the memorial service.

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Yellow daisy flowers and paper cranes - symbols of peace - are offered to the spirits of heroes and fallen soldiers.

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A wreath of flowers is carried by naval soldiers between the two lines of delegates.

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The wreath is carried down to the area for release into the sea.

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The stream of delegates during the procession.

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The memorial service area as seen from the sea.

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Reporters leave the main ship and board a small canoe to capture the memorial service from afar.

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Captain Ho Thanh Hoan and Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu release the wreath into the sea.

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Buddhist monks release flowers and paper cranes into the sea to commemorate the fallen soldiers.

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Buddhist monks chant during the memorial service.

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The end of the memorial service coincides with the sun beginning to set over the sea.

Photos by Trinh Quoc Dung and contributors