Simple life in Sinh Ton island commune - Truong Sa

(Baonghean.vn)- Sinh Ton island commune - a name born from heaven and earth and lasting forever in the middle of Truong Sa sky and water. On the island, a simple and happy life is taking place with the laughter of children, the echoing sound of temple bells and the high-level combat readiness orders of the armed forces.

Overcoming hundreds of nautical miles of storms, ship HQ 561 continued its journey, bringing us to the army and people of the beloved Sinh Ton island commune. Located 315 nautical miles from Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa), running in the East-West direction, Sinh Ton island is located on a coral reef nearly 1km wide.², at both ends of the island there are two sandbanks. What is special is that these two sandbanks do not stay in one place but move according to the wind and wave season.

Sinh Ton Island Commune seen from afar

During the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, on March 29, 1975, Special Forces Team 1, Group 126, reinforced by 3 transport ships of Brigade 125 of the Naval Command, directly commanded by comrade Mai Nang, was assigned the secret mission of suddenly liberating the Truong Sa archipelago. After liberating the islands of Song Tu Tay, Son Ca, Nam Yet,... the enemy troops on Sinh Ton island were confused, worried, and exhausted, and fled. Our forces quickly took over Sinh Ton island in a successful manner on April 28, 1975.

With the harsh weather in Truong Sa, the sand on Sinh Ton rock island is almost impossible to grow fruit trees and vegetables, but only a few brackish water plants such as candleberry, maple tree, casuarina, sea morning glory, Indian almond, and wild grass. There is no fresh water on the island, all water for daily use must be taken from rainwater.

Wind power system provides clean energy for island commune.

However, with the will to be self-reliant, self-reliant, and overcome difficulties, the army and people on Sinh Ton island have actively increased production, ensuring 100% of their vegetables and a large part of their food. From the barren rocky island of the past, with the diligence, hard work and creativity of generations of soldiers and people, Sinh Ton has become a green, vibrant land. Many civil works on the island have been built such as pagodas, hydrometeorological stations, wind power systems, solar power systems... When night falls, seen from afar, Sinh Ton sparkles with electric lights, like a city full of life amidst the waves of Truong Sa.

Sacred sovereignty milestone on the island.

Delegation from the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Central Propaganda Department visited Sinh Ton island commune.

Along the green-covered road from the sacred sovereignty landmark leading to the commune People's Committee headquarters, we witnessed the simple life of the people here with the image of sturdy, pretty houses hanging national flags lying close together, bitter melon vines laden with fruit in front of the porches, and a pagoda and stele recording the names of 64 martyrs who died in the Gac Ma naval battle near the residential area, always filled with incense smoke.

The People's Committee headquarters and other civil agencies were built spaciously on Sinh Ton island commune.

Green road on Sinh Ton island commune.

Next to the quiet temple yard is a spacious school campus that was just inaugurated under the program For Beloved Truong Sa Students of the Chua A Dinh Scholarship Fund. Being a day off, the students were at home, and the teachers on the island also took their free time after class preparation to meet with the guests from the mainland.

Students have fun at their new school.

Young teacher Lo Anh Duc, originally from Thanh Hoa province, grew up in Khanh Hoa, confided that, since he was a student of education, the young man with a slim figure and a gentle smile has participated in volunteer movements and was ready to write an application to Truong Sa as soon as he received his diploma. In the new environment, the difficulties were many times more than in the mainland, but young teacher Lo Anh Duc and his colleagues gradually overcame them to do well in teaching and learning.

“The primary school students in Sinh Ton island commune are very well-behaved, lovely, and intelligent. After completing primary school, they leave the island and go to the mainland to continue their general education, and all of them achieve good or excellent academic results,” said teacher Duc.

Like his colleague, young teacher Nguyen Ngoc Ha (born in 1990) believes that the most precious thing in Sinh Ton is the love between teachers and students, soldiers and civilians. On holidays such as November 20 and Tet, the teachers are organized by the commune government and parents with simple meals including spinach and dried fish, but full of love.

Residential area on the island.

Ms. Phan Thi Thuong is happy with her newborn daughter on Sinh Ton Island.

At the time our delegation arrived at Sinh Ton Island, the small house of Mr. Nguyen Minh Chau and Ms. Phan Thi Thuong was filled with laughter because exactly 1 month ago, Ms. Thuong had given birth to a healthy baby on the island. “I was so happy, guys. When my wife was pregnant and went into labor, I was very worried, but with the help of the military doctors, my baby was born safely. This joy was multiplied when my family received congratulations from the mainland, from the commune government and the kind people on the island as well as from the guests every time they came to visit,” Mr. Chau emotionally confided while holding his 1-month-old daughter in his arms.

The commander of Sinh Ton island said that in addition to the task of being ready for combat at a high level, Sinh Ton island commune also takes care of the lives of officers, soldiers and people. On the island, there is a reading room with more than 3,000 books, 60 newspapers, and a law bookcase. A multi-purpose cultural house has also been built, completed and put into use. Notably, at the end of April, the Ministry of Information and Communications coordinated with Khanh Hoa Post Office to inaugurate the Sinh Ton commune cultural post office with the aim of providing public services to people, officers and soldiers.

Tourists burn incense in a temple on the island.

Soldiers prepare meals after training.

The working delegation of the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Central Propaganda Department also organized a presentation to the island commune’s military and civilians of a set of exhibition relics with the theme “Hoang Sa – Truong Sa of Vietnam: historical evidence”. These are valuable documents, helping cadres and people from the mainland and overseas Vietnamese when visiting the island to better understand the historical and legal evidence affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, contributing to raising awareness, solidarity, and sense of responsibility of the people at home, overseas Vietnamese, especially the youth in protecting the sovereignty of the Fatherland.

Officers and soldiers on Sinh Ton Island bid farewell to guests from the mainland.

Saying goodbye to Sinh Ton island commune when the sun was at its zenith, amidst the heat and wind of Truong Sa, we felt refreshed by the image of boys and girls in school uniforms playing under the shade of the banyan trees next to the sovereignty marker. Outside the island, the solid breakwater was like a strong arm embracing the windmills that were spinning with the national flag fluttering. I also remembered the words of Colonel Pham Van Quang, Head of the Propaganda Department, Navy Political Department, when explaining to the working group about the name Sinh Ton, meaning the island was born from heaven and earth, preserved, protected by our ancestors and has a vitality that will last forever with time....