Strange coincidence in General Giap park in Truong Sa

There was no prior choice, but the construction and moving of the statue of General Vo Nguyen Giap to the island had strange coincidences.

General Vo Nguyen Giap Park on Son Ca Island. Photo: Quang Thang.

General Vo Nguyen Giap Park on Son Ca Island, Truong Sa Island District, has just been inaugurated to commemorate and pay tribute to the legendary general of the nation, the eldest brother of the Vietnam People's Army, who made great contributions in making the decision to liberate Truong Sa archipelago.

Upon hearing the news of General Vo Nguyen Giap's death, the then chief of Son Ca island, Mr. Do The Tuyen, set up an altar for the soldiers and people of Son Ca island and fishermen fishing near the island to come and burn incense in memory.

After that, the island chief Son Ca and his soldiers renovated the coral reef system in front of the island, building a memorial flower garden of nearly 100 square meters. The memorial flower garden took 103 days from start to completion (exactly the same as his life span).

In May 2014, artist Nguyen Thu Thuy visited Son Ca Island and immediately thought of carving a portrait statue to honor the legendary General of the nation here.

The Navy Command supported the artist's idea, planning a new 400m² plot of land to build the General Vo Nguyen Giap park.

Prepare the flag-raising ceremony before cutting the ribbon to inaugurate the park.

In the center of the park is a 1.76 meter tall, 1.76 meter wide portrait of the General, carved by sculptor Le Dinh Bao from a monolithic block of gray-green sandstone. Behind the statue is a 24 meter long, 2.5 meter high arc-shaped wall, with nearly 300 historical images printed on ceramic.

Mr. Vo Hong Nam, son of General Giap, said that he was really lucky to find the blue-gray sandstone block near My Son, Quang Ngai. The block of stone is shaped like a giant egg, weighing nearly 20 tons.

The weather on Son Ca Island is very harsh, with no rain for half a year, and fresh water is extremely precious. Normally, seawater is used to mix concrete for construction on the island, but for this particular project, the entire island is determined to save fresh water. There are rare and sudden rains, and everyone has to mobilize pots and cups to collect every drop of rainwater that collects on the tarpaulin covering the construction materials.

Mr. Vo Hong Nam, son of General Vo Nguyen Giap and Rear Admiral Ngo Sy Quyet, Deputy Commander of the Navy, in front of pictures of the General.

Working day and night for nearly two months, the park was completed with the participation of 10 artists from the New Hanoi Art Company and the 131st Engineering Brigade. All construction tools had to be brought from the mainland, from screws to winches.

The purchased construction steel is gathered in Vung Tau for the engineers to galvanize to prevent corrosion from seawater. The cement used must also be resistant to salt.

There was no prior choice, but on April 25, the day the General’s statue was brought to the island was also the day Son Ca Island was liberated (April 25, 1975). And May 7 - the day his statue was put on the pedestal was also the Dien Bien Phu victory day and the traditional day of the Vietnamese Navy.

The engineering team worked on the island for 20 consecutive months, even longer than the soldiers on duty on the island. They were eager to go home, and when they were needed to stay and build the park, they were happy and willing to stay and work.

On the day the statue of the General was brought to the island, all the soldiers in Son Ca wore their uniforms early in the morning, lined up in two rows from the beach to the park grounds, solemnly welcoming...

According to Vietnamnet.vn