Quang Ngai preserves "whale" bones

Quang Ngai decided to invest 15 billion VND to restore and preserve two whale skeletons, also known as Ong whale, a fish species that can be more than 20 meters long.

Authorities of Ly Son island district are inspecting the two whale skeletons preserved and worshiped by the people at Lang Tan, An Vinh commune. Experts have determined that this whale skeleton is the largest in Southeast Asia, measuring more than 20m in length, with each rib nearly 10m long and each vertebra the length of an arm span.

An art company will be the main unit responsible for restoring these two whale skeletons. Then Ly Son island district will build an exhibition house next to Tan Lang along with some auxiliary items with a total cost of about 15 billion VND.

After being brought from Lang Tan, An Vinh commune, Ly Son island district, the authorities carried out the initial assembly of the whale skeleton. The skeleton is more than 20 meters long. Photo: Tri Tin.

Dr. Nguyen Dang Vu, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ngai said: "Ly Son Island is not only known as a living treasure of Hoang Sa - Truong Sa but also a "museum" that preserves the most whale bones in the country. Dozens of shrines on the island are worshiping this fish according to coastal folk beliefs. This can be considered a unique whale bone museum associated with the journey of reclaiming and building Ly Son island district over the past hundreds of years."

Dr. Vu said that among dozens of whale worshiping mausoleums (popularly called Whale), Tan Mausoleum (also known as So Dai Duong) in An Vinh commune holds the oldest and largest whale skeletons. Currently, Tan Mausoleum has been ranked as a national historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Due to the lack of conditions for restoration and preservation, every year fishermen in Ly Son island district voluntarily donate money to build warehouses and send people to preserve and maintain this giant whale skeleton.

According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Nguyen, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ly Son island district, the restoration of the whale skeleton not only aims to preserve, maintain and promote cultural values ​​related to the Hoang Sa fleet but also contributes to educating the tradition of patriotism, raising awareness and responsibility of the people in protecting Vietnam's territorial sovereignty in the East Sea.

According to Express-M