Journalist Le Dinh Thin with the report "Sovereignty lighthouses in the East Sea"

The series of articles “ Sovereignty lighthouses in the East Sea” by journalist Le Dinh Thin talks about the journey of overcoming dangers of naval soldiers, engineers and maritime safety forces in building lighthouses in Truong Sa, Hon Hai... Each of those lighthouses is a powerful testament to the people's and civil activities to affirm the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland.

A corner of Hon Hai seen from the top with dangerous, steep cliffs that are difficult to climb. Photo: Le Dinh Thin

The surveys and construction of lighthouses in Truong Sa in the 1990s of the 20th century had many important national and international meanings. Since then, Vietnam has had a complete lighthouse system in the East Sea. The lighthouses in Truong Sa archipelago are not only lighthouses but also markers of Vietnam's sovereignty in the East Sea.

Not only helping domestic fishermen determine their direction, the first lighthouses in Truong Sa lit up and guided passing ships. Many international shipping lines and captains called the Ministry of Transport to express their gratitude. Because thanks to the lighthouses in Truong Sa, they were able to choose safe routes, not afraid of running aground and saving distance and costs. Especially the Song Tu Tay and Da Lat lighthouses - two entry and exit points of Truong Sa archipelago.

During a visit to the lighthouse on Hon Hai Island, Binh Thuan Province, journalist Le Dinh Thin read about the construction time and completion time of the project. In addition, he also noticed the wind graves on the island, from which he imagined the process of building lighthouses by previous generations.

Recalling where the idea came from to develop the series, journalist Le Dinh Thin shared: From the Hon Hai Island lighthouse, I thought of the lighthouses built on the Truong Sa islands, because getting to that area is much more difficult. From there, I nurtured the idea of ​​writing a series of articles on this topic and began to develop it.

Journalist Le Dinh Thin - Tuoi Tre newspaper on a reporting trip to Truong Sa. Photo: NVCC

No sooner said than done, he spent many days researching information in books and newspapers about the sea and islands, visiting the islands and museums that introduced the cultural heritage of Vietnam's seas and islands, and asking units and people who had participated in building the lighthouses. He went to construction units such as the Engineering Command; Lung Lo Construction Company, etc., asking for the addresses and phone numbers of the workers building the lighthouses on Hon Hai Island, Truong Sa.

In particular, he focused on finding the units that built the lighthouses in Truong Sa. These projects were mainly constructed by the Southern Maritime Safety Corporation. They knew who built the lighthouses at that time. Through the process of contact, he was fortunate to know the date of the reunion of retired cadres who participated in and built the lighthouse projects at that time. Accordingly, every year on November 30, they held a meeting. Having this time frame, he waited until that day to meet each person.

Journalist Le Dinh Thin shared: I traveled from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to meet all the characters, interview the workers who built the project, learn special stories, from one person introducing another, the people who directly built the lighthouses. Many people, although old, still remember clearly how they escaped death at that time.

They recounted the survey period, the times they encountered strong winds and waves, and the challenges they faced when carrying building materials and stones to the islands. In fact, building a lighthouse on an island requires high-level techniques, determining the direction and location, and geological surveys to ensure the most solid foundation.

Journalist Le Dinh Thin (2nd from left) received the first prize in the "4th Journalism on the Transport Industry (2022 - 2023)" - Photo: Son Hai

"There were people who were just fresh graduates at that time, but they also volunteered to go to the islands to survey and construct. At that time, climbing up the steep cliffs to get to the top was already arduous, but here their task was also to survey and construct structures there. In a place with only big waves, strong winds, no electricity, no fresh water, every time they went to the island they had to go through fierce waves... however, overcoming those challenges, they spent many months constructing, going through many difficult and deprived conditions" - Journalist Dinh Thin shared.

It can be said that the journey of exploration and construction of lighthouses by our ancestors has created the sparkling lights on the sea today. When there are lighthouses, our fishermen can go there and see the lighthouse of the Fatherland and feel secure because that is the sea of ​​our country, our sovereignty. The red flag with yellow star on the top of the island has great significance for the whole Fatherland and for each fisherman, each ship passing through here.

Choosing a difficult topic about protecting the sovereignty of the homeland's sea and islands, journalist Le Dinh Thin wanted to affirm the lighthouses on the islands as the brave will, not sparing the blood and bones of the Vietnamese people for their sacred Fatherland. That is a symbol for the next generation to preserve and promote the precious things that their ancestors left behind. How to keep the lighthouses shining forever for the future.

The series of reports “Sovereignty lighthouses on the East Sea” by Tuoi Tre newspaper was honored to receive the First Prize. Receiving the award, journalist Le Dinh Thin expressed his gratitude and respect for the marine engineers who are also the characters in the work, through their emotional stories he completed the series.

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nha-bao-le-dinh-thin-va-hanh-trinh-den-voi-nhung-ngon-den-bien-chu-quyen-tren-bien-dong-post262937.html