NDO - Many people, after spending many years on the islands, despite many hardships and harsh weather, have sought opportunities to stay again, not wanting to return to the mainland. If anyone returns to Truong Sa island a few times, they can still see the familiar figures of the people, who move to live on a new island every few years, but always with a warm and radiant smile...

The hospitable people

Little Nguyen Thanh Phong (7 years old), suddenly ran into the kitchen, tiptoeing to bring souvenirs to give to guests who came to visit the house. In Da Tay A, guests only come to the house seasonally, either during the calm days of April and May, or during Tet, so the boys and girls are very enthusiastic to welcome guests. Phong is quiet, only smiling, but the strong smile of his weather-tanned skin makes those who set foot on this island love the children on the small island even more. The houses of the people of Truong Sa island district are solidly built, spacious, despite the harsh weather here. The children, under the cool shade of the banyan tree, still chatter together every day, nurturing their childhood with songs about the sea, poems about the sovereignty of the sea and islands. They always look up to the soldiers' watchtower, with an instinctive admiration. Generously bringing out snails to give to the uncles and aunts, little Thai Thanh Truc (daughter of Ms. Vi Thu Trang) smiled shyly and said, she really likes helping her mother make these souvenirs. Hopefully the uncles and aunts who come to the island will always receive special affection from us.

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The hospitable boy gave a precious gift from the sea and islands to the uncles in the working group.

It was no longer hope, but a true feeling filled with the heart that made our steps reluctant. Trang's house was very tidy. This 42-year-old woman had enough experience with island life, so every time a delegation came to visit, Trang carefully arranged cold drinks and souvenirs to please the guests. "Since the beginning of April, many delegations have visited the island. Here, there is no shortage of anything, only the feeling to help the young soldiers gradually get used to the lifestyle, get used to the sadness of being away from family and friends. Everyone here has become relatives to each other," Trang said.

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Ms. Vi Thu Trang has lived on the islands of Truong Sa Island District for more than 6 years.

Having lived on Song Tu Tay Island for many years, Ms. Vi Thu Trang has found herself attached to the remote islands. She discussed with her husband Thai Minh Khang the decision to stay on the island, but this time, the place they set foot on was Da Tay A Island. On the day they received the new house, instead of the initial surprise of many new households, Ms. Trang quickly set about establishing a new life on the island. Being used to the harsh weather and the life of helping soldiers away from home, the women here always have activities to accompany the soldiers to ease their homesickness. Having said that, Trang opened each photo to show us the activities of organizing cultural exchanges, launching tree planting campaigns on the island, cooking sweet soup, making cakes to invite young soldiers on the island to exchange on the weekends.

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The hospitable boys and girls on Da Tay A Island.

At first, many households were not used to growing vegetables, so they followed the soldiers to grow crops in the afternoon to learn. When the vegetables were green and lush in the corner of the house, and they could not eat them all, the households also shared them with the island soldiers. To save water and electricity to the maximum, all activities on the island had to be carefully calculated. All the water used to wash vegetables and wash rice was stored to water the vegetables. In the dry season like this April, she went to find maple leaves, chopped them up by storms to soak in water to water the plants, making them cool for the roots, overcoming the harshness of the island. To help the vegetables and fruits adapt to life on the island, not falling into the situation of being bright in the morning and withered in the afternoon, the women also passed on to each other the experience of the soldiers: in the morning, they had to wash each leaf, spray a thin layer of water to wash away the salty smell of the sea, and water them in the afternoon. On Sinh Ton Island, the lush green vegetable garden was enclosed on a large scale at the end of the island to limit the impact of the weather on the vegetables. On the island there is a small well, which provides enough fresh water for daily use.

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The lush green vegetable garden is grown by the islanders themselves.

“We want to become useful citizens on the island.” Next to Vi Thu Trang’s house, the house of Ho Thi Bich Lien, 32, and her husband Nguyen Thanh Long, 33, is also bustling with guests. Bringing their two children, the older one in 2nd grade and the younger one 2 years old, to the island to build a life for nearly a year, Lien and Long are new citizens of the small island. Therefore, at first, the couple was very confused, from adapting to island life, to creating vitality for the new house with neatly planted vegetable beds later. Lien said, although life here has harsh weather, everyone tries to overcome difficulties. Every 2 months, ships carry goods from the mainland, and families are provided with all necessities. Fresh food is always available whenever fishermen reach shore. At first, not used to growing vegetables, they just planted whatever plants they wanted and let them wither. With the help of young soldiers, after many crop failures, Lien also learned to grow vegetables for self-sufficiency.

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Ms. Ho Thi Bich Lien, 32 years old, husband Nguyen Thanh Long, 33 years old, at Da Tay A island.

Her husband joined the army from 2012-2014, they have been married for 9 years, registered and it is also her turn to go to the island. "I have only been here for nearly a year but I feel very attached. If possible, I want to stay here for a long time," Lien confided. Every day, in addition to her children going to class, every day at home, she tries to turn on the TV to watch educational channels to accompany her children, especially English. As a habit in these April and May days when there are consecutive groups of visitors, from 5am, Ms. Tran Thi Thu Huyen (born in 1991), household number 7, Sinh Ton island commune, Truong Sa district, Khanh Hoa province, and her sisters prepared traditional ao dai to welcome the delegation. Every day, the sisters brought special performances to welcome the delegation.

I have only been here for nearly a year but I already feel very attached. If possible, I want to stay here long term. Ho Thi Bich Lien

Growing up in Nam Dinh, Huyen and her husband, who was a navy soldier, moved to Nha Trang. Huyen and her husband promised each other that they would soon move to Truong Sa island district to live. “We want to become useful citizens on the island,” Huyen confided. Just a few years later, their dream came true. Huyen’s husband also took on the role of head of the Sinh Ton commune militia and self-defense force.

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Ms. Huyen confided: "Survival Island is my second home."

Having lived in Sinh Ton commune for nearly a year, for Ms. Huyen, life has truly left many marks in her life. "At first, life was confusing, but with the experience passed down from many families and the help of officers and soldiers on the island, we have caught up with life," Huyen smiled and continued: "Sinh Ton Island is my second home." Having said that, before the welcoming performance, Huyen took me to see the lush green garden that her family and other households planted behind the commune People's Committee headquarters. The garden was built by the local government and soldiers on Sinh Ton island many years ago with a roof made of bamboo nets to ensure good protection for the trees in the harsh weather conditions here. To help the trees grow well during droughts and limited water sources, Ms. Huyen and her sisters advised each other to chop up other green leaves to create fertilizer and keep the soil moist.

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Cool green vegetable garden on Truong Sa island, Da Tay A, Sinh Ton...

Every day, the households here take care of their families and children, and are ready to join hands with officers and soldiers to protect their homeland's sea and islands. Increasing production, in addition to growing water spinach, jute, squash, etc., Ms. Huyen also skillfully raises chickens, geese, and ducks to have fresh food and eggs to improve the daily nutrition of her children. Special gifts from the sea and islands On the TV shelves of households on Truong Sa island, which impress any working group visiting the island, are souvenirs engraved with the words Truong Sa, Song Tu, Da Tay A, etc., which are elaborately shaped from seashells and snail shells collected along the coast. Vi Thu Trang said that every day, the women in the commune encourage each other to exercise, and take the opportunity to pick up beautiful snails to assemble into unique art products, giving to guests visiting their home.

Survival Island is my second home. Tran Thi Thu Huyen

Each product takes Trang 1 hour to complete. Handicrafting is not difficult, just requires meticulousness, the difficult part is how to have ideas to create different unique products. Having said that, she looked at her two lovely children and smiled, saying that they grew up on the islands, are strong and also very disciplined. “We told our children that coming here is an honor and a pride. Coming here, seeing the soldiers, the children learn how to live and the disciplined style of the soldiers, so they are very obedient, disciplined, and polite,” Trang said.

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Ms. Vi Thu Trang warmly welcomed guests and presented them with gifts handmade by herself and her daughter.

On Sinh Ton Island, in addition to daily family care, the women will organize activities once a week/night to exchange life experiences and good models. In their free time, Ms. Tran Thi Thu Huyen (household number 7, Sinh Ton island commune, Truong Sa district, Khanh Hoa province) and her sisters take the opportunity to take out pre-printed square-flower paintings sent from the mainland to embroider. "If by chance the painting is completed in time to meet a working group, I will give it back as a souvenir," Ms. Huyen shared. In addition, the women on the island also take the opportunity to find snail shells and clam shells to create unique souvenirs from the island for tourists. Square-flowered banyan trees grown in milk cartons, iron shells... also become precious gifts for groups of tourists coming to the island this season. As the only pregnant woman on Truong Sa Island, pregnant woman Le Thi Hoai Tram (born in 1988) only has to wait about 2 months to go ashore to give birth. Her eldest son is only 2 years old but has become the center of attention on the island because he is very healthy and speaks fluently. With special attention from the medical staff on Truong Sa island and regular visitors, Tram said she felt very secure during her pregnancy because she was visited and cared for regularly at the Truong Sa island district medical center and from the mainland.

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Family of Ms. Le Thi Hoai Tram.

On the island, life becomes more vibrant when the sounds of family life and children are present here. On holidays and Tet, women and children dance and sing to help the uncles ease their homesickness. Each household is twinned with each unit on the island. On birthdays, women will make cakes, jelly, and sweet soup... to invite the units, warming the hearts of soldiers who do not have a rear base by their side. Late in the afternoon, at the gate of Truong Sa town, where dozens of fishing boats are regularly anchored, families gather under the shade of the banyan tree, chatting, drinking cool black bean water, eating jelly that has just frozen... Children run and laugh peacefully on the wharf, giving each other delicious cakes and rare toys found on the island that have just been given by the uncles and aunts. Looking at the children, Ms. Tram's husband smiled brightly and said: "When we were on the mainland, children suffered from coughs, measles and many other diseases. But when we went to the island, the climate was wonderful so the children rarely got sick."

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Children growing up here always have a strong love for the sea and islands.

Truong Sa archipelago, where I set foot, the warm welcome of the soldiers and people on the island made us have more faith in the children who love the sea and islands and are ready to devote themselves to the sea and islands of the Fatherland. I will never forget the bright smile of Ms. Dang Thi Bau (Ninh Hoa, Nha Trang) shyly next to her husband, a soldier who had completed his military service, saying, "Life on the island is happier and cooler". I will also never forget the tight, lingering handshake at nightfall on Truong Sa island when we had to leave the ship to continue our journey to the oil rig. They stood at the pier singing, waving, and turning on the flash of their phones to say goodbye to us until the shadow of the KN390 ship disappeared into the distance, leaving only a bright spot on the sea...