Da Thi island

(VOVworld) – Spring has come to the Truong Sa islands and naval soldiers stationed there are stepping up preparations to welcome the traditional lunar new Year festival away from home. In addition to vegetables grown and food produced on the islands, Tet gifts have been sent to the soldiers from the mainland including beef, sticky rice, dong leaves, and even pickled onions. VOV’s Vinh Phong reports…

In a small kitchen of the housing platform at Da Thi island, also known as Petley Reef, Private First Class Pham Duy Quang was sitting next to a big fiery pot to boil sticky rice cakes, preparing the necessary ingredients to make stir-fried beef. Quang said that although this was his first Tet away from home, the bond of comradeship on this island warms his heart during this traditional lunar New Year festival: "It’s not easy to express my feelings, which are mixed with anxiety and excitement, to welcome my first Tet away from home on the island. I’ve been stationed on this island for 6 months and this has become a home to me. I’ve learnt to make sticky rice cakes and prepare other traditional dishes for Tet."

Senior lieutenant Le Van Tuong, a Political Commissar on Da Thi island, told VOV: "Thanks to Tet gifts sent to us from the mainland, we have had all items of necessity to welcome Tet. We’ve organized some entertainment activities for our soldiers during Tet including music performances and some folk games."

At Da Nam or South island, soldiers are cleaning and decorating their main hall with parallel sentences, apricots and peach flowers are sent from the mainland to welcome Tet. A tray of five kinds of fruits to offer to the Genies on the New Year Eve has also been prepared. Lieutenant Vu Van Khac is the Political Commissar on the island: "The bond of comradeship on the island helps lessen my homesickness, especially during the traditional lunar New Year festival, the time for family reunions. It’s both our duty and honor to welcome Tet on the island and we’ll do our best to fulfill any tasks assigned to protect national sea and island sovereignty."

Second in Command of the Navy Brigade 146, which is in charge of taking over the Spratly Islands, Colonel Ngo Duy Do, said naval soldiers are now enjoying much better living conditions than they did a decade ago. They can watch TV and listen to State President’s Tet greetings and wishes on the Voice of Vietnam during Tet, which makes them feel closer to the mainland: "Soldiers stationed on the islands here are like a family. The older ones are fathers and uncles while the young are sons and brothers. Each family member is in charge of a duty to prepare for Tet: one is in charge of wrapping sticky rice cakes while the other will make pork paste and other traditional dishes for this special occasion. It’s really like a family preparing for Tet."