Ly Son Island District in Quang Ngai Province has a total area of about 10km² consisting of three communes, including An Hai, An Vinh ( Big Island ) and An Binh ( Small Island ), with a population of over 20,000 people who live mainly in the western part of the Big Island . Its economy is mostly dependent on the cultivation of onion and garlic on more than 550 ha of land and offshore fishing by 500 ships. The local people have a long-standing tradition of offering live sacrifices to local militiamen of Hoang Sa andTruong Sa who defended the sovereignty of these islands for the country.

Brave militiamen

According to historical records, about three or four centuries ago, the Nguyen Lords (1533-1777) established their sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands. Every year they recruited 70 strong militiamen who were also good fishermen to sail the boats to Hoang Sa Islands. They were natives of villages in the coastal areas of Sa Ky , An Vinh and An Hai of the present-day Ly Son Island District. In 1834, the Nguyen court (1802-1945) established a militia team named after the Hoang Sa Islands.

Ly Son fishermen are excellent at their trade and are good swimmers, particularly those from An Vinh Commune who practised the craft of building fishing boats. In the old days each of Hoang Sa militiamen who was on duty was supplied by the Nguyen court one sedge mat, seven bamboo poles, seven long rattan strings and a name card on which his name, place of birth and number of his unit were inscribed, together with a six month food ration and five small fishing boats. It took them three days and nights to sail to Hoang Sa Islands if the weather was mild.

Nowadays in Dong Ho Hamlet, An Hai Commune of Ly Son Island District, the family of Dang Len has kept an ancient document about the Hoang Sa militia team for 174 years (1834-2009). An excerpt from the document states: “…three boats and 24 sailors went to safeguard the Hoang Sa Islands on April 15^th in the 15^th year of King Minh Mang (1820-1840), or Year of the Horse (1834)…”

Dang Len is the 6^th generation grandchild of Dang Van Siem who was in charge of leading the militia team to the Hoang Sa Islands. An official historical record of the Nguyen court wrote: “In 1836, navy detachment commander Pham Huu Nhat was ordered by King Minh Mang to plant the landmark of sovereignty on the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands. The militiamen on the islands go fishing, safeguard the islands and catch sea products and valuable creatures for six months when the sea is calm. The militia team also has the duty of measuring the sea routes, collecting tax from the passing boats and ships, keeping a watch for pirates, planting the landmarks of sovereignty….The sea is so tough on fragile boats. Facing storms and big waves, life of the militiamen is drifting somewhere downstream. Before leaving home, everyone has to prepare their own funeral arrangements, and in the case of death their shipmates must wrap the body in a mat and bring them back to shore for burial, or release them to the sea and let them drift to their native place.”

There were untold militiamen who departed and never returned home, including the team leader Pham Quang Anh (in the Year of the Pig – 1815) and navy detachment commanders Pham Van Nguyen (Year of the Goat – 1835) and Pham Huu Nhat (Year of the Dragon – 1836). They were ordered by King Gia Long (1802-1820) and King Minh Mang (1820-1840) to go to the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Islands and they died.

Along the sand dunes on Ly Son Island there remain graves in which there are no bones, hence they are called “Souls’ graves” or “Windy graves”. It is said that these graves belong to the families of Pham Quang, Pham Van, Vo Van and others. Enduring heavy rains and sunlight, they are proof of a once glorious and also woeful time. The “Windy grave” of Pham Huu Nhat who led a militia team to go to safeguard Hoang Sa Islands about 200 years ago is now lying amid a green corn field near a sandy beach. Day in and day out those “Windy graves” on Ly Son Island in honour of the brave Hoang Sa militiamen are often visited by their offspring, who come and burn incense joss sticks to commemorate them.

Live sacrifices in honour of the Hoang Sa militiamen

Every year, from February 10^th - 30^th of the lunar calendar, the families living on Ly Son Island organize the ritual of offering live sacrifices to the Hoang Sa militiamen (the living militiamen pray with safe and sound wishes for their deceased comrades). On this occasion another rite is also held to recount the merits of those Hoang Sa militiamen who sacrificed themselves for the country and people).

After completing the official procedures at each family line’s ancestral worship house, the villagers implement various rites, such as putting a human-shaped paper figurine and his name card, together with typical things that the Hoang Sa militiamen used to bring along with them, such as rice, salt, dried wood, fresh water, fishing nets, etc… in a boat made of banana tree trunks and release it to the sea, together with prayer for safety. Amid the boundless sea, the boats carrying the human-shaped figurines are floated on the sea waves. When the ritual is completed, it means that the militiamen are already dead, and it is believed that the entire militia team will not die again, even though they face untold difficulties during their six months of living offshore. With the participation of the living militiamen at the ceremony, this kind of ritual can be seen as a live sacrifice.

Ceremonies to worship the Hoang Sa militiamen are held by members of the Pham Quang, Pham Van, Vo Van, Truong and Nguyen families from February 10^th - 20^th of the lunar calendar, or at Am Linh Tu on lunar March 15^th – 16^th. They all worship Hoang Sa and Truong Sa militiamen and those who died while defending sovereignty over these islands as well as the territory of the country hundreds of years ago.

Story: Nguyen Dang Lam – Vinh Hung

Photos: Nguyen Dang Lam