On October 03, 2014, 08:30 am, Museum of Ho Chi Minh City held the opening ceremony of exhibition under the theme: “Hoang Sa and Truong Sa – Islands of Vietnam”. The exhibition displayed more than 250 materials, maps, pictures, and artifacts studied and selected from the contents of the display and exhibition “Hoang Sa and Truong Sa of Vietnam – Historical proofs” held by Ministry of Information and Communication, in coordination with Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, at Unification Palace in August 2013, certain artifacts, pictures, and materials in the display under the theme “Hoang Sa and Truong Sa – Islands of Vietnam” held by Museum of Ho Chi Minh City in 2009, Brigade 125, Vietnam News Agency, The Tuoi Tre, private collections, and the gifts, articles concerning Paracels and Spratlys, from different bodies and companies in Ho Chi Minh City.

            The theme exhibition has the following contents:

Hoang Sa and Truong Sa via materials and maps

            Introducing a number of maps prepared by different navigators, merchants, and western cartographers which clearly confirm Vietnam’s sovereignty on the Paracels. The said maps also state that the southernmost border of China is not beyond its Hainan island. In addition to the said maps, there are other official books and writings of the State: Nguyen dynasty’s administrative documents, papers and notes from different officials, and scholars who fulfilled their public tasks during the period, which are also used as proofs and basis for viewers to understand the history of Vietnam’s sovereignty on the Paracels and the Spratlys.

Protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty on its sea and islands

            Displaying the pictures of struggle to maintain and protect the divine territorial waters of our Homeland. Artifacts: Belts, rice bowls, uniform… used by the naval soldiers on the ship 604 of Brigade 125, in the sea battle at Johnson Reef in 1988. They remind us of the sacrifices by the sons who have forever dedicated their youth to our homeland.     

Hoang Sa and Truong Sa of today

            The contents include pictures representing the concerns from the Party’s, and State’s leaders, and our people towards Paracels and Spratlys with many practical activities. The soldiers and people of Truong Sa island-district have been always outstandingly fulfilling their tasks of protecting the divine sovereignty of our homeland.

Besides, the display also introduces the following materials, and publications: books of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, yearbooks, music tapes and disks, set of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa stamp, program leaflets, bulletins, letters of invitation to Seminars on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa during the recent period, souvenirs from the visits to the soldiers and people on the islands by different organizations, and individuals: badges, our national flags, a branch of rose made from sea shells, and sea-shell bonsais… which embody the extremely lively spiritual life and skilled talents of the soldiers in Vietnamese people’s navy.

          Display duration: from October 03, 2014 to February 28, 2015.

           Place:Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, 65 Ly Tu Trong Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District