The first-phase construction of a memorial site dedicated to 64 navy soldiers who died while protecting Gac Ma island in Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago in 1988, is scheduled for completion in March.
The main statue at the Gac Ma memorial site (Photo: VNA)
Khanh Hoa (VNA) - The first-phase construction of a memorial site dedicated to64 navy soldiers who laid down their lives while protecting Gac Ma island inVietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago on March 14, 1988, is scheduled forcompletion in March.
On January 18, adelegation from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) visited theconstruction site to examine the work progress and the major statue.
The statue depictsthe image of the soldiers holding each other’s hands to form a circle thatsymbolises their immortal fight for the country’s sovereignty.
The examinerssaid the statue meets the set criteria in terms of art and materials, but need afew changes to make it more soulful.
The Gac Ma memorialsite spans on an area of 2.5 hectares with construction beginning in March 2015.The building cost is sourced from donations by trade unions and employeesnationwide to the VGCL’s “Love for Hoang Sa-Truong Sa” programme initiated inMarch 2014.-VNA
A Buddhist monk recently offered 400 million VND (about 18,600 USD) for a painting recalling the bloody naval battle in Vietnam’s Gac Ma Island, the highest bid for the picture so far.
Memorial services for 64 Vietnamese soldiers who fought to protect Gac Ma Island (Johnson South Reef), part of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, on March 14, 1988 were held in many localities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
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The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
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Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
The main statue at the Gac Ma memorial site (Photo: VNA) 
