Green color fills the island of Da Tay A.

Traveling more than 235 nautical miles, we arrived at Da Tay A Island right in the stormy season. The sea was raging fiercely, but in the island's 13-hectare wide harbor, dozens of fishing boats were anchored peacefully, avoiding the storm. The boats were waiting for calm seas to continue going out to sea, just like the people here - resilient, persistent, constantly striving in the midst of challenges.

The temple on Da Tay A island is built in the shape of the letter "Dinh".

A small boat from the large ship HQ561 brought our group to the dock. Before our eyes appeared the ancient, solemn Tay A Stone Pagoda, imbued with the Vietnamese spirit in the middle of the ocean. The sound of the temple bell rang out, mixed with the sound of the waves, like a message from the mainland, like a prayer for peace for the stormy sea voyages.

The pagoda was built in the shape of the letter “T”, with a curved tiled roof, the roof edge reaching up to the sky like a wave reaching towards the horizon. The three-door gate, the pagoda yard, the bell tower… all blend together to create a vivid spiritual picture, a sacred spiritual support for the cadres, soldiers and people on the island.

The House of Great Unity of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups is where many important activities take place on Da Tay A Island.

Houses of the people of Da Tay A island.

The school was built spaciously, meeting the teaching and learning needs of teachers and students on the island.

In the heart of the island, standing tall and proud is the House of Great Unity of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups - the first project of the program "Contributing Stones to Build Truong Sa" launched by Tuoi Tre newspaper.

The house is not only a place for community activities but also a symbol of the people's hearts, a place to connect the army and people, and a place to welcome working delegations from the mainland to visit the island.

On both sides are rows of residential houses, close together and spacious; schools, medical stations, island command posts, and office buildings are all systematically planned like a peaceful small town in the middle of the vast ocean.

Green poplar trees on Da Tay A island.

The deepest impression on everyone when setting foot here is probably the cool green poplar rows running around the island. The rows of trees are straight, the leaves rustling in the wind, embracing the island like a mother's arms embracing her beloved child.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tuong Tin, Commander of Da Tay A Island, took us for a walk under the cool canopy of the palm trees and said: This is the row of trees planted earliest, thickest and most numerous with thousands of trees surrounding the island since the program "Greening Truong Sa". Old, diseased trees were promptly replaced, thanks to the meticulous care of officers and soldiers on the island.

Soldiers increase production on the island .

People on Da Tay A island grow vegetables for their daily life.

In addition, the island also has trees such as: square banyan, tra, and tamanu, and is currently researching and testing the planting of some valuable trees such as rosewood and black star. Lush green vegetable gardens, swaying coconut trees, banana rows, papayas bearing fruit… all create a “green resort” in the middle of the salty ocean.

Each leaf of vegetable, each banana bush is the crystallization of sweat, effort, and love for the land of the wind and waves.

Thanks to the use of rainwater and a modern water storage system, the island has been proactive in providing water for daily use. On the island, officers, soldiers and people are conscious of saving every precious drop, so the water after use is used to water plants.

The total value of the island's annual output reaches nearly 300 million VND, a truly proud figure and a living testament to the resilient and creative vitality of the people at the forefront. Green vegetables, meat, tofu, bean sprouts - products that were thought to only be available on the mainland have now become familiar foods in the meals of soldiers and island residents.

The fishing logistics service center's dock can accommodate hundreds of boats for fishermen to take shelter from storms, get fresh water, fuel, repair boats, and receive medical treatment while at sea.

Not only a support for the army and people, Da Tay A Island is also a solid berth for fishermen to stay at sea. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Dien, Deputy Commander of Da Tay A Island, pointed to the ships anchored in the port and shared: The island has the largest Fisheries Logistics Service Center in Truong Sa. Here, fishermen are provided with free fresh water; ice, gasoline, food, etc. are sold at the same prices as on the mainland. They can rest, get medical treatment, repair boats, and continue to stay at sea for a long time without having to return to the mainland.

The center also has a cold storage, seafood sorting area, dining room, generator, fuel station and rescue team always ready to support ships and boats in distress. Thanks to that, Da Tay A has become a place where fishermen put their trust, a "home port" in the middle of the vast ocean.

Solar power on Da Tay A island.

The island uses electricity mainly from wind and solar energy, which is environmentally friendly, sustainable and flexible.

Television, telecommunications, and telephone systems cover the entire island; a bookshelf, a law bookshelf with more than 1,000 books helps improve the spiritual and intellectual life of officers, soldiers, and people.

Reporters chat with people on Da Tay A island under the cool shade of trees.

People grow flowers and beautify the landscape of Da Tay A island.

Leaving the island in the gentle sunset, we carried in our hearts the magical green of Da Tay A - the green from nature, from trees and leaves, but also the green from people's hearts. Seeing us off at the dock, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tuong Tin, Commander of Da Tay A Island said: It is an honor and pride to be a Navy soldier directly protecting the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. We will continue to promote the tradition of "Fighting bravely; being proactively united; overcoming difficulties, maintaining sovereignty" of the heroic Truong Sa Group, together with the people to successfully complete all tasks assigned by the Fatherland.

Amidst the storms, Da Tay A is still green - green like faith, like people's hearts, like the Fatherland forever reaching out to the ocean.

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