The awards ceremony of the letter-writing, painting and card-making competition themed ‘I love my homeland’s sea and islands’ and an online knowledge contest entitled ‘Children and teenagers with love for the homeland’s sea and islands’ took place in Da Nang on Monday afternoon.

Director of the Da Nang Department of Home Affairs cum Chairman of Hoang Sa Islands District People's Committee Vo Ngoc Dong (left, first) awards the first prizes to the winning entrants at the online contest ‘Children and teenagers with love for the homeland’s sea and islands’. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Director of the Da Nang Department of Home Affairs cum Chairman of Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands District People's Committee Vo Ngoc Dong highly lauded the two contests for their practical significance in raising the public awareness of protecting Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Archipelago.

A total of more than 20,000 students across the city participated in the two competitions. All of them gained a deeper insight into about Viet Nam’s establishment and exercise of its legitimate sovereignty over the archipelago in a continuous and peaceful manner over historical periods.

Such events really helped arouse profound patriotism, national pride, thus raising their awareness of firmly protecting the Fatherland’s sacred sovereignty over its sea and islands.

Director of the Da Nang Department of Home Affairs cum Chairman of Hoang Sa Islands District People's Committee Vo Ngoc Dong (left, first) presents gifts to some historical witnesses who once served on the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago over the historical periods. Photo: XUAN DUNG

After one month of launching, the ‘I love my homeland’s sea and islands’ attracted 4,500 students with 4,500 entries, whilst the ‘Children and teenagers with love for the homeland’s sea and islands’ lured more than 21,000 participants.

A total of 78 individual students and two units won the prizes at the two contests. On this occasion, the Hoang Sa Islands District People's Committee also presented gifts to some historical witnesses who once served on the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago over the historical periods.

Reporting by XUAN DUNG – Translating by A.THU