Tet Festival is a special occasion for Vietnamese family members to reunite and celebrate together the arrival of a lunar new year. No matter where Vietnamese people live, most of them want to return home to spend the last moment of the past year and welcome a lunar new year with their beloved ones.

However, in these days leading up to Tet Festival, coast guards from the Marine Police Region II in Tam Quang Commune, Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam Province, have to head out to sea in order to be on duty to safeguard Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes.

Let’s take a look at amazing photos, captured by our freelance reporter Kim Lien, to gain a deeper insight into how the coast guards to enjoy Tet far from home.

Coast guards carrying Tet gifts onboard

Crewmembers onboard coast guard ship CSB 4037 attending a flag raising ceremony in the morning

A coast guard ship ready to leave the port

Coast guards dragging the anchor in preparation for leaving port

Mr Phung The Thang (right), the captain of the coast guard ship CSB 4037, commanding the ship to leave the port.

Coast guards wrapping 'banh chung' (square sticky rice cakes) as a way to get into the holiday spirit

A soldier expressing his great joy at 'banh chung' cakes made by himself

Another coast guard preparing for Tet decorations onboard

Coast guards onboard together singing songs to with cheerful rhythms to welcome in Lunar New Year

 By KIM LIEN - Translated by M.D