Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrated on Spratly Islands, Bringing Joy to Children

On September 24th evening, on islands belonging to the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, a 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival program was organized for children living and studying on the islands by cadres, soldiers, and local residents. The program took place in a joyful and warm atmosphere, contributing to a meaningful Mid-Autumn Festival for the children and demonstrating the care and attention from Party committees, authorities, armed forces, and the people towards the young generation on the nation's frontier islands. Concurrently, on the mainland, Brigade 146 of Naval Region 4 organized a "Full Moon Festival" for the children of cadres, officers, and professional soldiers within the unit. A large number of children, offspring of the Brigade's officers and soldiers, participated in the program with joy and excitement. They engaged in various vibrant activities such as parading with star lanterns, lion dances, artistic performances, team games, interaction, and sharing mooncakes while receiving Mid-Autumn gifts. The thorough and age-appropriate preparations created an emotionally rich festival, helping the children create beautiful memories of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The organization of Mid-Autumn festivals both on the mainland and on the islands reflects the attention of the Brigade 146 command, Naval Region 4, and the People's Committee of the Truong Sa Special Zone towards the material and spiritual well-being of children. It also represents a sharing and encouragement for the rear services of cadres and soldiers performing their duties at sea and on the islands. This, in turn, helps each soldier's family feel more secure in their work and complete their assigned tasks well. To ensure a proper Mid-Autumn Festival for the children, the People's Committee of the Truong Sa Special Zone proactively led and directed relevant agencies and units to develop plans, prepare content and programs, and ensure necessary conditions. Caretaking efforts were implemented uniformly to each island, with a focus on fully providing Mid-Autumn gifts for the children, creating conditions for them to celebrate the festival joyfully, safely, economically, and with deep affection. At the event locations on the islands, children enthusiastically participated in parading with star lanterns, enjoying artistic performances and lion dances, and sharing mooncakes with cadres, soldiers, and their families. In the joyful atmosphere, the children also listened to a Mid-Autumn Festival greeting letter from the Chairman of the People's Committee of the Truong Sa Special Zone. The words of inquiry, encouragement, and affection for the children served as practical motivation, making them happier and more enthusiastic in their studies and lives. Speaking at the program, island commanders extended Mid-Autumn Festival wishes to the children, hoping they would always be diligent, united, actively study and train, worthy of being the future masters of the country. The island commanders also affirmed that cadres and soldiers always pay attention and coordinate with Party committees, local authorities, and families to well care for the material and spiritual lives of children, so that even living on distant islands, they can have full and warm Mid-Autumn Festivals. On this occasion, island commanders presented Mid-Autumn gifts from the People's Committee of the Truong Sa Special Zone to the children. Although the material value of each gift might not be large, it contained the affection and attention of the local Party committees and authorities towards the children on the islands. The gift-giving process was carried out meticulously and promptly, reaching the right recipients, and contributing to encouraging families to live and work on the islands with peace of mind. The Mid-Autumn Festival in Truong Sa is not only an occasion for children to play, share mooncakes, and parade with lanterns but also a practical activity demonstrating the responsibility of Party committees, authorities, forces, and the community towards the care and education of youth and children. From the full moon festivals on the islands to the Mid-Autumn program on the mainland for the children of cadres, officers, and professional soldiers of Brigade 146, the connection and spread of rear-service and army sentiment created an atmosphere of solidarity and warmth. This contributes to building a healthy cultural environment, nurturing love for the homeland, country, seas, and islands for the younger generation, and also adequately caring for the army's rear services, providing further motivation for cadres and soldiers of Brigade 146 and residents on the islands to confidently work, labor, and study, and successfully complete their missions, contributing to the increasingly strong development of the Truong Sa Special Zone.