With the dream of conquering the sea, since ancient times, Vietnamese people have settled in islands across the Gulf of Tonkin. Today, these island districts are bright spots in the development of the marine economy in the North of Vietnam.

On April 6th, at the Vietnam Cultural Centre in Paris, the Association of Vietnamese Students and Youth in France organised a charity fair to raise funds for the homeland's sea and islands.

Forty-five years after the reunification in 1975, generations of soldiers and people in Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa province, have steadfastly stayed on the islands and continue to work on the sea. Their sacrifice and efforts have brought about a new look for Truong Sa archipelago and breathed a new life into the islands.

A requiem to commemorate Vietnamese soldiers who laid down their lives to safeguard national sovereignty has been held in Truc Lam-Kharkov pagoda in Ukraine.

Nearly 200 photos of Vietnam's sea and islands are on display at the Ho Chi Minh City War Remnants Museum to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army.