(VOVworld)- Archaeological research has proved the Vietnamese people’s presence on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa for thousands of years ago. Cultural activities and traditions of the Vietnamese people have contributed to safeguarding national sovereignty.

Vice President of the Vietnam History Science Association Nguyen Quang Ngoc visited Truong Sa islands in 2015. The visit to Truong Sa in 2015 was of great importance to Ngoc, who has spent lot of time and efforts researching Vietnam’s national maritime sovereignty. There he collected more archaeological evidence to verify his research on the Sa Huynh culture and the presence of the Vietnamese people on Truong Sa. Ngoc said: “Visiting Truong Sa I could verify archaeological traces of ancient Sa Huynh and Cham people who were on the island thousands of years ago. Traces of the Sa Huynh culture 3,000 years ago are the most evident. There, two-headed animal earrings were found. They were the most typical artifacts of Vietnam’s  Sa Huynh culture”.

President of the Vietnam Archaeology Association Associate Professor Doctor Tong Trung Tin says after two exploration tours of some islands in the Truong Sa archipelago, archaeologists unearthed several ceramic pieces dating back to the periods spanning from the 10^th to the 16^th century. Tin says the ceramic pieces are evidence of the Vietnamese people’s presence on the island: “They are the evidence proving the Vietnamese people’s activities on the Truong Sa archipelago long ago. They proved the exercise of maritime, economic, trade, and cultural activities of the Vietnamese people. While other countries cannot find any evidence of their presence on the island, we have found plenty of them”.

The presence of pagodas embracing Red River Delta architectural styles on Son Ca, Sinh Ton, Nam Yet islands and Truong Sa township show the exercise of cultural and religious activities of the Vietnamese people. History books of Vietnam record that King Minh Mang sent people and materials to Hoang Sa island several times to build pagodas and temples to pray for safety for fishermen.

The monument of General Tran Quoc Tuan on Truong Sa island recalls a glorious victory of Vietnamese soldiers and people on Bach Dang river which defeated Mongol invaders in the 13^th century. Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc said: “To protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, it’s important to preserve national cultural identity. Culture is the most important symbolic sovereignty marker in each Vietnamese person’s heart. National culture is a strong weapon in the struggle to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

After inaugurating the Gac Ma Martyrs Memorial Monument in Khanh Hoa in January, 2016, the General Confederation of Labor began constructing the Hoang Sa Martyrs Memorial Site in Ly Son island district, Quang Ngai province where centuries ago, following an order of the Nguyen regime, local people went off the sea to explore, established and exercise their sovereign right in Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.