Developing Ly Son into the country’s premier island beach tourism destination.

In the last days of Chạp month, due to the rough sea, Quang Ngai province has issued a temporary suspension of Sa Ky – Ly Son shipping route. However, thanks to early preparations, the roads on the island are still filled with the yellow color of chrysanthemums and apricot blossoms, the types of trees that traders bring from the mainland to serve the locals in welcoming the Lunar New Year.

Mr. Le Khoi, the owner of a cargo ship at Ly Son port, said that due to unpredictable weather during the Lunar New Year period, he proactively transported goods to the island from the beginning of Chạp month: “From the beginning of Chạp month until now, the essential goods and sweets serving Tet on Ly Son island have been relatively sufficient. In the days approaching Tet, I only transport fresh goods, while flowers and fruits are almost fully stocked.”

Ly Son has gone through 30 years since it became an administrative unit at the district level in 1993. From being a small island with many difficulties and hardships, Ly Son has now become a core area for tourism development in Quang Ngai province. With the aspiration to become a national sea and island tourist center, the district has focused on developing green tourism services, closely associated with marine development. New projects have been built, creating seamless connections from the seaport to resorts and cultural destinations.

Ms. Pham Thi Huong, Chairman of Ly Son district People’s Committee, said: “The district is still orienting tourism as a spearhead economic sector. Based on this orientation, when Resolution 26 of the Politburo selected Ly Son as a national tourist destination, we have developed a comprehensive tourism development plan. The district will also follow the province’s action program to implement Resolution 26.”

Welcoming the new spring of 2024, the people of Hoang Sa fleet’s hometown, standing firmly at the front line, together venture out to sea, protect the sacred sea and islands of the Motherland, and carry the aspiration of building Ly Son into a fourth-class urban area, especially becoming a national sea and island tourist center.

In addition to tourism development, seafood exploitation is an important economic sector in Ly Son with 550 fishing vessels, more than half of which operate offshore, and the fishing grounds are Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. They exploit over 31,000 tons of various types of seafood every year. Ly Son fishermen enrich themselves from the sea and always cling firmly to the sea, protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Motherland. Ly Son people, from one generation to another, rely on the sea, venture out to the sea, and become milestones in preserving the sea and islands of their homeland.

Ly Son is the only island district located in the northeast of Quang Ngai province, 15 nautical miles from the mainland, including 3 communes: An Vinh, An Hai (on Big Island), and An Binh (on Small Island). Although it is a small island, Ly Son plays an important role in Quang Ngai’s socio-economic, security, and defense, not only in Quang Ngai but also in the coastal region of Central Vietnam. Going through feudal dynasties, Ly Son was a place where settlers made significant contributions to affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos in the East Sea.

Therefore, along with maximizing the potential for economic development, the district also builds the people’s hearts and minds, combining the overall plan for socio-economic development with the construction of defense works to protect the security and steadfastly maintain the sovereignty of the sacred sea and islands of the Motherland. This is a vital task for local forces.