Central Vietnam islands host visitors with summer events

A series of summer vacation events are scheduled on the island district of Ly Son, 30 km off the coast of the central province of Quang Ngai, offering different options for sea and island summer trips for families and friends.

Nguyen Minh Tri, chief of the district Party Committee, said the summer events this year will be opened with the historical commemoration ceremony to pay tribute to the men enlisted by the Nguyen Lords for the flotilla to erect boundary sovereignty markers on the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, patrol and collect marine resources from the seas.

He said the ceremony will be held at An Hai Village temple on April 27 in honour the Hoang Sa flotilla, which was established in early 17th century under the Nguyen Lords’ reign.

Beach volleyball teams are competing in the tournament on the pristine beach from April 25-28.

A photo exhibition on Vietnam's seas and islands will open from April 27 to 30, along with boat races at sea.

The district has planned to operate a fleet of six high-speed boats and 17 motorboats carrying 2,000 passengers each day from Sa Ky Port in the mainland of Quang Ngai to the islands during the high season.

The islands hosted 170,000 tourists, 10% of total visitors in the province, including 2,000 foreign visitors in 2023.

The islands also plan to host sport events to attract athletes and their families in exploring the islands in 2024.

Around 600 athletes have registered for the Ly Son Cross Island open sea swimming competition on June 2, Pham Thi Huong, deputy chairwoman of the district’s People Committee told Vietnam News.

She said 1,500 runners would join the Ly Son Islands Marathon on August 18.

The unique culture, rich biodiversity and extinct volcanoes, which have been conserved in the waters around Ly Son islands, and garlic and scallion farms are major attractions for summer tourists, she said.

Ly Son islands, formed by ancient volcanoes more than 25 million years ago, is the most visited site in Quang Ngai with its unique archaeological value.

The islands could accommodate 2,000 visitors at a time.