(VOV) – The Khanh Hoa provincial Department of Culture, Sport, and Tourism hosted a seminar Tuesday on local sea and island culture with the focus on the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos. Naval Academy researchers said that cultural development in Truong Sa island district is crucial to socio-economy and the defense of Vietnam’s sea and islands.

Participants are listening to presentations on sea and island culture (Photo: giaoduc.edu.vn)

Tran Duc Anh Son, Vice Director of the Danang Socio-Economic Development Research Institute, introduced hundreds of documents that affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos. He told reporters: "Studies on sea and island culture and history prove a long, close connection between the Vietnamese and the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagoes. The evidence confirms that the Vietnamese people claimed those areas, established communities there, and defended their national sovereignty over the two archipelagos a long time ago."