Wherever we go, the sight of soaring curved tile roofs and the familiar silhouette of a pagoda immediately evokes the cultural identity of the Vietnamese nation.

Amid the vast winds and waves of Truong Sa, these curved-roof pagodas are more than tranquil places of Buddhist worship. They have long become "spiritual markers," contributing to the affirmation of the country's sacred sovereignty.

VietNamNet's series takes readers on an emotional voyage, from the inner peace these pagodas bring to island soldiers and fishermen to the quiet sacrifices made to safeguard the country's territorial integrity at the forefront of the sea. Through these stories, readers can gain a deeper sense of Vietnamese Buddhism's spirit of "protecting the nation and bringing peace to the people," as pagoda bells ringing across the open sea continue to carry a message of peace and unwavering faith.

A strong "three-legged tripod" formed by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the military and people living on the islands has worked together to care for and preserve the pagodas at the country's maritime outposts, turning them into spiritual fortresses amid the vast ocean.

Part 1: Faith and resilience meet on Vietnam's frontline islands

Building these "spiritual markers" amid the harsh conditions of Truong Sa has taken untold amounts of sweat and tears, and even the blood of workers and Navy soldiers, all woven into every stone and piece of timber at the country's wave-battered outposts.

A journey of thousands of nautical miles

Restoring and renovating pagodas in Truong Sa Archipelago is a sacred mission, but it also poses a formidable transportation challenge for construction teams.

Colonel Nguyen Kieu Kinh, former head of the Policy Division of the Navy - who accompanied the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and Buddhist layman Nguyen Van Truong, who voluntarily funded the entire cost of restoring and renovating the pagodas in Truong Sa - described the undertaking as extraordinarily arduous.

"This is an extremely difficult undertaking. Many ships departing from Hai Phong for Da Nang had to seek shelter in port because of unstable weather conditions in Truong Sa. Upon reaching Cam Ranh and Vung Tau, we again had to assess the weather before we could continue the voyage. Without close coordination and the absolute support of the military and civilians on the islands, getting even a bag of cement, a roof tile or a statue out to Truong Sa would have been extraordinarily difficult."

The cargo transported to the islands was far from ordinary. It included enormous statues, some weighing as much as 5 tons, as well as heavy ironwood beams, columns and components for the pagodas' three-entrance gates.

Moving them from ships onto smaller boats and then hauling them ashore was extremely difficult. At times, it took an entire day just to move a single statue to the construction site.

Recalling his voyages to Truong Sa, Venerable Thich Minh Quang, Secretary Member of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and Deputy Chief of Office No. 1 of the Central Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said he was deeply moved by the sight of island soldiers and workers straining under the weight of construction materials.

"Building a pagoda on the mainland is already difficult, but on remote islands, that hardship is multiplied many times over. The cost can be 20 times higher than building a pagoda on the mainland, while the human effort involved cannot be measured. On some occasions, we saw officers and soldiers lash barrels together to make floating rafts, place ironwood columns and blocks of stone on them, and then laboriously haul them by hand from the ship to the island," the Venerable said.

The difficult work amid rough seas inevitably carried risks.

Colonel Nguyen Kieu Kinh solemnly recalled an accident that resulted in a tragic loss. During the restoration and renovation of the pagodas, a worker named Hoang Van Co was involved in an accident and died.

The blood and sweat shed by workers, soldiers and civilians on the islands have left enduring testimony in the open sea to their quiet sacrifices and dedication.

Roof tiles bearing the national emblem

The harsh maritime climate reduces the durability of wood to less than one-tenth of what it would be on the mainland, while termites and corrosion caused by salty sea air also take their toll very quickly.

For this reason, after being processed, timber must be submerged in chemical treatment tanks for the required period to protect it against termites before being removed and transported to the islands. All steel shipped to the islands must be galvanized to the prescribed standards.

Bronze objects placed outdoors are prone to developing green corrosion, while stone statues often crack. As a result, statues installed in Truong Sa following restoration are made from single blocks of precious stone, while small metal components are made from stainless steel.

Even when laying traditional shoe-tip roof tiles, artisans must first place stainless steel beneath the joints in the roof before covering them to prevent leaks.

Regardless of the materials used, the overriding requirement of the restoration work is to preserve the architectural form of pagodas found in the northern Vietnamese delta.

From the graceful, soaring upturned eaves silhouetted against the ocean sky to the rhythm of the columns, the tiled roofs and intricately carved patterns of dragon scales and bodhi leaves, every feature is meticulously and faithfully recreated.

The determination to preserve the form of northern Vietnamese pagodas goes beyond conserving an architectural and artistic space. At a deeper level, it is a way for Vietnamese people to carry the "soul of their homeland" to the country's maritime outposts.

In particular, the main halls, three-entrance gates and sacred axes of the pagodas in Truong Sa are all designed to face Hanoi, the capital and heart of the nation, as a way of always remembering their roots.

One distinctive feature of the pagodas in the Truong Sa Special Zone is that every brick and roof tile bears the national emblem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on both sides. Each brick in Truong Sa therefore carries a sacred significance.

Venerable Thich Minh Quang said that seeing the vivid red national emblem on bricks weathered by time gives Navy soldiers, monks and island residents renewed strength and eases their homesickness.

It represents a powerful convergence of quiet faith and deep patriotism, creating a firm spiritual anchor in the middle of the ocean.

As the years pass, storms, driving rain and the corrosive force of sea salt may fade many things, but the bricks bearing the national emblem will endure. They stand as resilient testimony to the vitality, determination to remain at sea and aspiration to safeguard the country's territorial integrity shared by generations of Vietnamese people.

"Wherever we go, as soon as we see those soaring curved tile roofs and the silhouette of a pagoda, we immediately recognize the cultural identity of our Vietnamese nation," Venerable Thich Minh Quang said.

Tinh Le