A painting by Bui Le Trang will be sold at an auction to raise funds to support families of 64 navy soldiers killed by Chinese soldiers who invaded Viet Nam's Gac Ma Island, part of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, on March 14, 1988.

Trang donated his painting Gac Ma – Vong Tron Bat Tu (Gac Ma – Immortal Circle) to the Tri Viet Book Company, which will organise an auction to commemorate the fallen soldiers on War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

The oil painting (1.6m by 2.2m) recalls the bloody naval battle of 27 years ago. It depicts Vietnamese navy soldiers building and protecting the island, and the gun barrels of the Chinese invaders.

All of the money raised from selling the painting will be donated to the martyrs' families, said Nguyen Van Phuoc, director of the Tri Viet Book Company.

Major General Le Ma Luong has offered VND50 million (US$2,500) to buy the painting. Tran Minh Hung, director of AMA Viet Nam, has bid VND80 million. 

VNS