Ly Son Island

## Overview

Small Ly Son Island (also known as Cu
Lao Re) is a growing holiday spot for Vietnamese tourists yet somehow it has
eluded the foreign travellers radar. A ferry from the mainland takes about an
hour and Ly Son can be an interesting little getaway for fresh cheap seafood,
photo ops and cultural insight.

## Location

located in the north-east of Quang
Ngai Province, about 15 nautical miles (27km) from mainland. There are no
excursions or tours to Ly Son Island, but you can easily get to the island by
yourself. The ferry speed boat to Ly Son starts at 8:00 from Sa Ky port and
trip takes about 1 hour 10-20 minutes. This is the only way to get island.

## Characteristics

Kingdom of Garlic: every inch of useable
land grows garlic, shallots and onions, a neat patchwork of greens and beige
blanketing the ground, engulfing houses, tombs and any other obstacle. Renowned
for its quality and mild taste, Ly Son garlic is grown in tidy rows with a
layer of sand on top of the volcanic soil.

Moreover, Ly Son is a lively museum of
legends, stories, folk songs, spiritual festivals, etc, especially Feast and
Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers. This used to be the departure
point of the naval task group that protected the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang
Sa (Paracel) Islands under the Nguyen Dynasty. The island also preserves many
documents on Hoang Sa Archipelago; numerous stone and ceramic objects of Cham
and Dai Viet nations; etc to affirm Viet Nam’s sovereignty over sea and
islands.

Nowadays, Ly Son Island is an attractive
tourist destination where occupies unique natural landscapes as well as many
cultural relics including Hang Pagoda, Duc Pagoda, An Hai Communal House, An
Vinh Communal House, Cau Cave, Ba Roi Temple, Hoang Sa – Truong Sa Flotilla
Relic, relics of Cham and Sa Huynh culture, etc. Of which, Hang Pagoda, An Vinh
and An Hai Communal Houses and Am Linh Pagoda were recognized by Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism as national cultural – historical relics.

## History

The Cham used Ly Son as a transhipment
base. In the 17th century the Nguyễn lords started a colony on the islands from
An Vĩnh, Bình Sơn District, in Quảng Ngãi, as part of the activities of the
Hoàng Sa Company's development of the Paracel Islands.

## Activities

Generally on this small island there
are more than 50 ancient pagodas, temples and shrines, such as Pagoda Chua
Hang, located in the rock by the sea, pagoda Dinh Liem Tu, where you can climb
the mountain and make great photos pagoda and sea, fairly new church Ding Ly
Hai. The island has monuments and memorials that you can see during travel. The
best way to explore island is to ride around. The island is small and need
about half day to see it all by motorbike. You'll see beautiful sea views, a
lot of organised and nice garlic fields, mountains with good view points, red
earth of volcanic origin island.

Of course, the beautiful beaches on the
island, though they are few. With white sand and a diverse array of shells. The
water is clear and blue. You can see the crabs and other marine inhabitants. In
the afternoon, the tide begins and is impossible to swim, as rocks open.

## Special events

Ly Son Island is also home to
many special festivals, including “Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa” Festival, held
annually from the 18th to the 20th of the third lunar month to commemorate the
fallen troops on Hoang Sa archipelago.

## Pictures

Garlics in Ly SonHang PagodaBuddism statueA view of the citySunrise at the beach