During a visit to Truong Sa from April 17 to 23, 2026, Tran Cao Cong and 47 overseas Vietnamese from around the world saw rows of mustard greens, Malabar spinach and amaranth growing well on the island.
Cong said the garden was funded by Vietnamese expatriates in Poland after their previous trip in April 2025.
Members of the Polish overseas Vietnamese delegation and soldiers tend the vegetable garden on Truong Sa Lon island (Photo: Duc Hoang).
“After returning, we realised how precious fresh vegetables are for soldiers living amid intense heat and salty sea air. We raised VND 250 million (approximately USD 10,000) to build this practical project, hoping it would improve daily meals for those stationed on the island,” he said.
Following the first garden, the Hoang Sa-Truong Sa Club in Poland, together with a group of Vietnamese in Czech Republic, contributed an additional VND 250 million (approximately USD 10,000) to build a second garden on another island.
These efforts are part of a broader VND 1.2 billion (approximately USD 48,000) contribution from overseas Vietnamese communities during this year’s visit to Truong Sa and the DK1 platform.
Donations ranged from modern electronic equipment to essential daily supplies, all aimed at improving living conditions and supporting soldiers and residents safeguarding Vietnam’s maritime areas.
Nguyen Trung Kien, head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, fourth from right, and the Polish overseas Vietnamese delegation pose in front of the vegetable garden (Photo: Viet Hoang).
Nguyen Trung Kien, head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, praised the initiative, expressing hope that such acts of solidarity would continue to spread among Vietnamese communities worldwide.
The visit to Truong Sa and the DK1 platform was organised by the Vietnam People’s Navy in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies.
Since 2012, annual trips have brought overseas Vietnamese to visit Truong Sa and the DK1 platform, strengthening ties between overseas Vietnamese and the homeland.