Ly Son's enchanting season

Nguyen Van Huy, Chairman of the Ly Son Special Zone People's Committee in Quang Ngai Province, recently joined technical staff on a dive to inspect the core zone of the Ly Son Marine Protected Area. The team dove at Lach Chua Hang Station (Station 1), about 500 meters offshore at a depth of 6-10 meters, one of eight coral reef monitoring stations within the protected area's strictly protected core zone.

The inspection found the area's ecosystem relatively stable, diverse, and abundant. However, plastic waste was still found settled on the seabed. Huy and his colleagues personally collected the debris and brought it ashore for disposal.

"We will develop the most appropriate treatment and protection solutions for the Ly Son Marine Protected Area, to achieve the highest possible conservation effectiveness going forward," Huy said.

A "home" beneath the waves

The Ly Son Marine Protected Area was established ten years ago, covering 7,925 hectares, expanded to 8,100 hectares in mid-2026. Huynh Ngoc Dung was appointed Deputy Director and later Director of the Management Board when the reserve was first established. On June 1, 2026, Ly Son's special zone administration merged the Communication-Culture-Sports Center, the Agricultural Service Center, and the Marine Protected Area Management Board into the Ly Son Public Service Center, with Dung appointed Deputy Director of the new unit.

Over the past decade, Dung and his colleagues have repeatedly met with and mobilized residents to help protect the marine environment. More than 50 fishermen who once worked near-shore waters have shifted into tourism, paddling basket boats to take visitors diving among the coral reefs. The Management Board has also worked with partners to reintroduce rare marine species and guide residents toward sustainable seaweed harvesting that limits impact on near-shore waters.

Over time, the reserve has gradually become a safe "home" where marine species can reproduce, helping maintain ecological balance even as destructive fishing practices remain only partly curbed elsewhere. This is also key to sustaining fish and shrimp stocks that fishermen depend on for their livelihoods.

"We regularly raise awareness and call on residents to help protect the scenery and marine environment, especially within the reserve, because this is where marine life shelters and feeds," Dung said.

Local authorities recently organized a series of sporting events as part of the 2026 Quang Ngai Tourism Festival, drawing large numbers of domestic and international athletes, along with enthusiastic spectators. Beyond festival season, this summer has brought a steady stream of visitors seeking sun, wind, and blue water. Vo Minh Quang, 55, a local tourism operator, ferries visitors by basket boat to diving spots to explore the underwater world, diving alongside guests to guide and assist as needed.

Advanced technology and artificial intelligence are now used to monitor the coral reefs, giving authorities better data for designing effective conservation measures. Underwater imagery is also shared on digital platforms to promote the reserve and spread the message of ocean protection.

Beneath the surface, an entirely different world unfolds. The seabed rises and falls like terrain on land. Fine white sand lies beside coral reefs that resemble vividly colored flower gardens. Seagrass sways in the current like dancers, while schools of small fish dart through the meadows and circle the coral branches in dazzling display.

"I've dived at Hoang Sa and many other places for seafood, but nowhere compares to the seabed at Ly Son. There's a coral reef stretching about 20 km here, it's stunning. Visitors love diving here, and many bring cameras to film and photograph it for social media. That's why people here remind each other to protect the marine environment, to keep drawing visitors to Ly Son," Quang said.

Come, and be captivated

In summer, when the sea is calm, Ly Son draws visitors eager to explore its wonders both underwater and on land. Scientists say Ly Son island was formed by volcanic eruptions and geological processes roughly 25-30 million years ago.

I have visited many times with friends, and each trip brings new discoveries. Local colleagues took us to Hang Cau, a scenic spot at the foot of Thoi Loi Mountain, where sheer cliffs and sea-carved caves create a landscape both majestic and poetic. Climbing to the summit of Thoi Loi, we looked out over the vast East Sea toward Hoang Sa, a sacred part of the homeland. Atop the mountain, the national flag flies in the wind, a reminder of the duty to safeguard Vietnam's seas and islands.

Ly Son is also known for temples steeped in spiritual history. Chua Hang, formally named Thien Khong Thach Tu, sits beneath the cliffs of Thoi Loi Mountain, a masterwork born of nature and human hands. According to an inscribed stone tablet at the site, it was originally a Cham temple to Brahmanic deities before becoming a Buddhist site after Vietnamese settlers arrived in the early 17th century. The cave-temple runs about 24 meters deep, 20 meters wide, and 3.2 meters high, covering roughly 480 square meters, with altars built from Cham stone pedestals.

Perched partway up Gieng Tien Mountain, Chua Duc is another striking destination, fronted by a 27-meter statue of Avalokiteshvara holding a vessel of nectar. Tradition holds that monks and devotees carved the temple into the mountainside, giving it its name. My friend and I climbed more than 100 steps along the slope to reach it, temple bells ringing through drifting incense smoke in the fading afternoon light.

From Chua Duc, the sea unfolds like a painting, fishing boats bobbing on the waves. A short walk further brings visitors to To Vo arch, another natural masterpiece, a stone gateway carved by millions of years of wave erosion.

Ly Son's beauty extends beyond its scenery, to its seafood, and to its warm, hospitable people. Perhaps that is why a trip to Ly Son rarely ends when the boat departs, the island's blue waters, volcanic history, ancient temples, and its people's devotion to preserving their homeland linger in memory long after.

Come, and be captivated. And once captivated, one wants to return, not only to look, but to help protect what nature has given this island in the sea.

Ly Son Special Zone covers more than 10 square kilometers and is home to 25,639 people. The Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee has approved a plan to develop Ly Son into a marine and island tourism hub, aiming for recognition as a National Tourism Area and the leading destination of the South Central Coast and Central Highlands region by 2030, and the country's premier marine tourism center and a key stop on international sea-tourism routes by 2045.