Con Co - come once to remember forever

In May 2025, a delegation of officials from the Journalists Association of Binh Phuoc Province (formerly known as Binh Phuoc), now part of Dong Nai Province, visited Con Co Island District before Quang Tri Province merged with Quang Binh Province. Welcoming the delegation at Cua Viet Port, Major Tran Manh Khuong, Deputy Chief of Staff of Con Co District Military Command, guided everyone to board a speedboat named Chin Nghia. From the mainland to Con Co Island, there are only two speedboats, the Con Co Tourist and the Chin Nghia.

Because of the unfavorable seating position, I got seasick. There is really no worse feeling than seasickness. My head was spinning, I felt like I was being stabbed, and my insides were turning upside down. Despite the seasickness, I could still recognize the passengers on the boat were mainly from Quang Binh and Quang Tri through their heavy accents. After about 1.5 hours of traveling, the boat docked. Stepping out of the cabin, I was amazed by the endless blue sky, the ocean, and especially the cool green trees that covered the entire island. The strong, salty smell of the ocean wafted through the wind.

Journalists take souvenir photos at the Monument to Heroes of Con Co Island

Journalists take souvenir photos at the Monument to Con Co Island Heroes.

Green Con Co

Major Tran Manh Khuong became our tour guide during our stay on the island. One thing that many people in the group wondered about was that the entire area of the island was made of rocks, gravel, broken shells, snail shells and corals, the ground was incapable of holding water, but the entire island was covered in green as far as the eye could see.

We came from the Southeast region - a region with a lot of greenery, but everyone was amazed by the poetic beauty created by the immense green of the trees and leaves. Mr. Khuong said that the primeval forest on the island is always preserved and covers more than 70% of the entire island area. The rare wildness and peace of Con Co Island has become a great advantage. And currently, Con Co is one of the few primeval forests in Vietnam that still retains an almost intact 3-layer tropical forest ecosystem. Therefore, Con Co is known as the Green Pearl in the East Sea!

The author on the pristine beach of Con Co Island.

Green not only brings a wild and peaceful beauty but also has great ecological and geological value to the island. And to maintain that green color, every month, agencies, organizations and people on the island come out to clean up plastic waste on the beach. Volunteer Saturdays, Green Sundays or programs such as Let's clean the sea, Let's take the trash home... are enthusiastically responded to by many cadres, soldiers, people and tourists. And whether on the coast or in the administrative center, residential areas of the island district, everywhere you can see trash bins, with organic waste classified, neatly placed under the cool green canopy of the banyan trees.

Mr. Khuong took us to visit the group of 17 ancient trees on the island that have been recognized as Vietnam Heritage Trees. Each tree is fenced and has a Heritage Tree sign. This is an important milestone in the strategy of nature conservation, ecotourism development, and protection of sea and island sovereignty .

In the afternoon, we went through the primeval forest. As the car passed under the thick canopy, everyone was excited, because the temperature was 3-4 degrees Celsius lower than outside. Perhaps it had been a long time since the members of the group had the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air while visiting a primeval forest right in the middle of the ocean with many layers of trees, vines and such a rich vegetation.

People on the island expect that when it becomes a special economic zone, in addition to maintaining its strategic position in national defense, it will create a major breakthrough in the development of the marine economy and tourism for this beautiful island.

Come once to remember forever

As the car rolled along the patrol roads in the forest or passed through the boat docks, embankments, and each office, school, and house, I suddenly thought that each kilogram of iron, steel, and each bag of cement that traveled 15 nautical miles (about 30 kilometers) to the island had to be exchanged for so much sweat, effort, and even blood and tears of the soldiers, the first generation of youth volunteers, and the first people who came to build this outpost island.

Journalists take souvenir photos at the National Flagpole on Con Co Island.

I met Ms. Lan - one of 43 young people from the Quang Tri Province Youth Volunteer Corps who came to build the island in 2002. In front of her family's restaurant and under the street lights, Ms. Lan told about reclaiming boulders to build the first roads on the island; about the summers when there was no fresh water, about meals consisting only of dried fish and some wild vegetables found in the forest. Things are different now. Her two children, one in college, one in high school, both study on the mainland. The family's restaurant during the day and drinks at night, although not as crowded as on the mainland, is still enough for the couple to live well and raise their two children. Little by little, the sweat of the officers, soldiers and islanders, including Ms. Lan and her husband, is gradually creating the shape of a port city - although not as bustling as today.

What all members of the group noted was that the restaurants where we dined on the island served with a rare spirit of sincerity and honesty.

For the first time, we had King Oysters - a famous specialty with a size many times larger than normal oysters, sweet, fragrant, firm meat and only available on Con Co Island. Some dishes such as rice, soup, raw vegetables, customers can order more without the restaurant charging. There is absolutely no situation of arranging food in a "display" style or "rip-off" like many tourist areas on the mainland.

Knowing that I was going to Con Co Island, Nguyen Dinh Manh, a friend from college who is now the Deputy Head of the Movement Department of the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education, asked me to take a picture of Hoa Phong Ba Kindergarten and Primary School. He proudly shared that in 2015, he was a member of the delegation of officials from the Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group who attended the inauguration ceremony of this 5 billion VND school. Seeing with their own eyes the first generation of children born on the outpost island studying in the spacious school, he and the members of the delegation could not help but be moved.

Children of Hoa Phong Ba Kindergarten - Primary School visit the Traditional House.

Becoming a special economic zone has opened a new chapter full of prospects for Con Co Island. This change is not only of administrative significance but also marks an important turning point in the history of development, opening up great opportunities to exploit the potential of sea and island tourism, which is the outstanding strength of this island. The top goal of Con Co Special Zone is still to carry out two tasks in parallel: Developing the marine economy and protecting national sovereignty. The economic development policies of the special zone are designed in parallel with supporting people's livelihoods and ensuring national defense and security. This creates a sustainable development model, both strong in economy and strong in national defense.

The stay on the island was not long, but when leaving, everyone had a strange feeling of familiarity. Looking back from the deck, the lighthouse, the National Flagpole, the Traditional House, the kindergarten or the Con Co port... where we stopped and took souvenir photos gradually receded into the background. Leaving Con Co, we brought with us the sparkling eyes of the children of Hoa Phong Ba Kindergarten - Primary School and the warm smiles of the soldiers, people, and service workers on the island; bringing with us the belief in a bustling port city of Con Co Special Zone in the not too distant future.

Spiritual

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202508/con-co-den-mot-lan-de-nho-mai-b741ef9/