Mural on a radar dome (?)

The Paracel Islands (Chinese: 西沙群岛; Hanyu Pinyin: Xīshā Qúndǎo; Vietnamese: Quần đảo Hoàng Sa) are a group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea and part of the South China Sea Islands, about one-third of the way from Vietnam to the Philippines. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam.

China has administered the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are also claimed by Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam. The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves.