The southernmost place in China accessible to tourists—Xisha Islands

 

From "The Age of Awakening" to the just-concluded college entrance examination, we are all moved by the four words "feelings for family and country."

 

However, perhaps you can only truly go to this place, when the flag is rising.

 

You can even feel the shock in your heart.

 

 

The southernmost prefecture-level municipal government in China accessible to tourists is the Paracel Islands.

 

It was rated as the most beautiful island in my country by "China National Geographic".

 

This is not the first time we have written about this place. Some people call it secret and great, while others call the glass sea statue here overturning the palette.

 

 

This is a place only accessible to Chinese citizens and receives only a small number of tourists each year.

 

Less than one in 10,000 Chinese people have ever set foot on the pure land of Xisha.

 

Everyone says that you can’t feel the magic of the ocean without going to Xisha.

 

Recently, Chengcheng's friend Xiaoqiu took her son to this place she called "incomparably magnificent" during the May Day holiday.

 

Xisha is my country’s inherent territory, and it is also where her lover works.

 

△ Xiaoqiu and his friends are traveling in the beautiful South China Sea.

Because of the special nature of their work, Xiaoqiu and his son spend a lot of time together and away from their father.
This trip to Xisha was the first time for my eight-and-a-half-year-old son and also the first time for his mother, Xiaoqiu.

 

In her words, she took her baby to find the man who "surrendered him to the state."

 

It was a tiring journey by plane/cruise/land, so we followed her footsteps and invited her to record every detail of her days on the island.

 

Let’s get to know each other again——Xisha Islands.

and the ordinary and great people who live and protect the island.

 

 

 

｜The following pictures are from Xiaoqiu｜

 

(On boarding Xisha, Xiaoqiu’s 8-and-a-half-year-old son recorded a nursery rhyme)
In May this year, when I set foot on the Paracel Islands, many friends asked me to write travel notes.
For a long time, due to geographical conditions and policy restrictions, the Paracel Islands have become a distance that is difficult for many people to cross, except for units stationed on the islands and fishermen.
We can only look at the ocean and sigh: "Xisha is so far away." So we are lucky enough to go there this time, and we cherish it very much.
△ Currently, there are three islands in the Xisha Islands open to the public: Quanfu Island, Yagong Island, and Yinyu Island. The public can join cruise tours to visit them. We go to the island during the day and stay on the cruise ship at night. We cannot live on the island for the time being.
Our trip was to the invitation-only Yongxing Island, Shidao (now connected together) and Qilianyu Zhaoshu Island. After getting permission from the relevant departments, we were very happy to be "islanders" for four days.
Special "Sansha No. 2"
Take us across the ocean to see Xisha
Before introducing the means of transportation, let us first clarify the relationship between the words Nanhai, Xisha Islands, Sansha City and Yongxing Island.
In one sentence, Yongxing Island, which can be reached by ships and planes, is located in the South China Sea and is one of the islands in the Paracel Islands under the jurisdiction of Sansha City, Hainan Province.
AndSansha City is a particularly young city.
Established in June 2012, it can be regarded as the most unique prefecture-level city in my country.
China has the largest total area, but the smallest landmass and the smallest population.
△ Yongxing Island, where the Xiaosansha Municipal Government is based, governs the islands and reefs of the Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands and their sea areas (more than 2 million square kilometers of sea area and 20 square kilometers of land).
Yongxing Island, where the Sansha Municipal Government is based, is the closest island to Hainan in the Paracel Islands, about 330 kilometers away from Wenchang and Sanya.
What took us across this remote distance of more than 300 kilometers was an 8,000-ton ship: Sansha No. 2 .
At Qinglan Port in Wenchang, Hainan, we took out the "Sansha No. 2" ferry ticket that we had booked after strict administrative and epidemic prevention review, handed it to the staff, and stamped it with the "Trajectory Checked" seal.
△ It’s so majestic that I want to plastic preserve it and do a close-up of it.
In the documentary "Aerial Photography of China Hainan", Sansha No. 2's "brother" - Sansha No. 1 was mentioned:
"Sansha No. 1 is a transportation supply ship that travels between Hainan Island and Sansha four times a month."
Now, with Sansha No. 2, it is no longer four times a month.
Since August 2019, the round trip between Hainan and Sansha has been implemented twice a week, taking on the task of providing transportation support for various islands and reefs in Sansha City.
In addition, there are support ships such as Qiongsha*.
Entering the port, this large transportation supply ship with a total length of 128 meters and a width of 20.4 meters made me scream "Wow" with its stunning appearance and connotation.
The boarding hall is on the fifth deck, which also houses a restaurant, kitchen, emergency command center, etc.
At 6 o'clock in the evening, Sansha No. 2 set sail on time from Wenchang Qinglan Port. We were having dinner in the restaurant on deck 5 while feeling the Sansha 2 slowly leaving the port.
△ The children watched Sansha No. 2 gradually leaving Hong Kong.
It is 8,000 tons and has a draft of 5.7 meters... While analyzing the draft and fuel consumption of the Xisha 2, my fellow maritime workers told me that a ship of this tonnage is not prone to seasickness.
With these words of experience, I no longer stay quietly, but feel free to wander around and visit.
You don’t know it until you look at it, but you realize that Sansha No. 2 can be described in four words, with outstanding performance! Not comparable to ordinary cruise ships.
In addition to the passenger rooms on the ship, the fourth deck also has a fully equipped maritime emergency medical rescue functional area, including diagnosis and treatment rooms, X-ray examination rooms, sterile operating rooms, wards, etc.
Helicopters can be parked on deck 7. In professional terms, it is equipped with sea, land and air rescue methods!
△ The helipad of Sansha No. 2. Picture by “China News Network”
In addition, Sansha No. 2 can also carry 1,000 tons of fresh water, and the vehicle compartment can carry 20 10-meter-long standard container trucks. It has excellent transportation and supply capabilities.

Although there is no swimming pool, no luxury restaurant, and no feasting, all the functions here are to serve Xisha and the people.

But I never expected that not long after jumping around on the deck and taking a few sunset photos, I started to get seasick before I even saw the night view...
Now that there is internet signal on board (it is said that there was not before), we are in a good time.
In the quiet deep black sea, the Milky Way belt wraps around the dear South China Sea, Sansha 2 is like walking on a ribbon...
I seemed to be swaying and fell asleep at around 9 o'clock, sleeping deeply.
At about 5 o'clock in the morning the next day, the deck was already full of photographers waiting for the sunrise at sea.
The sun rises from the sea level, and the deep blue of the sea gradually fades.

On the light blue sea, tall lighthouses began to emerge, and the long breakwater came into view. The waves at the stern of the ship swayed, and buoys with red left and right green appeared, as if to tell people that they were home.

At this time, the people on the boat finally reunited with the island defender.
At 7 o'clock in the morning, after 13 hours of sailing, I finally arrived at Woody Island.
Special Stone Island
Well-deserved "Xisha Old Dragon Head"
Soon, the scenery on Woody Island swept away my fatigue.
Our companions prepared simple and precious porridge, steamed buns and eggs for us (although transportation is convenient, food and water are still precious on the island).
After a simple breakfast, our first stop was Shidao.
After the Woody Island reclamation project in 2013-2014, Shidao has been integrated with Woody Island. We took a battery car from Yongxing Island and passed an artificial stone embankment to reach Shidao (reservation required to enter).
When the personnel stationed on the island mention this small island of only 0.08 square kilometers, their tone always has a sense of sacredness——
"This is where the dragon head and dragon veins of Xisha are located."
Shidao is a unique existence in Xisha.
As the only rocky island in the Paracel Islands, Shidao is the highest island in the Paracel Islands (with an altitude of 15.9 meters) and the oldest one (at least more than 10,000 years old).
According to people stationed on the island, the following three locations are the scenic check-in points of Shidao that cannot be missed:
One is the Monument of Chinese Sovereignty.
The monument is engraved with: Xisha Shidao, China, and is also accompanied by a map of China.
The second is the "Xisha Old Dragon Head" stone tablet.
The third is the seaside reef engraved with the four characters "Long Live the Motherland".
The four large red characters in the middle of the rock wall on the side of Laolongtou are said to have been carved on the cliff by the soldiers who guarded the island for half a year before leaving the island.
Later, generations of officers and soldiers guarding the island consciously painted the four characters "Long Live the Motherland" in red.
The waves of the South China Sea have been beating against the shore reefs all year round, but the Shidao has always stood like a "dragon head" on the sea surface, motionless, with the clouds rolling in and the waves relaxing, without fear of wind, waves and time.
This may be the reason why China stands tall in the South China Sea.
The title of "Xisha Old Dragon Head" is well deserved.
Most of the islands in the Xisha Islands are made of biological gravel such as corals and shells, and the rock quality is relatively loose.
Only Shidao is composed of some layered biological sandstone, which is very hard.

Under the scorching sun, we stood on a huge rock and overlooked the thousands of miles of sea territory of our motherland.

Special Woody Island
The southernmost city in China
Echoing "Long Live the Motherland" on Shidao, slogans such as "Love the country, love the island, and be happy to protect the world", "Love to protect the sea and the sky, and be willing to be the cornerstone" and "Youth and Youth, Guard the Sea" can be seen everywhere on Yongxing Island.
△ Monument to recover the Paracel Islands.
Woody Island is not big, so for irritable urbanites, there may not be much fun in one night.
Indeed, most of Yongxing Island is a military area with "no entry and no photography" status. The only main street where we are allowed to stroll around and take photos casually can be walked in 5 minutes.
△ Beijing Road, the main street of Yongxing Island.
So far, China’s southernmost library, post office, barber shop, cinema, school... are all here.
△ Sansha City Yongxing School, the school bus is a cute battery car.
△ Sansha People’s Hospital.
At the southernmost post office in China, stamp "Hainan Sansha" to send friends the most "southern" greetings of the motherland.
Sansha New Era Civilization Practice Center has a ticket-free cinema on the second floor upon entering.
Noni fruit and bus stop sign on Woody Island.
The island is rich in green plants and has complete living facilities.
In the evening, when the scorching sun fades, our favorite thing is to walk to the small fishing village on the island, sit in front of the house built by the government for the fishermen, and enjoy a feast of local seafood at civilian prices.

How happy it is to have the starry sky above your head, the fine sand to your feet, and the taste of delicious food on your tongue!

△ Small fishing village on Woody Island.
"I'll take you to eat the home-cooked food here."
But when this "home-cooked dish" was served, it was enough to make me dumbfounded——
Red-mouthed snails, goldfish, octopus, mackerel, pickled fish in chicken soup, steamed sea urchin eggs, Tsing Yi... Are you sure they are not the secret delicacies mentioned in "A Bite of China"?

These are the fish that fishermen get from their labor when they go to sea or catch the sea. But as long as you are a guest on the island, the prices offered by the fishermen are always very friendly and transparent.

The shape of the snail and the color of the fish are all strange things that I have never seen before.
It seems to be the same as our life, but it seems a little different.
During the four days we were on the island, we could basically eat fresh green leafy vegetables for every meal. However, the islanders said that in another week, or if supplies are not available in time during a typhoon, we will have to eat melons. (There is now a greenhouse on the island)
Although the bathing water has been filtered and processed by the water plant, it still has a faint salty smell, and the faucets and showerheads have also become rusty due to corrosion over time.
Islanders say that if they live here for a long time, their white clothes will turn yellow after being washed.
"But this is the best time for modern technology. In the past, it was difficult to even have a chance to wash."
One time my son wanted to eat ice cream, so we visited three small convenience stores and found out, "We have been to every store on the island where we can buy something."
△ Supermarket (left) and cold drink shop (right)
This is what life on the island is all about, but not entirely.
Gao Xiaosong had been to Xisha. He was invited by the Federation of Literary and Art Circles to compose songs, but later he took the initiative to record an episode of "Xiao Shuo" in the studio.
He said, "This time I went to the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea and got a huge infection."
△ Woody Island Studio
"Those people on the island have faith and responsibilities. Compared with them, I am very conciliatory, very conciliatory."Gao Xiaosong said.
Here, patriotism is more than just a slogan. The people who protect the tranquility of the motherland with their actions also allow us to receive a spiritual cleansing.
Coast guards patrolling the sea, units performing missions, fighter ground crews, handsome pilots, officers and soldiers training around the island...
They all have something in common: "West sand black" and firm eyes.
△ Japanese artillery tower (left) and monument to the recovery of the Paracel Islands (right)
Unfortunately, the Xisha Ocean Museum happened to be renovated and upgraded and could not be visited.
Although I cannot record these people and things on the island through my camera, the people with pure hearts and sense of responsibility are definitely Yes, it is the most beautiful scenery on the island.

 

Special Qilian Island
The magnificent sea of ​​glass
When you come to Xisha, just feel two things: patriotism and scenery.
If I go to Yongxing Island, the blue sky and blue sea as far as the eye can see has satisfied my fantasy about the ocean.
The existence of Qilianyu is the ultimate version to upgrade my understanding of beauty and dreams.
△ On Zhaoshu Island, you can take a photo of "The Life of Pi" just by taking a photo with your mobile phone.
One morning, we took a speedboat and raced on the South China Sea at "Xisha speed".
Fortunately, we were able to go out to sea, but we didn't know that the island in front of us was the dress of Qilianyu. This feeling is like the beauty of first love, sudden and surprising.
Qilianyu, like the seven fairies scattered in the South China Sea, fascinates me.
On Zhaoshu Island, I saw the deep blue and emerald green glass sea, like satin and emerald, with rippling blue waves.
Even the most dexterous painters and the most natural dyes in the world cannot mix its colors. The Creator must have overturned the palette.
Such crystal clear beauty is rarely seen in dreams. (On the return flight, I was not lucky enough to sit in the direction of , and I was not able to see the full view of Qilian Island in the sky. It is said to be indescribably beautiful. )
△My biggest regret this time is that I didn’t bring a SLR or go snorkeling.
It is said that the visibility of the water in Xisha is as high as 30 meters. I can tell you with tears, "It's definitely more than that!!!"
We only need to stand on the shore to see many groupers and butterfly fish. There are countless small crabs on the river bank, and we can catch two at will.
It is worth mentioning that as the third largest island among the Qilian Islands, Zhaoshu Island also has Sansha City’s key cultural relics units: the Southwest Zhongsha Islands Office and the former office site of the Qilian Island Village Committee.
As early as the Song Dynasty, this was an important fishing base for Hainan fishermen, who settled on the island for long-term and seasonal stays.
△ Built in the early 1960s, it was used for border patrols and fishermen’s production and life as a safe haven. It later became the office space of Qilianyu Village Committee.
△ The desalination plant (left) and fishermen’s houses (right) on Zhaoshu Island
In 2014, the Qilian Island Working Committee and Qilian Island Management Committee were established and settled in Zhaoshu Island.
Promote the rights protection and stability, people's livelihood construction, ecological protection and other work on the islands and reefs of Qilian Island, and guard the southern gate of the motherland.
After a short visit, we continued on the speedboat and had a panoramic view of the other islands in Qilian Island.
"Actually, Qilianyu is not seven islands, but eight (due to good ecological protection, beaches and corals can develop naturally), and one of them can only be seen in the first half of the year."
The man driving the boat pointed at the small island in front of him and introduced the name, direction and characteristics of each island in Qilianyu.
"You see, there is sand under the light-colored water, and there are rocks under the dark-colored water."
The staff told us how to choose a safe channel to land on the island with the naked eye based on the different colors of the sea and the draft of the ship.
"That's the North Island (Xisha). This year, a lot of sea turtles came to the island to lay eggs. A total of 180 nests of sea turtle eggs were laid."
Speaking of North Island, the "turtle paradise" of Qilian Island, the people stationed in Xisha are even more proud.
The love that the island-keepers have for these islands is even more moving than the beautiful scenery.
I hope I can come here again next time, go snorkeling at Qilian Island, see sea turtles on North Island, and see the "pupil of the sea" Blue Hole in Yongle Islands (the deepest ocean blue hole currently known in the world).
special evening
Half a day on the island, floating in the world
Finally, I would like to talk about the place we went to for three consecutive evenings, Yongxing Island White Beach.
I particularly like this white sand beach on Yongxing Island.
The sky and sea water you see are all pink and blue, and the waves blooming on the sea are light and graceful, especially gentle.
△ It is said that anyone who meets a pair of clam clams will have good luck.
Walking on the white sand beach, looking at the blue water and clean sky, it is so comfortable that you are not afraid of ultraviolet rays.
The child didn't seem to be very interested in such beautiful scenery. The only thing that kept him happy was the sand.
He built sand castles one after another, dug small puddles, and left paths for the sea water to flow into the castle.
Watching the sea water pouring into the castle from the path dug by him at high tide, he made round maracas with sand and water and threw them into the sea, and laughed out loud at the "so comfortable" sand bath;
Or dig a big puddle, jump and jump, and feel the joy of splashing water and sand...
We were baffled by our second grader's continued love of sand, and we couldn't help but nag him to finish the game and go to dinner.
But he was not annoyed, he was immersed in it and said: Wait, I will make two more maracas.
He piled up two piles of sand, "This is lunch for the sea."
Lunch? Oh, that seems right.
In the evening on Yongxing Island, the sun is still hot, like noon.
The waves came over and "ate" the "lunch" left by the son for the sea, and the beach returned to its original appearance.
It seems like nothing happened.
The good scenery has remained in our hearts.
Every trip is an experience of pursuing a better life, and it is worth our efforts.
Just like this civilian pier on Woody Island, I believe that one day you and I will be able to go there freely.
———
At the end of the vacation, Xiaoqiu and his son returned from the island.
It is said that when returning from Xisha, one does not look at the sea, but what makes Xisha amazing is not just the sea.
At night, the starry sky in Xisha is as beautiful as a fantasy.
The people guarding the island are still stationed on the island, Sansha 2 sets sail again, the sea level is swaying, and the thoughts are floating.
They exchanged the small family's gatherings for less time and more separation for everyone's peace.
We once wrote that watching the fishing boats returning leisurely from the distant skyline is a longing that only those who are here can understand.
The starry sky in Xisha is so beautiful.
Fortunately, the starry sky here is also very beautiful.

After all, we are freely connected.

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