This dream is originated from a text I read when I was young. The place described in the article had become a dream of mine. One day I will chase the wave of beautiful Xisha where the dream begins.
Time had passed in a flash, and the cruel time made me say goodbye to schools and made me a member of modern society. I did not know when would my most profound dream come true.
People always said that if you have a dream, you have to chase it and the dream will come true as long as you insist. I am still excited when I think about that day.
Breathtaking, pure, blue and transparent cannot describe its beauty. This place is a beautiful home, the outpost of coastal defense, strategic area and blue territory. These definitions sink in the value of this place and also arouse admiration. People feel a sense of mission and truly understand the meaning of defending sovereignty.
In Qinglan port, Wenchang, representatives of college students from 32 regions of China took the Sansha No.1 public service ship to Yongxing Island at the South China Sea to carry out the patriotic education activity which is named China Dream, South China Sea. Standing in front of the monument, they raised their right hands and vowed to love the ocean, protect the island, and they strive for a lifetime to realize the Chinese dream of rejuvenating China.
This is modern young people shout out to the world, and this is the dream of 1.4 billion Chinese. This voice will become a strong force which will push us to become a country with a strong marine force. This voice will be echoing around the South China Sea and tell the world that the Chinese will protect our homeland with our lives. The oath echoed around my ears for a long time. At that moment I know what kind of strong power made the Five-Starred Red Flag flying on the ocean of South China Sea. And at that moment, I know what makes the blue dream pass on insistently.
The general information of Yongxing Island.
Yongxing Island is also known as Forest Island because of the deep forest on the island. In 1946, warship Yongxing of the government of Republic China took Xisha Islands over, and they named the island after the warship to memory this event.
Yongxing Island is the biggest island among all the South China Sea islands. It is about 1,950 meters long from east to west and 1,350 meters wide from south to north. It is 2.6 square kilometers big, and its average elevation is 5 meters.
Yongxing Island is the economic, military and political center of Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and Zhongsha Islands. Here are multiple people’s government of Sansha city, branch agencies, municipal units, working committee, and management committee of Yongxing. There is government buildings, schools, banks, postal services, hospitals, shops, hotels, libraries, airports, docks, meteorological stations, armies, etc.. This island has thorough supporting facilities for production and living. This island is really a new island city.
Most of the trees Yongxing Island are coconut trees, and there are over a thousand coconut trees that are over a hundred years old. Loquat is tall and pretty, and you can also find Beach Cabbage, Mawang Vine, Mafeng tree, Canna, wild Castor Bean and wild cotton plant everywhere.
There are many tour sites such as the Navy Reclaim Xisha Islands Monument, South China Sea Monument, Xisha’s Generals Forest, the Museum of Islands Defenders, Xisha Maritime Museum, Sansha City Tablet, Chinese Sovereignty Monument at Xisha, Xisha’s Spirit Memorial Wall, and the gun turret that was used by the Japanese army during the Second World War.
According to the introduction of Reclaim Xisha Monument, in 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally. China as the winning country reclaimed South China Sea Islands and sent armies to protect the islands, base on the spirit of the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation. Chinese navies formed fleets to do that and renamed the islands based on the name of the fleets. The garrison fleet of Nansha Islands named Taiping, the garrison fleets of Xisha named Yongxing and Zhongjian. The Xisha Islands manage department was formed when the fleets Yongxing and Zhongjian sailed in Yongxing Island. But there were more in name than reality, and their jurisdiction was only within the Xuande Islands. Because they found the French flag was flying on Yongle Islands when sailed west. It was easy to reclaim the islands by force giving the army forces of the two countries on site., but the Republic of China Navy did not do that at that time. Instead, they retreated. So the island which was supposed to name after the Zhongjian fleet was left in the hand of French and Vietnamese. In 1974, the Xisha War which shocked the world started.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China to 1974, due to the national power of China and political reason, China only deployed militiaman at Xisha symbolically and did not deploy standing army.
From 1973 to 1974, Vietnam invaded six islands of Xisha and Nansha because America encouraged them. On January 1974, Vietnam provoked openly at Nansha.
Even though Chinese condition was difficult back then, Chinese navies still fought back with dauntless spirit and chased the Vietnamese army away and reclaimed all the islands of Xisha which were invaded, then started to build Xisha.
Chinese fighter had to set off from Hainan, then cruise the South China Sea, so the combat ability as restrained. After the 2000 meters airstrip and the supporting facility were built, combat aircraft can enter and garrison Xisha now. This can improve the defense ability of Nansha and Xiasha remarkably.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army built South China Sea Island Engineer Monument at April 1991. This monument is a light gray tablet with the history, acreage and other information of Xisha, Nansha, Zhongsha and Dongsha Islands written in the front in big white words. In the back is a South China Sea Islands Picture.
The gun turret which was used by the Japanese army during Second World War is at Xuande Road of Yongxing Islands. It is 9 meters high with three floors, and it was built in 1939. The Japanese occupied the South China Sea Islands and put them under the administration of Gaoxiong city, Taiwan. They constructed buildings, fortress, turrets on this island and tried to occupy it forever. This turret is the evidence that the Japanese invaded the Xisha Islands during the Second World War and it also reminds us never to forget that history.
Xisha Maritime Museum is on Yongxing Island. The garrison armies built this maritime museum. It was built in the ’80s. It is the southernmost maritime museum and the only one that is built by soldiers. At the New Year of 2001, the maritime museum opened officially. After the expansion, the total acre of the museum is 800 square meters. There are eight exhibition halls such as Sea Turtle and Lobster Exhibition Hall, Sea Fish Specimen Exhibition Hall, Coral Exhibition Hall, and Information Hall. There are over 400 kinds of specimens and pictures of marine creatures and over 3000 pieces in total.
Many specimens of marine animals are displayed in the museum. Such as top-snails which have a bottom looks like a hoof and the shape of a pyramid, peacock wrasse which has peacock spots all over its body, prickly skin cucumber which looks like blooming plum blossoms, coral flowers and black stone flowers in odd shapes, all kinds of fish specimens and other exhibits. The museum is full of beautiful and exciting things.
Now Xisha Maritime Museum has become one of the essential scenic attractions in Xisha. She is an important place for people to know the ocean, Xisha and Xisha army. It is also the second classroom for the military to have lessons about the sea and cultivate their concept of oceanography.
The Museum of Xisha Army recorded the devotion each soldier made when they reclaimed Sansha, protected Sansha and built Sansha. It is for us to remember their heroic deeds. The Museum of Xisha Army is an essential class for officers to strengthen and rejuvenate the soldiers,, and the central front to cultivate patriotism. After years of development, here has become the spiritual home of the South China Sea navies and the locals.
Rocky Island is located in Xuande Islands of Xisha, China and on the north-east side of Yongxing Island’s reef. The acreage of Rocky Island is about 0.08 square kilometers, around 15.9 meters above sea level. It is the highest point among the Xisha Islands. In 2012, an artificial bank of stone or a small road around 800 meters connected the Rocky Island with Yongxing Island.
Rocky Island is the only rock island among Xisha Islands. It is named Rocky Island because most of the rocks on the island are exposed. There are a Chinese sovereignty monument and an Old Dragon Head monument on the island. There is also a wood of old soldiers, and the soldiers who protected the island planted the trees before they left. And there is a radar station on the island.
Seven Connected Islands is located on the north-east side of Yongxing Island, and four sea miles away from Yongxing Island. Seven islands are connected tightly, not far away from each other, they are like a chain of pearls, and this is Seven Connected Islands. Fishermen have called the islands here the Seven Connected Islands since the ancient times vividly. Among the seven islands, a lot of them are only hundreds of meters away from each other, and the furthest ones are less than one or two sea miles apart. The Seven Connected Islands used to refer to Zhaoshu Island, North Island, Middle Island, South Island, Beisha Island, Zhongsha Island and Nansha Island. Now it refers to the whole big reef where Zhaoshu Island and other islands located it also includes Xisha Continent, Zhaoshu Door, East Xinsha Continent, West Xinsha Continent and the reefs around them. Seven Connected Islands forms a beautiful picture with the wave and lagoon. It looks like an enmouse fish swimming in the broad South China Sea.
We couldn’t board the Seven Connected Islands. The siren announced that it was time to go back around 5 p.m. We bid farewell with reluctance to leave.
