IN-DEPTH / IN-DEPTH
Letters from Nansha Qundao in S.China Sea reveal longing, sacrifices and devotion of Chinese soldiers guarding remote reefs
Editor's Note:
"Setting foot on an island means going to the front line; guarding a reef means defending a position." Slogans like this, reflecting the distinctive character of the Nansha Qundao, can be seen everywhere on islands and reefs such as Yongshu Jiao.
The South China Sea stretches across vast expanses of azure waters, dotted with countless islands and reefs. China's Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) consists of Dongsha Qundao (the Dongsha Islands), Xisha Qundao (the Xisha Islands), Zhongsha Qundao (the Zhongsha Islands) and Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands).
China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters, and the first to have continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them. For thousands of years, Chinese people have fished, sailed and made their living on these waters. This vast blue territory carries the Chinese nation's enduring maritime memories.
Since 1988, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has been stationed in the Nansha Qundao under orders to guard and develop the reefs. For more than three decades, generations of service members have made their home between sea and sky, with the waves as their constant companions.
A special series titled "Letters from the South China Sea" has been launched by the People's Daily Overseas Edition. This installment, focusing on the Nansha Qundao, presents excerpts from letters written by service members stationed on the islands and reefs. Through their words, the series seeks to portray their devotion to family and country, their sense of duty and responsibility, their unwavering loyalty to the motherland and their firm commitment to national defense.
Zhuang Jia: I wish you could see just how beautiful the sea is here in the Nansha Qundao
My little girl Hehe,
Today marks the 17th day since Daddy set sail. By my count, it has been 89 days since I last held you in my arms. I can barely remember what it feels like to have your soft little body nestled against my chest.
You were born in Hainan last October, and before you even turned one, you had already traveled from place to place with Mom and Dad. It certainly hasn't been easy. We thought about leaving you at home with your grandparents, but knowing how little time we already get to spend at home, we couldn't bear to be apart from you for even a moment.
When our leave ended, your mom and I both had to return to our posts. We are both service members, with responsibilities to shoulder. No matter how hard it was to say goodbye, we had to return to our duties.
There is so much I want to tell you, far more than this short letter can hold. I hope that one day, when you are old enough to read, you will open this letter sent home from the Nansha Qundao and feel just how completely and unreservedly Mom and Dad love you. Finally, Daddy wants to say sorry for not being there on your first birthday. We'll make it up to you when I come home next time. Happy first birthday, my precious little girl! (And by the way, I really wish you could see just how beautiful the sea is here in the Nansha Qundao!)
Your loving Daddy, writing from the Nansha Qundao
October 30, 2026
Behind the letter
Zhuang Jia was transferred to the Nansha Qundao in 2019. His wife is also a service member, and the couple once served together in the Nansha Qundao. Later, she went on to pursue a doctoral degree, while he remained stationed there.
Zhuang wrote this letter while at sea, during a voyage when all communication with the outside world had been cut off. Its recipient was his daughter, not yet a year old. He said he did not expect her to understand it now. He simply wanted to put into words the love he could not express by being at her side, preserving it for the future. He hoped that when his daughter opened the letter one day, she would understand that she had never been without her father's deep love.
Both Zhuang and his wife know the difficulties of a dual-military family. Putting on the uniform means accepting a weighty responsibility, and inevitably missing many once-in-a-lifetime moments in their child's growth. Yet they have always held firm to one belief: The country comes before the family. Only by safeguarding the motherland's maritime frontiers can countless families enjoy peace and security.
Xu Yuhua: A soldier has his own sense of purpose
Li,
The Spring Festival is approaching. I wonder if everything is well at home.
Time passes so quickly. Before I knew it, I had already spent more than half a month on the reef. Everything is fine here, so there's no need to worry, although I often find myself missing our family.
As the ancient saying goes, "On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away." Of all the days in a year, perhaps none matters more than New Year's Eve. Back home, I imagine everyone is busy shopping and preparing for the festival, while those working far away are making plans to return home. Yet here I am, on a solitary island in the vast ocean, more than a thousand kilometers away. I cannot even send a few words home, let alone return for a family reunion.
All I can do is leave you, our daughter and my elderly mother to spend New Year's Eve together without me. Thinking about this fills me with guilt. But a soldier has his own sense of purpose, and sacrifices like these are unavoidable. I hope that, as a soldier's wife, you can understand.
Li, I really miss you. If all goes well, you may receive this letter during the Spring Festival. Please take it as a small token of my love and my New Year's wishes. Let me wish you all a happy Spring Festival and a wonderful year ahead!
(I heard that a fisheries administration vessel from Guangzhou might complete its crew rotation ahead of schedule and return to Guangzhou for the Spring Festival. So I have written this letter early, hoping it can be delivered to you before the holiday.)
Yuhua
January 6, 1998
Behind the letter
In the 1990s, transportation to and from the Nansha Qundao was inconvenient. Service members stationed on the reefs relied mainly on military satellite telephones and letters to communicate with the outside world. A letter often took several months to reach its destination, and a mishap at any point along the way could mean it was lost.
This letter was written in 1998 by Xu Yuhua, a veteran of the Nansha Qundao. A little over two weeks after arriving on the reef, he heard that a vessel might return to Guangzhou ahead of schedule for the Spring Festival. He hurriedly wrote a letter and entrusted it to the ship's crew, hoping it would reach his wife before the holiday. The letter is short and contains no elaborate language, only simple expressions of longing for his family. It was a special New Year's gift from him to his loved ones.
Starting with his first deployment to the reefs in 1995, Xu spent 27 years guarding the Nansha Qundao. Whenever he returned home on leave, he would bring his daughter, Xu Qiwei, pressed specimens of sunflowers. He would also tell her stories about life in the Nansha Qundao. Growing up with these stories, Xu Qiwei developed a special affection for the islands. In the summer of 2019, after graduating from a military academy, she followed in her father's footsteps to Yongshu Jiao and became one of its defenders. "Dad, it was only after coming here that I truly understood you...," she said.
Lin Die: I have learned perseverance and gained a deeper understanding of responsibility
Lin Die's letter.
Dear Mom and Dad,
How have things been at home lately? The weather is getting colder, so please remember to keep warm when you go out. Here on the island, it feels like summer all year round. Everything is going well with my work and daily life, so there's no need to worry about me.
It's been eight years now since I began guarding our maritime frontier. I was still young and inexperienced when I first arrived, but life in the military has long since become my everyday routine. The island is hot and humid all year round, and much of the work is repetitive and routine. Sometimes, when I'm exhausted after training, I find the monotony difficult to bear. But whenever I feel I can't keep going, I remember something Mom often used to say: "When things get hard, think of the 25,000-li Long March; when you feel tired, think of the veterans of the Red Army." Those words have stayed with me all these years.
Since getting married last year, I've become much more mature and settled. My husband understands my work. He never complains and always supports me quietly, allowing me to concentrate fully on my duties.
My only regret is living so far away from home and spending so little time with you. But having chosen to wear this uniform and defend our maritime frontier, I will shoulder the responsibilities that come with it.
Please don't work too hard at home. Take it easy and look after your health. When I come home on leave next time, let's travel together and see more of our country's beautiful landscapes.
Your loving daughter
September 25, 2026
Behind the letter
Lin Die is one of the few female service members stationed on the reef. To many people, the Nansha Qundao evoke images of blue seas and clear skies. But life on the reefs is far less romantic than it might seem. Those stationed there must contend with high temperatures, humidity and salt, as well as the repetitive routines of training and duty. During her eight years guarding the reefs, Lin has had moments of doubt. Every service member stationed there goes through similar struggles. The reef defenders are not made of steel. They are simply people who choose to persevere a little longer each time they feel like giving up.
Every reef defender carries a few words close to their heart. They might be a mother's reminder, encouragement from a fellow service member or an oath made upon enlistment. The words may differ, but they carry the same weight - a source of inner strength to hold on to in the most difficult moments.
Liang Linfei: Be a good soldier the motherland and its people can count on
Mom and Dad,
I hope this letter finds you both well! How are things at home?
At the beginning of this year, I returned to military service. Here in the Nansha Qundao, it feels like summer all year round, but back home, you must be busy with the autumn harvest by now. Thinking of how much work you have to do while I'm more than a thousand kilometers away and unable to help makes my heart ache a little.
Four years ago, I left the military and returned to university to continue my studies. Later, I was admitted to graduate school. You thought I would follow the usual path from there - further study, graduation, a job, marriage and starting a family... But after much soul-searching, I decided to enlist again. You didn't object. Instead, you gave me your wholehearted support. Your understanding has been the greatest source of strength allowing me to serve here with peace of mind.
Ever since I arrived on the reef, you've worried that I might not be able to endure the hardships or cope with the loneliness of life in the Nansha Qundao. But I was mentally prepared, and I've adjusted quite smoothly. Besides, the Nansha Qundao are very different from what they used to be. Transportation and communications have improved, and fresh fruit and vegetables are readily available.
This July, I celebrated my birthday at the unit. When I returned to the dormitory that day and opened the door, I found a steaming bowl of noodles waiting on the table. My fellow service members gathered around, brought out a cake and sang Happy Birthday to me. Back home, whenever it was my birthday, you would make me a bowl of noodles with a fried egg on top, ready for me as soon as I got up. I never imagined that here in the Nansha Qundao, my comrades would remember my birthday or that I'd even get to have a birthday cake. I felt the warmth of family, and it was then that I truly began to put down roots in the Nansha Qundao and regard this place as my second home.
Mom and Dad, whenever I stand at the edge of the reef and gaze across the South China Sea to where the water meets the sky, I think of the endless plains of my hometown. On one side is the maritime frontier I guard day and night; on the other is the home I long for. In my heart, the two gradually come together to form my understanding of family and country. I will hone my skills, stand every watch and fulfill every duty, striving to be a good soldier the motherland and its people can count on.
Yifei
September 6, 2026
Behind the letter
Yifei is Liang Linfei's childhood nickname. A soldier born after 2000, Liang is also a veteran who has enlisted for a second time. In 2022, he completed his service with a unit of the People's Armed Police and returned to university to continue his studies. He was later admitted to graduate school. With a seemingly secure path ahead through education, employment and marriage, he could have chosen a more conventional future. Instead, he opted to return to the uncertainties of military life.
In the Nansha Qundao, many others have made similar choices. In his letter, Liang makes life on the reef sound easy. But improvements in living conditions do not mean that guarding the reefs is no longer difficult. Compared with material hardships, the monotony and loneliness of daily life may be even harder to bear. However, the service members guarding the reefs share an unspoken understanding - tell their families the good news, not the bad. However difficult or exhausting life may be, they want their loved ones far away to have peace of mind.
The sound of the waves never ceases, and each generation passes the torch to the next. The decision of one young man to serve again echoes the answer given by generations of troops guarding the Nansha Qundao: Go where the motherland needs you. Trade the joy of a small family reunion for the lasting peace of countless homes, and plant the ideals of youth firmly in the motherland's blue maritime frontier.
"Setting foot on an island means going to the front line; guarding a reef means defending a position." Slogans like this, reflecting the distinctive character of the Nansha Qundao, can be seen everywhere on islands and reefs such as Yongshu Jiao.
The South China Sea stretches across vast expanses of azure waters, dotted with countless islands and reefs. China's Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) consists of Dongsha Qundao (the Dongsha Islands), Xisha Qundao (the Xisha Islands), Zhongsha Qundao (the Zhongsha Islands) and Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands).
China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters, and the first to have continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them. For thousands of years, Chinese people have fished, sailed and made their living on these waters. This vast blue territory carries the Chinese nation's enduring maritime memories.
Since 1988, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has been stationed in the Nansha Qundao under orders to guard and develop the reefs. For more than three decades, generations of service members have made their home between sea and sky, with the waves as their constant companions.
A special series titled "Letters from the South China Sea" has been launched by the People's Daily Overseas Edition. This installment, focusing on the Nansha Qundao, presents excerpts from letters written by service members stationed on the islands and reefs. Through their words, the series seeks to portray their devotion to family and country, their sense of duty and responsibility, their unwavering loyalty to the motherland and their firm commitment to national defense.
Chinese troops stationed on the Nansha Qundao patrol the area. Photo: People's Daily Overseas Edition
Chinese troops stationed on the Nansha Qundao patrol the area. Photo: People's Daily Overseas Edition
Zhuang Jia: I wish you could see just how beautiful the sea is here in the Nansha Qundao
Photo: People's Daily Overseas Edition
My little girl Hehe,
Today marks the 17th day since Daddy set sail. By my count, it has been 89 days since I last held you in my arms. I can barely remember what it feels like to have your soft little body nestled against my chest.
You were born in Hainan last October, and before you even turned one, you had already traveled from place to place with Mom and Dad. It certainly hasn't been easy. We thought about leaving you at home with your grandparents, but knowing how little time we already get to spend at home, we couldn't bear to be apart from you for even a moment.
When our leave ended, your mom and I both had to return to our posts. We are both service members, with responsibilities to shoulder. No matter how hard it was to say goodbye, we had to return to our duties.
There is so much I want to tell you, far more than this short letter can hold. I hope that one day, when you are old enough to read, you will open this letter sent home from the Nansha Qundao and feel just how completely and unreservedly Mom and Dad love you. Finally, Daddy wants to say sorry for not being there on your first birthday. We'll make it up to you when I come home next time. Happy first birthday, my precious little girl! (And by the way, I really wish you could see just how beautiful the sea is here in the Nansha Qundao!)
Your loving Daddy, writing from the Nansha Qundao
October 30, 2026
Behind the letter
Zhuang Jia was transferred to the Nansha Qundao in 2019. His wife is also a service member, and the couple once served together in the Nansha Qundao. Later, she went on to pursue a doctoral degree, while he remained stationed there.
Zhuang wrote this letter while at sea, during a voyage when all communication with the outside world had been cut off. Its recipient was his daughter, not yet a year old. He said he did not expect her to understand it now. He simply wanted to put into words the love he could not express by being at her side, preserving it for the future. He hoped that when his daughter opened the letter one day, she would understand that she had never been without her father's deep love.
Both Zhuang and his wife know the difficulties of a dual-military family. Putting on the uniform means accepting a weighty responsibility, and inevitably missing many once-in-a-lifetime moments in their child's growth. Yet they have always held firm to one belief: The country comes before the family. Only by safeguarding the motherland's maritime frontiers can countless families enjoy peace and security.
Xu Yuhua: A soldier has his own sense of purpose
Photo: People's Daily Overseas Edition
Li,
The Spring Festival is approaching. I wonder if everything is well at home.
Time passes so quickly. Before I knew it, I had already spent more than half a month on the reef. Everything is fine here, so there's no need to worry, although I often find myself missing our family.
As the ancient saying goes, "On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away." Of all the days in a year, perhaps none matters more than New Year's Eve. Back home, I imagine everyone is busy shopping and preparing for the festival, while those working far away are making plans to return home. Yet here I am, on a solitary island in the vast ocean, more than a thousand kilometers away. I cannot even send a few words home, let alone return for a family reunion.
All I can do is leave you, our daughter and my elderly mother to spend New Year's Eve together without me. Thinking about this fills me with guilt. But a soldier has his own sense of purpose, and sacrifices like these are unavoidable. I hope that, as a soldier's wife, you can understand.
Li, I really miss you. If all goes well, you may receive this letter during the Spring Festival. Please take it as a small token of my love and my New Year's wishes. Let me wish you all a happy Spring Festival and a wonderful year ahead!
(I heard that a fisheries administration vessel from Guangzhou might complete its crew rotation ahead of schedule and return to Guangzhou for the Spring Festival. So I have written this letter early, hoping it can be delivered to you before the holiday.)
Yuhua
January 6, 1998
Behind the letter
In the 1990s, transportation to and from the Nansha Qundao was inconvenient. Service members stationed on the reefs relied mainly on military satellite telephones and letters to communicate with the outside world. A letter often took several months to reach its destination, and a mishap at any point along the way could mean it was lost.
This letter was written in 1998 by Xu Yuhua, a veteran of the Nansha Qundao. A little over two weeks after arriving on the reef, he heard that a vessel might return to Guangzhou ahead of schedule for the Spring Festival. He hurriedly wrote a letter and entrusted it to the ship's crew, hoping it would reach his wife before the holiday. The letter is short and contains no elaborate language, only simple expressions of longing for his family. It was a special New Year's gift from him to his loved ones.
Starting with his first deployment to the reefs in 1995, Xu spent 27 years guarding the Nansha Qundao. Whenever he returned home on leave, he would bring his daughter, Xu Qiwei, pressed specimens of sunflowers. He would also tell her stories about life in the Nansha Qundao. Growing up with these stories, Xu Qiwei developed a special affection for the islands. In the summer of 2019, after graduating from a military academy, she followed in her father's footsteps to Yongshu Jiao and became one of its defenders. "Dad, it was only after coming here that I truly understood you...," she said.
Lin Die: I have learned perseverance and gained a deeper understanding of responsibility
Lin Die's letter.
Dear Mom and Dad,
How have things been at home lately? The weather is getting colder, so please remember to keep warm when you go out. Here on the island, it feels like summer all year round. Everything is going well with my work and daily life, so there's no need to worry about me.
It's been eight years now since I began guarding our maritime frontier. I was still young and inexperienced when I first arrived, but life in the military has long since become my everyday routine. The island is hot and humid all year round, and much of the work is repetitive and routine. Sometimes, when I'm exhausted after training, I find the monotony difficult to bear. But whenever I feel I can't keep going, I remember something Mom often used to say: "When things get hard, think of the 25,000-li Long March; when you feel tired, think of the veterans of the Red Army." Those words have stayed with me all these years.
Since getting married last year, I've become much more mature and settled. My husband understands my work. He never complains and always supports me quietly, allowing me to concentrate fully on my duties.
My only regret is living so far away from home and spending so little time with you. But having chosen to wear this uniform and defend our maritime frontier, I will shoulder the responsibilities that come with it.
Please don't work too hard at home. Take it easy and look after your health. When I come home on leave next time, let's travel together and see more of our country's beautiful landscapes.
Your loving daughter
September 25, 2026
Behind the letter
Lin Die is one of the few female service members stationed on the reef. To many people, the Nansha Qundao evoke images of blue seas and clear skies. But life on the reefs is far less romantic than it might seem. Those stationed there must contend with high temperatures, humidity and salt, as well as the repetitive routines of training and duty. During her eight years guarding the reefs, Lin has had moments of doubt. Every service member stationed there goes through similar struggles. The reef defenders are not made of steel. They are simply people who choose to persevere a little longer each time they feel like giving up.
Every reef defender carries a few words close to their heart. They might be a mother's reminder, encouragement from a fellow service member or an oath made upon enlistment. The words may differ, but they carry the same weight - a source of inner strength to hold on to in the most difficult moments.
Liang Linfei: Be a good soldier the motherland and its people can count on
Photo: People's Daily Overseas Edition
Mom and Dad,
I hope this letter finds you both well! How are things at home?
At the beginning of this year, I returned to military service. Here in the Nansha Qundao, it feels like summer all year round, but back home, you must be busy with the autumn harvest by now. Thinking of how much work you have to do while I'm more than a thousand kilometers away and unable to help makes my heart ache a little.
Four years ago, I left the military and returned to university to continue my studies. Later, I was admitted to graduate school. You thought I would follow the usual path from there - further study, graduation, a job, marriage and starting a family... But after much soul-searching, I decided to enlist again. You didn't object. Instead, you gave me your wholehearted support. Your understanding has been the greatest source of strength allowing me to serve here with peace of mind.
Ever since I arrived on the reef, you've worried that I might not be able to endure the hardships or cope with the loneliness of life in the Nansha Qundao. But I was mentally prepared, and I've adjusted quite smoothly. Besides, the Nansha Qundao are very different from what they used to be. Transportation and communications have improved, and fresh fruit and vegetables are readily available.
This July, I celebrated my birthday at the unit. When I returned to the dormitory that day and opened the door, I found a steaming bowl of noodles waiting on the table. My fellow service members gathered around, brought out a cake and sang Happy Birthday to me. Back home, whenever it was my birthday, you would make me a bowl of noodles with a fried egg on top, ready for me as soon as I got up. I never imagined that here in the Nansha Qundao, my comrades would remember my birthday or that I'd even get to have a birthday cake. I felt the warmth of family, and it was then that I truly began to put down roots in the Nansha Qundao and regard this place as my second home.
Mom and Dad, whenever I stand at the edge of the reef and gaze across the South China Sea to where the water meets the sky, I think of the endless plains of my hometown. On one side is the maritime frontier I guard day and night; on the other is the home I long for. In my heart, the two gradually come together to form my understanding of family and country. I will hone my skills, stand every watch and fulfill every duty, striving to be a good soldier the motherland and its people can count on.
Yifei
September 6, 2026
Behind the letter
Yifei is Liang Linfei's childhood nickname. A soldier born after 2000, Liang is also a veteran who has enlisted for a second time. In 2022, he completed his service with a unit of the People's Armed Police and returned to university to continue his studies. He was later admitted to graduate school. With a seemingly secure path ahead through education, employment and marriage, he could have chosen a more conventional future. Instead, he opted to return to the uncertainties of military life.
In the Nansha Qundao, many others have made similar choices. In his letter, Liang makes life on the reef sound easy. But improvements in living conditions do not mean that guarding the reefs is no longer difficult. Compared with material hardships, the monotony and loneliness of daily life may be even harder to bear. However, the service members guarding the reefs share an unspoken understanding - tell their families the good news, not the bad. However difficult or exhausting life may be, they want their loved ones far away to have peace of mind.
The sound of the waves never ceases, and each generation passes the torch to the next. The decision of one young man to serve again echoes the answer given by generations of troops guarding the Nansha Qundao: Go where the motherland needs you. Trade the joy of a small family reunion for the lasting peace of countless homes, and plant the ideals of youth firmly in the motherland's blue maritime frontier.
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