Sentries salute as the national flag is raised in a solemn ceremony, every morning on Kaishan Island, Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.[Photo provided by Deng Hua/Li Bo/Lyu Shuai/Xinhua]
About 22 kilometers from the Yanwei port in Guanyun county, Lianyungang, East China’s Jiangsu province, Kaishan Island, the size of about two soccer fields, is an outpost in the Yellow Sea.
The distant island has become known after the touching story of a couple — Wang Jicai and Wang Shihua — guarding the island for more than three decades hit national headlines in the early 2010s.
Their job since 1986 may have been one of the loneliest and toughest jobs in the world.
In the early years, there was no fresh water, electricity or trees, but fierce winds.
The couple raised the national flag every day on the island, monitored sea and air conditions, rescued people in the sea, and kept the coastal defense log.
The couple’s story was covered by reporters in 2011, and they have received multiple awards.
In 2014, they were recognized by the government for setting a model example.
In 2018, at the age of 58, Wang Jicai died suddenly while on duty, two weeks after the 32nd anniversary of his arrival on the island.
He was posthumously awarded the title of outstanding Communist Party member of the nation, and in 2019 was honored with a “National Role Model” title.
Wang Shihua has vowed to continue her husband’s work and applied for the position left vacant by her late husband. She is now the honorary head of the Kaishan Island sentry station.
Today, young members from the militia sentry team continue to stand guard on Kaishan Island. Clusters of small flowers bloom defiantly in the rock crevices.
Over the years, conditions have improved on the island. Solar energy and wind power generate electricity, and television, air conditioning and other household appliances are available. The barracks have been renovated and equipped with bathrooms.
In June 2019, a smart microgrid system and a seawater desalination system were built and the sentries were able to bid farewell to a long history of relying on weather for electricity, and rain for water.
The situation on the island may have changed dramatically, but the team keeps the same daily military-style routine that was kept by the couple.
“At present, the island is guarded in four shifts, with three people per shift, for 15 days each time,” Sun Cundong, one of the sentries, says.
“The first thing the island guards do every morning is to line up at the National Flag Square for the flag-raising ceremony. After raising the flag, we line up to patrol the island, checking for any anomalies in the surrounding waters.”
Today, many young people stand firm on the front line of this island, carrying forward the spirit of patriotism and dedication.
The island also serves as a patriotic education center.