Letters from Home in the South China Sea (Nansha Edition) (People's Letters)

Soldiers patrolling at the Nansha reefs.

“Going to the island is like going to the front line, guarding the reef is like holding the position,” this slogan, rich in Nansha characteristics, can be seen everywhere on islands and reefs like Yongshu Reef.

The South China Sea is a vast expanse of blue, dotted with islands and reefs. The islands of the South China Sea include the Dongsha Islands, Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands. China was the first to discover, name, and develop the islands and related waters of the South China Sea, and has exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over the islands and related waters in a peaceful and effective manner for a long time, establishing territorial sovereignty and related rights in the South China Sea. For thousands of years, the Chinese people have cultivated the sea and fished here, sailing back and forth; this blue territory carries the long maritime memory of the Chinese nation.

The Nansha Islands, formerly known as “Wanli Shitang,” are scattered over the blue waves of the South China Sea. This is the southernmost group of islands in the motherland, over 1,000 kilometers away from the mainland, guarding the vital passage between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, with intersecting shipping routes and abundant resources, making it an important gateway to the South China Sea for the motherland.

Since 1988, the People's Navy has been ordered to station in Nansha, guarding and building reefs. The reef platform is isolated in the open sea, with high temperatures, high humidity, and high salinity year-round, strong winds, and rough waves, creating a harsh environment. For more than 30 years, generations of reef guards have taken root between sea and sky, accompanying the waves. As the tides rise and fall, the watch positions remain unchanged; under the sun and salt erosion, their original intentions remain unaltered. They silently endure loneliness, and the solitary reef witnesses their loyalty. The reef guards brave the wind and waves, integrating the Nansha spirit of “loving the motherland, selfless dedication, courageous combat, hard work, and unity” into their blood.

Starting today, “People's Letters” launches the “South China Sea Family Letters” series. This issue, “Nansha Edition,” excerpts letters from the Nansha garrison soldiers to showcase the patriotic feelings and mission of China’s reef guardians, and to appreciate their infinite loyalty to the motherland and firm belief in dedicating themselves to national defense.         

——Editor  

Zhuang Jia:

I really want you to know how beautiful our Nansha sea is.

Zhuang Jia's letter.

My little girl Hehe:

Today is the seventeenth day since Dad went to sea. By now, it has been eighty-nine days since I last held you. I am almost forgetting what it feels like to have your soft little body against my chest.

Since you were born in Hainan last October, you have been traveling with your dad and mom before even reaching your first birthday, which has brought too many inconveniences. We once thought about leaving you at home to be taken care of by your grandparents, but just thinking about how little time we have at home makes it unbearable to be separated from you, even for a moment.

After the vacation, both your mom and I have to return to our posts. We are both soldiers, shouldering responsibilities that must be borne. No matter how reluctant we are, we must return to our posts.

Hehe, you are our softest concern. When I miss you and your mom, I open my phone's photo album and look at your pictures over and over: the way you shake your head, the way you smile with your two little teeth showing... I can never get tired of looking at them. I always carry a photo of our little family in my pocket. When I work late into the night and feel heavy all over, I take it out to look at it, and I feel re-energized. Sometimes when I’m on duty at night and look up at the starry sky, thinking of you sleeping soundly at home, I feel that my perseverance has gained more meaning.

There are so many things I want to say to you. I hope that one day when you can read, you will open this letter sent back from Nansha and feel the unconditional love your dad and mom have for you. Lastly, I apologize for not being able to accompany you for your first birthday. I promise to make it up to you next time I come home. Happy first birthday to my precious daughter! (Also, I really want you to know how beautiful our Nansha sea is!)

Dear Dad, written in Nansha

October 30, 2026

▶▶▶Behind the Family Letter

Zhuang Jia was transferred to Nansha in 2019, and his wife is also a soldier. The couple guards Nansha together. Later, his wife continued to pursue a doctoral degree while he remained in Nansha.

This letter was written by Zhuang Jia during a voyage when communication was completely cut off, addressed to his daughter who was not yet one year old. At the time of writing, the child could not read. He said he did not expect his daughter to understand it now; he just wanted to condense the fatherly love he could not share with her into words, to be preserved by time. One day in the future, when his daughter opens this letter, she will see that she has never lacked a deep love.

The difficulties of a dual-soldier family are well understood by both husband and wife. Wearing the military uniform means choosing a heavy responsibility, inevitably missing many irreplaceable firsts in their child's growth, leaving regrets. But he and his wife remain firm in their hearts: the country comes first, then the family; guarding the motherland's maritime territory ensures the peace of countless homes.

Every defender in Nansha harbors a distant concern in their hearts. Under the same starry sea, countless coastal defense soldiers are rooted in their posts, guarding day and night. They miss the warm reunions in front of their own windows, but their steadfastness brings peace to thousands of households.

XU Yuhua:

A soldier has his own pursuit of value.

XU Yuhua's letter.

Li:

With the Spring Festival approaching, how is everything at home?

Time flies. I have been on the reef for more than half a month now. Everything is fine here, so there’s no need to worry. I just often miss my family back home. As the ancients said, “Every festive season makes one miss their loved ones more.” Throughout the year, the most important time is probably the reunion night on New Year's Eve. In my hometown, families are likely preparing for the New Year’s goods, while those far away are getting ready to return home. Yet here I am, on a lonely island in the vast sea, unable to send even a few words back, let alone reunite with my family, leaving my wife and daughter at home to keep vigil. Thinking of this fills me with guilt, knowing I owe my family so much. But a soldier has his own pursuit of value, and these are unavoidable. I believe, as a soldier's wife, you would understand me. Li, I really miss you right now. If all goes well, you might receive this letter during the Spring Festival. This can be considered my early New Year’s greeting and blessing to you. I wish you a happy Spring Festival and a prosperous New Year! (I heard that the Guangzhou fishery administration ship might change shifts early and return to Guangzhou for the Spring Festival, so I wrote this letter in advance, hoping it reaches you before the festival.)

Yuhua    

January 6, 1998

▶▶▶Behind the Family Letter

In the 1990s, transportation to Nansha was inconvenient. The reef guards relied mainly on military satellite phones and letters for external communication. A letter could take months to reach its destination, and if any link in the process went wrong, it could be lost. Therefore, every family letter was particularly precious to the soldiers in Nansha.

This family letter was written by veteran Xu Yuhua in 1998. After being on the reef for more than half a month, he heard that a ship might return to Guangzhou early for the Spring Festival, so he hurriedly wrote a letter to be delivered to his wife, hoping she would receive it before the festival. This letter is short, without flowery language, only simple concern, serving as a special New Year gift for his family.

Since first going to the reef in 1995, Xu Yuhua has guarded Nansha for 27 years. Every year when he returns home on leave, he brings back some sunflowers from the islands for his daughter Xu Qiwei and often tells her stories about Nansha. Growing up listening to these stories, Xu Qiwei developed a special affection for Nansha. In the summer of 2019, after graduating from military school, Xu Qiwei followed in her father's footsteps to Yongshu Reef and became a reef guard. “Dad, it was only when I came here that I understood you...” Xu Qiwei said.

The phrase “guarding and loving the reef” is like a sunflower, taking root in the hearts of many “old Nansha people” and blooming in the hearts of the “new Nansha people.”

Lin Die:

Learned to persevere and understand the meaning of “responsibility.”

Dear Mom and Dad:

How is everything at home lately? The weather is getting cooler, so please remember to keep warm when you go out. The island has summer-like weather all year round, and everything is normal here; my work and life are stable, so don’t worry.

Counting it up, I have been guarding the coastal defense for 8 years. When I first arrived, I was still inexperienced, but now military life has become the norm. The island is hot and humid year-round, and the work is repetitive and trivial. Sometimes when I’m tired from training, I feel bored and exhausted. But every time I feel like I can’t hold on anymore, I always remember what Mom often says: “If it’s hard, think of the Long March of 25,000 miles; if it’s tiring, think of the old Red Army veterans.” For so many years, this saying has been etched in my heart. Compared to the hardships and paths endured by the predecessors, guarding this piece of coastal defense and my post is nothing. It is also this saying that has supported me time and again to walk steadily to today.

Since getting married last year, my mindset has stabilized a lot. My husband understands my work very well, never complains, and silently supports me, allowing me to focus on doing my job well. After 8 years in the military, I have grown a lot; I am no longer the spoiled and willful girl I used to be. I have learned to persevere and understand the meaning of “responsibility.”

The only regret is being too far from home and spending too little time with you. But since I chose this military uniform and the duty of guarding the coastal defense, I will shoulder my responsibilities. With your reminders and Mom’s words in my heart, I have endless motivation to keep going.

You don’t need to worry too much at home; relax and take care of your health. When I next take leave, let’s go see the beautiful mountains and rivers of our motherland together.

Your loving daughter

September 25, 2026

▶▶▶Behind the Family Letter

Lin Die is one of the few female soldiers on the reef. Many people see the blue sea and sky of the Nansha islands, but life on the reef is not as romantic as imagined—reef guards face high temperatures, high salinity, and high humidity, with repetitive training and duties day after day. After guarding the reef for 8 years, Lin Die has also had her moments of doubt; every soldier on the reef has gone through this process. Reef guards are not made of steel; they simply choose to persevere when they feel like giving up.

Every reef guard has a saying in their heart. It may be a mother’s reminder, a comrade’s encouragement, or a vow made upon enlistment. They come in different forms but carry the same weight—that is a spiritual lifeline one can hold onto in the most difficult moments.

Young people come here, seasoned by the sea breeze and tempered by the scorching sun, leaving their youth on the shore and writing their steadfastness into the reef. Lin Die’s growth is a reflection of generations of Nansha soldiers.

Liang Linfei:

To be a good soldier that reassures the motherland and the people.

Liang Linfei's letter.

Mom and Dad:

Seeing this letter feels like seeing you! How is everything at home?

At the beginning of this year, I stepped back into the military camp. Nansha is summer all year round, but back home, it should be busy with the autumn harvest. Thinking of how busy you are, while I am far away and unable to help, makes my heart feel a bit sour.

Four years ago, I was discharged and returned to university to continue my studies, later passing the entrance exam for graduate school. You thought I would follow a steady path of further education, graduation, work, and starting a family... However, after some internal struggle, I decided to return to the military. You didn’t oppose it; instead, you fully supported me. This understanding is my greatest motivation to guard our coastal territory with peace of mind.

After arriving at the reef, you were always worried that I wouldn’t be able to endure the hardships of Nansha or the loneliness. I understand where your concerns come from; I first served in Shanghai, and now I’m on the Nansha islands. Actually, I was mentally prepared and adapted smoothly. Moreover, Nansha is no longer what it used to be; transportation, signals, and fresh produce are all available.

This July, I celebrated my birthday at the unit. When I returned to the dorm that day, I opened the door to find a bowl of steaming noodles on the table. My comrades gathered around, brought out a cake, and sang me a birthday song. Back home, every time it was my birthday, you would cook a bowl of noodles and add a fried egg, so I could eat it as soon as I got up. I didn’t expect that in Nansha, my comrades would remember my birthday and I could have a birthday cake. I felt the warmth of family and truly rooted myself in Nansha, treating it as my second home.

Mom and Dad, whenever I stand by the reef and look out at the South China Sea where the sky meets the water, I always think of the endless plains of my hometown. On one side is the sea territory I guard day and night, and on the other is the hometown I long for; they gradually overlap in my heart to form the image of home and country. I will hone my skills, stand my post well, do what I should do, and be a good soldier that reassures the motherland and the people.

The waters of Nansha are clear and beautiful, but you have yet to see the sea. When I take leave, I will definitely take you out of the countryside to see the beautiful coastal territory of our motherland.

Yi Fei 

September 6, 2026

▶▶▶Behind the Family Letter

Yi Fei is Liang Linfei's nickname. This post-2000 new soldier is also a “veteran” who has re-enlisted. In 2022, Liang Linfei was discharged from a certain squad of the armed police and returned to campus to continue his studies, later successfully passing the entrance exam for graduate school. He could have followed a stable path of studying, working, and starting a family, but he chose the military life filled with uncertainties over the visible future.

In Nansha, there are many others like Liang Linfei who have made similar choices: some have given up job opportunities in big cities, some have said goodbye to newborn children, and some have repeatedly postponed wedding plans. They could have taken an easier path, but they all chose to go deeper into the blue waves—some places need someone to guard; some things need someone to do.

In his letter, he describes life on the reef as quite easy, but hardware improvements do not mean that guarding the reef is not tough. Compared to material hardships, the monotony and loneliness of day-to-day life may be even harder to endure. For this, the reef guards share an unspoken understanding—report good news, not bad; no matter how tough or tiring it gets, they must reassure their distant loved ones.

The sound of the waves continues year after year, and youth is passed down through generations. A young person's renewed choice is also a common answer from generations of Nansha soldiers: go where the motherland needs you, exchange personal reunions for the long-lasting peace of countless homes, and firmly root passionate ideals in the blue territory of the motherland.

Planning: Li Fang  

Strategy: Xiong Jian, Yi Wenqiang  

Editor: Wang Meihua  

All images in this edition are provided by the Nansha garrison, and the letters are collected and organized by Huang Xinlong. Special thanks.