Daomu Biji: Wu Xie’s Private Notes

Chapter 19: Transcription of Yongxing Island

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Yongxing Island is also known as "Woody Island" because of the dense forests there. Yongxing Island got its name from the warship that took over the Xisha Islands on November 29, 1946.

Yongxing Island is located at 16 degrees, 50 minutes north latitude and 112 degrees, 20 east longitude. The island is about 1,850 meters long from east to west, about 1,160 meters wide from north to south, and covers an approximate area of 2.1 square kilometers.

It is the largest island in both the Xisha Islands and in the South China Sea. Yongxing Island is flat with an average height of about five meters. There is a large sand dike about 870 meters long and 100 meters wide in the southwest of the island with a maximum height of 8.3 meters.

It is also surrounded by sand banks and has a depression in the middle that was formed after the lagoon dried up. It's convenient to dig a well there to get water, but the water is undrinkable due to the pollution of black manure. Despite this, its still sufficient for washing.

Yongxing Island has a large surface area, lush vegetation, abundant fresh water, no stagnant water in the central lowland, and high sand dikes to block the wind. As a result, this is the most advantageous island in the South China Sea.

Since Yongxing Island happens to be in the middle of the Xisha Islands, it is considered the capital of the Zhongsha Islands in the southwest, and Hainan Province sent a government agency (equivalent to the county level) to reside there.

Yongxing Island is the transportation hub of the Zhongsha Islands in the southwest. It has a modern airport, which can take off and land Boeing 737 aircraft, and the dock can hold five-thousand-ton ships. Other infrastructures and reception facilities are also relatively complete.