The Paracel Islands have always been shrouded in mystery to inland readers. Due to the difficulty of landing on the island, there was little media coverage. In people's imagination, Xisha may be a "paradise" with blue sea and blue sky, birds chirping and fish playing, but in fact, "the scorching sun shines in the head, typhoons often hit, there is a lack of vegetables all year round, and daily reports are made every month". A true portrayal of Xisha. A few days ago, a reporter from the Workers' Daily accompanied the Hainan Provincial Federation of Trade Unions' condolence delegation and conducted several days of interviews on Woody Island, the largest island in the Paracel Islands. Yongxing Island, with an area of ??only 2.1 square kilometers, is the largest island among the South China Sea Islands in my country. It is also the transportation hub of the South China Sea Islands and the administrative, military, economic and cultural center of the West, South and Zhongsha Islands. It is also the center of China* **The residence of Hainan Province Southwest Zhongsha Islands Working Committee and Hainan Province Southwest Zhongsha Islands Office.

Green vegetables:

The rarest thing in the Xisha Islands

At 7 a.m., the "Qiongsha No. 3" supply ship aboard the reporter arrived at Yongxing in the Xisha Islands island.

Due to the impact of the typhoon, the arrival time of "Qiongsha No. 3" has been delayed for 40 days. At this time, the officers and soldiers on the island were on the verge of "running out of food and water," especially vegetables. As early as a month ago, the officers and soldiers no longer saw the shadow of fresh vegetables.

This is the first day when supply ships bring fresh water, food, vegetables and various daily necessities. It is also the day when the officers and soldiers on the island are in the happiest mood and have the richest meals.

Duan Yinhuo, the commander of a certain army stationed on the island, invited us to dinner at the best restaurant in Xisha, the Xisha Hotel.

After the ribs, beef, fish, meatballs, etc. were gradually served, a plate of green, crisp and tender lettuce and a plate of water spinach "appeared".

At this time, the usually heroic officers and soldiers suddenly became gentlemen: "You should eat first. The ulcer at the corner of your mouth is getting worse. You should eat more." "No, you should go first." Eat, your gums are bleeding badly." "Heh, let's eat together..."

The officers and soldiers raised their chopsticks tremblingly and picked up the oil and wheat as if they were fragile items. Pick up the vegetable gently, put it under your nose and smell it deeply for a few times, then put the lettuce into your mouth with a satisfied smile and start chewing it carefully.

“Whenever a typhoon rages, our vegetable supply will turn on a red light.” Zhou Yongsheng, director of the political department of a military unit stationed on the island, said helplessly.

At this time, the life of the officers and soldiers stationed on the island becomes even more difficult. They cannot eat fresh vegetables for a month or two, and can only eat canned vegetables, pickles and vitamin pills.

Many officers and soldiers cannot eat fresh vegetables all year round, resulting in massive gum bleeding, oral ulcers, crotch ulcers, and yellow complexions...

Celery, lettuce, water spinach, lettuce... these It is the most common vegetable among ordinary people, and in Xisha, the officers and soldiers must have a bite of fresh vegetables every day, which is their most luxurious diet.

Zhou Yongsheng said that no matter who the officers and soldiers on the island leave to visit relatives or perform missions, they will bring back a special gift - soil, one by one, and put it next to the camp, and over time it will become a pile. A vegetable plot, this vegetable plot is a "hybrid" of soil from more than 20 provinces and cities across the country.

A soldier named Zhan Jianlin planted several green broccoli plants in this vegetable field. The soldiers took care of these broccoli plants every day as if they were taking care of children. .

“But it’s much better now.” Zhou Yongsheng told us that in February this year, the Ministry of Science and Technology invested 40 million yuan in advance to establish a 2,000-square-meter “National Ministry of Science and Technology Island Vegetable Production Technology” on Yongxing Island. Demonstration Base".

Typhoon:

The "most feared" of the islanders

Yongxing Island is located in the tropics and has a tropical maritime monsoon climate, which is hot and humid all year round. According to statistics, the annual average temperature is 25.6 degrees Celsius, the annual rainfall is 1481.3 mm, the normal wind direction is northeast; the strong wind direction is southwest. The northeast monsoon period is from September to February of the following year, with maximum wind strength of level 6 to 7. March to April is the transition period between northeast and southwest winds, and May to September is the typhoon-prone season.

Typhoons are what the soldiers and civilians stationed on the Paracel Islands fear most. As long as there is a typhoon, supply ships will not be able to reach the island, and the soldiers and civilians on the island will be short of water and food.

Liang Shaoqun, vice chairman of the Southwest China-Saudi Arabia Working Committee Trade Union who accompanied the interview, said: "You came at the wrong time. Usually the coconut trees are full of coconuts, but now the trees are bare and there are no coconuts at all. This Blame the island's fickle typhoons.

Generally speaking, the typhoon season is from June to September, but who would have expected that there was a powerful typhoon in December last year, which seriously affected the coconut trees and they have not been able to bear fruit until now. ”

He told reporters a thrilling scene of wind and disaster relief: Typhoon "Ute" quietly attacked Zhaoshu Island while the islanders were sleeping. In an instant, 98 fishermen built 50 simple houses. Houses were swallowed up by the typhoon, and all the rice and food stored in the island were soaked by the sea water. At this time, the fishermen on the island had no shelter from the wind and rain, and they were also in need of food, fresh water and other daily necessities. Most fishermen had been dripping water for more than 40 consecutive hours. Not entered.

“The soldiers and civilians on the island are like coconut trees. They were not originally found on the island, but once they were there, they were able to stick to it, no matter how big the typhoon was or how bad the conditions were! "Liang Shaoqun seemed to be talking to himself or to reporters.

Tsui:

The desire of the officers and soldiers stationed on the island

"What I want most now is All he did was take a nice bath. "After a day of intense interviews, the high temperature, high humidity, and high salt weather on the island made the reporters feel sticky.

"What do you mean by this? After a day of training, the officers and soldiers on the island will Like a hawthorn that fell into a sugar pan and turned into a candied haws - I felt uncomfortable all over. Duan Yinhuo, the commander of a certain unit stationed on the island, used this metaphor to vividly describe the difficult living conditions of the officers and soldiers every day.

“Oh my God! Why does this water smell like this? After washing, it means that I haven’t washed it. My whole body is still sticky..." Xiao Wu, an intern, shouted loudly.

It turns out that the bath water we used was secretly collected on the island The officers and soldiers called the well water "yin and yang water"

The Xisha Islands are more than 180 nautical miles away from Hainan Island, and transportation is very inconvenient. Water, food and transportation were the three major problems that troubled the lives of the officers and soldiers stationed on the islands. Difficulties. The officers and soldiers on the island have long relied on mainland shipping for their daily water. Sometimes affected by cold waves and typhoons, the officers and soldiers stationed on the island often face severe challenges of water shortage and water shortage.

The politics and economy of the Central and South Paracel Islands. , cultural and military center - Yongxing Island, with a flat terrain, with an average height of about 5 meters, is also surrounded by sand embankments, and the middle is a low depression.

For this reason, Yongxing Island was dug. It is convenient to get water from the well and the water is sufficient. However, due to the pollution of bird droppings on the island and the penetration of seawater, the water from the well is somewhere between seawater and fresh water. It is sweet or not, salty or not, and is accompanied by a strong smell of earth. The name "yin and yang water" comes from this. After bathing in this kind of well water, many people will experience skin itching.

Water - healthy fresh water, is still eternal. One of the most urgent desires of the officers and soldiers on Xingdao is that many of them suffer from gastrointestinal diseases such as kidney stones, stomach stones, and intestinal stones due to long-term drinking of "yin and yang water". The fresh water transported from Hainan is also stored for too long, and the rainwater is contaminated by impurities and bacteria in the air and ground. Many people feel uncomfortable after drinking it, and even cause diarrhea. "Speaking of this, his tone became more and more solemn.

Now, some officers and soldiers on the island often feel a slight pain in their stomachs when they get up every morning, and they have to go to the toilet four or five times a day. It's not surprising.

In fact, every officer and soldier stationed on the island knows that this has something to do with long-term drinking of "yin and yang water".

Even so. , the officers and soldiers are still holding on to this island without any regrets.

Xisha, beautiful and mysterious, consists of 34 islands, shoals and reefs. It is an inseparable part of our country’s territory and has always been our country’s territory. Military fortress positions. Naval garrison troops are stationed on Dongdao and Zhongjian Island in the Paracel Islands.

Because they are far away from the mainland, the islands lack fresh water and vegetables. In the South China Sea, which is "the end of the sea and the edge of the sky", they have overcome hardships that are unimaginable to ordinary people. They built islands on isolated islands, making the islands their home and enjoying their lives. , there are hardships and bitterness, but also happiness and joy.

I look forward to a letter from home most

"The island is closed for two to three months, and a letter from home is worth ten thousand dollars." It is extremely inconvenient, and the supply ships sometimes arrive once a month or two due to weather conditions. When typhoons occur frequently, it is common for ships not to arrive for three months. The Xisha Islands are dotted on the vast blue waves of the South China Sea. Almost "isolated" from the outside world, what the officers and soldiers look forward to most in their lives are letters from far away.

Letter from home is the emotional link between officers and soldiers to connect with relatives and friends, and is also one of the main ways for them to obtain information from the outside world. Therefore, officers and soldiers have special feelings for it.

A specific environment can create a special character. On the small island of Xisha, the officers and soldiers guarding the island seem to have no personal privacy at all. No matter who writes the letter, whether it is a letter from home or a love letter, they will disclose the content. Everyone shares the joy and pain of their comrades.

After a typhoon, a veteran of China Construction Island received three telegrams at the same time. These three telegrams were sent from his hometown one and a half months apart.

The first letter: Mother is seriously ill.

Second letter: Mother is critically ill.

The third letter: Mother died of illness.

After reading the first letter, everyone’s faces grew long; after reading the second letter, no one said a word; after reading the third letter, everyone bowed their heads and cried... .

Due to transportation reasons, it is very inconvenient to send and receive letters on Xisha Island. One year before the Spring Festival, a ship went to Zhongjian Island to deliver New Year's goods to the officers and soldiers, including fresh rice, flour, meat, fruits, firecrackers... everything. When the ship was unloaded, the officers and soldiers on the island asked the captain: "Where are the letters and newspapers this time?" This question confused the captain. It turned out that before setting sail, the officers and soldiers on the ship were all so busy loading the island's New Year's goods that they forgot to go to the post office to pick up their letters. After hearing what the captain said, the excitement of unloading the ship was gone, and the faces of the officers and soldiers on the island immediately turned from sunny to gloomy. At noon that day, no one had a good meal. Yes, how can we not make people anxious? I only came on this boat once a year ago. When will I receive letters from home next year? !

At the beginning of the new year, I went to the supply ship for the first time and brought all the letters sent from the officers and soldiers’ homes since October last year. They were all overjoyed. A veteran who had been in the army for 6 years received 18 letters from home at once. However, he did not read the letters all at once, but read one letter a day. He said: "The officers and soldiers on the island all read letters like this. This is called a spiritual 'continuous dinner'. If you read all the letters in one day, you have to wait for several months to receive so many letters. That's a lot of money." It’s boring!”

The saddest love break

The living conditions of Xisha officers and soldiers are affected by the geographical environment, and their love and marriage are also ruthlessly restricted by time and space. Many of them have just sprouted. The seedlings of love died prematurely in the vast sea. Former Vice Captain Yin of the Zhongjian Island Defense Team is a young man who is outspoken and has some pioneering ideas. My uncle is the head of a county, and my father and brother are also in leadership positions in relevant county departments. After graduating from college, despite the opposition of his relatives and friends, he insisted on being assigned to the island army with difficult conditions. For this reason, he broke up with his girlfriend. Soon, Vice Captain Yin returned to his hometown to visit relatives and became friends with a female classmate from middle school. During the vacation, the two of them climbed mountains, watched movies, talked about ideals and life together, and they were very speculative. Soon, he returned to the army happily. He put down all the burdens in his mind and focused on his work. He often fell asleep at night holding the photos of "Hunan girls".

After waiting for a long time, the supply ship finally arrived, and a group of swan geese also flew with it. Vice Captain Yin saw her letter at a glance. The girl wrote 4 pieces of paper densely and elegantly. When he looked at the signature, he saw that it was written more than two months ago. He was very anxious and wrote back with explanations and confessions. However, he never received a reply from the girl again.

Vice Captain Yin understands the girl very well, "It takes more than three months from sending to receiving the letter. Who nowadays can bear this loneliness?"

Shou The success rate of love among island officers and soldiers is very low. There are still many older officers and non-commissioned officers who have still not found a partner. Some have been "lit" four or five times, and some have barely "made do" with a couple. As a result, they have added new difficulties to their future family life. trouble. Whenever they received a letter blowing the lamp, their hands holding the letter devoutly would tremble and they would clutch the letter tightly, with painful tears welling up in their eyes. These men, who seem to be able to survive just by eating grass, cannot make them succumb to loneliness, and the wind and waves cannot make them bow their heads. However, this thin page of letter can hurt their originally affectionate hearts.

On the small island of Xisha, no matter who is broken up in love, they can only say lightly to their comrades, "We are broken up!" They are afraid that their bad mood will infect their comrades.

What depression these three words conceal! In the face of broken love, officers and soldiers will not feel inferior. They have a famous saying: Those who do not love Xisha are not worthy of my love!

My favorite song is to sing military songs

“Being a soldier is hard, being a soldier is joyful, and I live my days singing as a soldier.” Singing, as a regular cultural activity of the army, has always been to improve combat effectiveness. important means. However, in Xisha, in addition to improving combat effectiveness, singing is also an important measure to improve the aesthetic and artistic accomplishments of officers and soldiers.

In March 2004, the "Haiyun" choir was officially established in Xisha. For a group of officers and soldiers who still don't know what harmony is, Officer Yao from the Publicity Section, who once studied in the Choral Conducting Department of Central China Normal University, bravely shouldered the heavy responsibility and served as the captain of the chorus. A month later, when the first three-part chorus "Ocean, Hometown" was successfully rehearsed, many team members lamented that they simply couldn't believe their ears. They didn't expect that several different sounds intertwined together could be so beautiful and harmonious. .

On July 1 of that year, the "Haiyun" choir's "Under the Bright Sun" "July 1" concert kicked off at the Xisha Navy Auditorium. More than 40 chorus members took to the stage for the first time. Accept the review of all officers and soldiers. When the music sounded, all the soldiers were full of passion and their voices were full of emotion. The 12 songs were performed by the chorus members, which mesmerized the audience. Amidst the bursts of applause, many officers and soldiers suddenly realized that military songs can not only be shouted and sung.

In fact, the role of the chorus goes far beyond that. Each chorus member is like a seed sown to each unit in the Marine Police District, which has greatly improved the singing level of each company. Therefore, Many unique island stars and singing groups have emerged. From then on, every singing competition has changed from the original one of more people and more voices, to a slight one of timbre, pitch and artistic processing.

Xisha’s life is like a song, either passionate or soothing. Driven by the singing, the officers and soldiers began to try to write their own lyrics and music, and sing their own songs with Xisha characteristics. As a result, a large number of songs reflecting the battle and life in Xisha, such as "Song of the Sentinels at the End of the World", "Unforgettable Xisha", and "Xisha Female Soldiers", were sung in Xisha.

Most like to surf the Internet

“The setting sun on an isolated island, isolated from the world.” This is how most people living in metropolitan areas understand the Paracel Islands, located in the vast South China Sea. Today, the old problem of information blockage in Xisha has been greatly improved.

Chen Tianhong, a fourth-level sergeant in a tank company in Xisha, has been guarding Xisha Island since he became a soldier. Although he is handsome, he has always been a loser in love. In early July, the "Lamp Blowing King" who had failed in more than ten relationships finally became a groom and stepped onto the bright red carpet hand in hand with a primary school teacher. Chen Tianhong, who is immersed in the happiness and sweetness of marriage, said: "What makes us very excited and happy is that with the opening of the Xisha submarine optical cable, the officers and soldiers stationed on the island have become the southernmost end users of the military political and industrial network. From then on, Xisha is isolated overseas. Like mainland cities, the islands will also enter the online world and embark on the information communication highway."

The Xisha Islands are far away from the mainland and have little information. For many years, the only channels for officers and soldiers to obtain information were through satellite television programs and newspapers and magazines that were received only a few times a month. Lack of information and lack of understanding of the outside world have become the biggest obstacles for officers and soldiers to communicate with the outside world. The number of older young people like Chen Tianhong who are unmarried and those who frequently fall in love are also increasing year by year.

In order to speed up the informatization construction of the Xisha Islands, under the direct care of the naval headquarters, commanders and agencies, the troops stationed on the island successfully launched the "Army Political Work Network" on the Xisha Islands. Turn on your computer, launch your browser, and type in the URL. The page of "China Military Network" immediately appeared in front of us: 14 news channels such as Today's News and China's Military, with fresh content and rich information; more than 20 columns such as Military Salon, Military Netizens, Military Pictures, and Military Culture were dazzling. Officers and soldiers can browse various information online; they can also slowly read "essays", "novel" and literary works; they can also turn on "multimedia" to listen to military songs, watch film and television works and opera sketches. Nowadays, the Internet has closely connected Xisha officers and soldiers with modern society and comrades in the entire army, achieving zero-distance contact with big cities, completely changing the island's history of information occlusion and lag, and improving the spiritual life of the officers and soldiers guarding the island. brought the gospel.

On the basis that the network can reach the islands, the island-defending troops have also invested a lot of money to build electronic network rooms for each island and grassroots companies, so that officers and soldiers can browse, learn, communicate and communicate online every day. Entertainment, roaming in the Internet, the officers and soldiers seem to have been released from the small island physically and mentally. There is no longer the loneliness of the island, no longer the isolation of the "Utopia", but only the pace and determination to move forward with the times. confidence!

Chen Tianhong said: "If the Internet had been connected to Xisha a few years earlier, my son, the "Lamp Blowing King", would have been able to make soy sauce!"