In the north of the village stands a 20-square-meter house whose owner is Fu Cefa, a single fisherman. Fu Cefa started fishing on Yongxing Island in 2004 and has been living here ever since. In 2008, he spent 200,000 yuan on a glass/bronze fishing boat. Unfortunately, the boat was wrecked by a typhoon two months ago after merely four years of use despite a 10-year warranty. He is now waiting for compensation from the insurance company.

Fu Cefa dries fish in the sun.

Fu doesn’t drink or gamble. Nor does he read as he only finished primary school. Watching TV and making small talk are his main forms of entertainment. His wife and four children are living back in his hometown, Wenchang. “I rarely go back home to see them, only 2 to 3 times a year as the trip is expensive.”

Fu Qing, aged 27, and Zhu Yang, aged 25, are newlyweds. Following in the footsteps of their uncles and aunts, they came to the island a little over a year ago. Without much skills or education, Fu decided that fishing is the best choice for his family. This summer, their 6-year-old daughter, Fu Wendie, visited them on the island. After the establishment of Sansha City, this young couple is looking forward to settling down here forever.

Fu Qing, aged 27, has been living on Xisha Islands for 10 years.

Living at the north of Yongxing Village are immigrant fishermen from Tanmen Town. Most of the houses are made of wood. The smaller ones are only two square meters in size. Fu Mingzhai, a local villager, reveals that they fish both in deep water and shallow water. Since 2009, his wife, Chen Aiqun, has been keeping him company on the island. They have two daughters, Fu Xiaohua, aged 15, and Fu Zhongwen, aged 9, who will visit them during summer vacations. The elder one is now working part-time in Yongxing. The younger one, who is a well-behaved child, was helping her father shave when I dropped by this morning.

Zheng Youbo and his wife prepare lunch.

Zheng Youbo, a 54-year-old fisherman, has been living in the village for over 20 years, making him a “senior villager”. His wife Zheng Jvjiang is now 53 years old. Fishing around the Xisha Islands all their life, they have decided to settle down here permanently.