Exploring Changtu Naval Port on September 18th
This is a clickbait article, and there are absolutely no military secrets in the text. I chose this sensational title simply because I happened to visit Changtu Naval Port amidst the air raid sirens on September 18th. Of course, I didn’t discover any military secrets either, and I can’t talk about the ordinary things I saw here. Protecting military secrets is everyone’s responsibility.
After an 80-minute ferry ride from Zhoushan Sanjiang Wharf, you arrive at Changtu Town in the eastern part of the Zhoushan Archipelago. Changtu Town consists of Big Changtu Island, Small Changtu Island, and several smaller islands. Big and Small Changtu Islands are separated by a bay, with a 5-minute ferry ride between them. Big Changtu Island is about 50 square kilometers, and Small Changtu Island is about 10 square kilometers. Changtu Island has typical island topography, with barren mountains and wild forests in the middle, where a group of free-range goats occasionally appears. Along the river, there are narrow plains with houses, roads, and shops. Extending further towards the sea are passenger and cargo terminals, shipyards, etc. The island lacks land and water, so there is almost no planting or animal husbandry. Agricultural products are mainly supplied through Daishan and Zhoushan main island.
The indigenous population of Changtu Town is about 8,000, mainly living on Small Changtu Island. They rely on traditional industries such as ocean squid fishing, offshore crab catching, offshore small yellow croaker farming, and seawall shrimp farming. However, in recent years, like most villages in China, young people in Changtu have begun to leave, and once they leave, they don’t come back. The hollowing out is becoming more and more serious. Few people live in the several natural villages on Big and Small Changtu. In a village on Big Changtu that originally had more than 200 households, only 8 elderly households remain. Smaller villages have become hollow villages. Outsiders who come and see these natural villages facing the sea can’t help but sigh, “It’s a pity that no one lives in such beautiful villages.” But it is an inevitable trend of the times for the younger generation to move to large cities on land with more opportunities and better living conditions. The countryside is just a sustenance of nostalgia for those who have come out of the countryside, and should not become a shackle to yearning for a better life.
While Changtu people are moving out, Jinhaiwan Shipbuilding Company, invested and built by HNA Group on Small Changtu, has injected fresh vitality into the small island. Local officials introduced that at its peak, Jinhaiwan had 30,000 employees from 28 provinces and 56 ethnic groups in China living and working on the island, bringing huge consumption power to the small island. Due to multiple factors such as the current trade war, the decline of the shipbuilding industry, and the crisis of the Shanghai HNA system, Jinhaiwan’s industry has declined sharply since last year. Currently, there are less than 3,000 employees working on the island, and the income of indigenous people who provide food, clothing, housing, and transportation services for industrial workers has decreased significantly. On the way to visit the Jinhaiwan factory, news pushed that HNA founder Chen Feng was restricted from high consumption and could not even take HNA’s own planes. Local officials said that Mr. Chen was able to found HNA from the barren Hainan Island at that time and grow it into a giant, and he will definitely be able to lead HNA through this crisis. Jinhaiwan is still their important support object. The town has limited financial and power resources, but they will continue to serve Jinhaiwan well, especially the industrial workers of HNA. Keep the industrial workers, and Jinhaiwan has a future, and the small island has hope. Old Changtu people have gone out, and new Changtu people are coming in.
Islands around Changtu Island, such as Putuo Island, Dongji Island, Shengsi Islands, and Xiaomei Mountain, have all become internet-famous scenic spots, but the tourism industry of Changtu Island, which is in the core position, has not yet developed. However, the small island has rich tourism resources, especially special military themes. From the three sisters fighting against Japanese pirates (maybe domestic pirates) in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Sun Yat-sen sending umbrellas to Xiaoheitan, the Kuomintang retreating to Taiwan and grabbing men, the original singing place of “Night at the Naval Port”, to the important naval port of the East Sea Fleet today, Changtu Island is rich in military materials. Anti-Japanese pirate monuments, abandoned military camps, and submarine bases can all serve as important places for future military study tours. In addition, there are also natural and cultural attractions on the island such as the China Reef Museum, Niangji Palace, Xiangbi Islet, and Chuandeng Temple. This is also the hometown of Chinese small yellow croaker and has rich fishery resources. It is completely possible to create an island-style tour integrating natural sightseeing, shipbuilding industry, and military themes.
On the ferry from Changtu to Sanjiang Wharf
Published at: Sep 18, 2020 · Modified at: Dec 2, 2025
