When you step off the airplane at Tungsha landing field at noon a blinding flash of light dazzles your eyes. As they slowly adjust to the light, a lush, green landscape and row after row of modern buildings appear before you.
"Is this really Tungsha?" You used to think it was a barren little island covered with wild grass.
According to an old reporter along on the trip, Tungsha was once a desolate place, with little more than squat metal shacks, coal oil lamps, dirt roads, and muddy wells.
Like a change of scenery on stage, the picture is completely different now, one of brand-new steel and concrete buildings, smooth asphalt roads, underground engineering, and a new 24-hour electric generating station. . . .
For the past twenty-some years, the garrison troops stationed on the island, like relay runners passing on the baton, have created the progress so evident today.
Tungsha, located in the South China Sea some 240 nautical miles from Kaohsiung, is 2,800 meters long by 865 meters wide, and covers an area of two square kilometers: you can walk around it in about an hour and a half. It's flat, covered with soft, white sand, and surrounded by a coral reef.
Because of its strategic location, Tungsha has been a military outpost since 1925. Its weather station, equipped with a computer system and a broadcasting tower, plays a vital role in providing ships and airplanes in and over the South China Sea with accurate meteorological information.
Because transportation to the island is difficult, the troops stationed there are attempting to grow fruits and vegetables and raise livestock in the hopes of eventually achieving self-sufficiency.
The island also plays an important part in protecting fishermen in the area, providing first aid, repair, and rescue. A "fishermen's hostel" has recently been completed to offer a port of refuge for beleaguered sailors.
Wave after wave of soldiers have come and gone, leaving behind a more flourishing, stronger, and useful island.
What hasn't changed is the invigorating sea air, the sugary white sand, and the proud, bright ROC flag snapping smartly in the wind.
[Picture Caption]
The stone tablet beside the beautiful beach records Tungsha's historical origins.
The quiet atmosphere of Tawang Temple provides spiritual sustenance for the troops.
Livestock raised on the island may gradually substitute for imported frozen meat.
Soldiers at the library, engrossed in reading.
Maintaining vigilance and keeping the peace is their glorious mission.
The stone tablet beside the beautiful beach records Tungsha's historical origins.
The quiet atmosphere of Tawang Temple provides spiritual sustenance for the troops.
Livestock raised on the island may gradually substitute for imported frozen meat.
Maintaining vigilance and keeping the peace is their glorious mission.
Soldiers at the library, engrossed in reading.
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