As the Lunar New Year approached this week, families on Yongxing Island in Sansha City – China's southernmost urban center – showcased unique cultural resilience through their reunion dinner preparations. Located 350 kilometers from Hainan Island, this tropical outpost blended maritime traditions with mainland customs during its 2026 Spring Festival observances.
Sansha TV reporter Lin Wo documented residents skillfully preparing seafood-centric feasts featuring freshly caught parrotfish and coconut-based dishes, while supply ships delivered traditional ingredients from the mainland. "Our reunion table always has two parts – what the South China Sea provides, and what our homeland sends," explained third-generation island resident Chen Haiyang, stirring a pot of fragrant coconut chicken soup.
The local government facilitated cultural exchanges, with Hainan opera performances streamed to households and special video calls connecting families with relatives across the strait. Military personnel stationed on the island joined community celebrations, sharing handmade dumplings with civilian residents.
This year's celebrations highlighted Sansha City's growing infrastructure, with new refrigeration facilities ensuring stable food supplies and solar-powered lights illuminating waterfront banquet areas. As fireworks reflected on the tropical waters late into the night, the island's harmonious blend of frontier spirit and cultural continuity offered a microcosm of China's southern development priorities.
