Dongji Island: Wartime Heroics Revived on Screen as the Easternmost Chinese Frontier Turns Green Tourist Hub

In the spring of 1942, a Japanese warship sank a British cargo vessel carrying 384 prisoners of war near the waters surrounding the island. Isolated from any formal rescue network, the captives faced certain death, either from the sea or from the brutal Japanese blockade that kept the area under strict control. According to Chinese accounts, a convoy of local fishermen, led by an unassuming elder named Wu Wanshou, slipped their modest boats past the Japanese patrols and hauled the emaciated prisoners onto their decks. The fishermen risked their own lives to keep the Japanese from taking any more fishermen as hostages, and in doing so they saved hundreds of men from a fate that would have been recorded only in the annals of military history – if not for the oral stories that survived in fishing villages for decades.

That story is now the backbone of the new Chinese war‑drama “Dongji Island,” a film that blends gritty battlefield realism with intimate human drama. Veteran actor Zhu Yilong takes on the role of A’bi, the elder brother who shoulders his family’s responsibilities while confronting the Japanese blockade with a fierce, almost reckless courage. Opposite him, rising star Wu Lei portrays A’dang, A’bi’s younger brother, whose bond with his sibling is tested in harrowing underwater sequences that echo the perilous night dives the real fishermen would have undertaken. Actress Ni Ni brings depth to A’hua, a fierce fisherwoman who leads the rescue effort, embodying the collective bravery that the film celebrates. The seasoned Ni Dahong appears as Wu Wanshou, the stoic elder fisherman who becomes a silent protector willing to sacrifice himself for the community. Adding an international dimension, Australian actor William Franklyn‑Miller plays Newman, a British soldier who forms an unlikely friendship with A’dang, underscoring the human connections that can arise even amid conflict.

Directed by Guan Hu and Fei Zhenxiang and produced by Liang Jing, the movie is being marketed not only as a wartime epic but also as a tribute to a “previously untold act of heroism and compassion.” In a cinematic landscape often dominated by grand battles and high‑tech special effects, the directors have deliberately focused on the humble vessels, the salty weather, and the stark moral choices faced by ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

Beyond the silver screen, Dongji Island itself has been undergoing a transformation that mirrors the film’s themes of resilience and renewal. The island first entered the national consciousness in the 1980s when Dongzhai Port was designated a protected area, a move that marked the beginning of official recognition of its strategic and ecological importance. The concept of “marine territory” was introduced in China in 1984, laying the legal groundwork for the country’s stewardship of sea‑adjacent lands. Throughout the 1990s, a series of mangrove conservation projects across the Chinese coastline highlighted a growing awareness of marine ecosystems, indirectly benefitting the surrounding archipelagos, including Dongji.

In recent years, local authorities have pursued a tourism‑driven strategy to capitalize on the island’s natural beauty and its unique claim as China’s easternmost point. Modern inter‑island terminals, upgraded water and electrical infrastructure, and a suite of visitor services have turned Dongji into a more accessible destination. The island’s marketing now leans heavily on its “dark‑night parks” and “polar‑dawn” allure – poetic descriptors meant to attract travelers seeking both celestial spectacles and tranquil seascapes.

Sustainability is at the heart of these development plans. The Dong’ao Power Plant, situated on the island, runs primarily on solar panels and wind turbines, with diesel generators serving only as backup. Roughly 80 percent of the island’s electricity – enough to power about 200 households and a wireless communications base – is supplied by renewable sources, a remarkable achievement for a remote community of this size. This clean‑energy backbone not only reduces the island’s carbon footprint but also positions Dongji as a model for green tourism in the region.

Dongji’s burgeoning reputation as a tourist hotspot places it alongside more celebrated Zhejiang attractions such as Putuo Mountain and Gouqi Island. Visitors are drawn by the promise of sunrise over the East China Sea, night skies unmarred by city lights, and the chance to stand at the literal edge of mainland China. For many, the island’s historic narrative – the selfless rescue of British prisoners during a brutal world war – adds an intangible layer of reverence to the scenic vistas.

The convergence of history, cinema, and sustainable development makes Dongji Island a microcosm of how place, memory, and modern ambition can intersect. As Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei, Ni Ni, and their co‑stars bring the wartime rescue to life on celluloid, the real island continues to chart its own course, balancing the preservation of its natural environment with the demands of a growing tourism economy. In doing so, Dongji reminds us that even the most remote corners of the world can become crucibles of courage and innovation, echoing across decades and across the silver screen alike.