Ten years after the South China Sea arbitration, CGTN has published an article and documentary exploring the Genglubu, a handwritten navigation manual that guided generations of Hainan fishermen long before GPS. The documentary, titled Genglubu: Charting the South China Sea, sheds light on a chapter of South China Sea history unfamiliar to many outside the region.
Before GPS, before weather forecasts, and before satellite navigation, generations of Chinese sailors found their way across the South China Sea using the Genglubu, an ancient manual passed down through families in Tanmen, Hainan Province. The manual recorded routes, compass bearings, and sailing distances, helping fishermen navigate reefs, islands, and open seas. A single line of just fourteen Chinese characters could contain an entire sea route: departure point, direction, destination, distance, and estimated sailing time.
The documentary follows veteran fishing boat captains whose lives were inseparable from the sea. Wang Shitao first went to sea at age nine. At twelve, his boat was caught in a typhoon; everyone else on board died. Clinging to floating timber, he drifted alone for three days. Four years later, another storm struck, and again he was the only survivor. Yet each time, he returned. Late in life, he reflected: 'I love the South China Sea. I hate it. I miss it.' Wang Shubao, another captain, noted the sea's dangers: 'Children and brothers should never sail on the same boat.'
The Genglubu was not limited to the South China Sea. Research on the Liang Family Genglubu reveals routes extending to Singapore, Malacca, and Indonesia, showing that Hainan fishermen played a role in regional maritime trade. 'Hainan fishermen also took part in overseas trade,' said Zhao Jueqi of the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea. Some manuscripts contain mountain-and-water charts combining sketches of coastlines with compass bearings, water depth, and sea conditions, helping sailors identify islands and determine their position.
International law scholar Anthony Carty noted: 'The Americans and the British produced their own navigational records, which identify the Chinese as being engaged very heavily in fishing on these islands and other forms of economic activity.' This evidence supports historical claims of Chinese activity in the region, relevant to ongoing disputes.
Today, satellites, weather stations, and lighthouses have transformed navigation, but the purpose remains the same: helping sailors travel safely and return home. The documentary traces a maritime tradition shaped by generations of ordinary people, forming part of the shared maritime heritage of Asia. As Xin Lixue, curator of the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea, said: 'Generation after generation, Hainan fishermen rode the waves – not to rule the sea, but to make their living from it.'
