Xiazhi Youth Marine School

Xiazhi Youth Marine School

Xiazhi Youth Marine School serves as a patriotic education base.

As an outpost in the East China Sea, Xiazhi Island earned its name due to its shrimp-like shape drifting on the sea, as well as its numerous coves that form a strategic, horn-like formation. Xiazhi Town is a major fishing hub in Zhoushan City, long known for the saying, “When it comes to fishing in Zhejiang, look to Putuo; when it comes to Putuo, look to Xiazhi.” In recent years, with industrial restructuring, Xiazhi’s shipping industry has flourished; meanwhile, its location along the Xiazhi Channel international shipping route has highlighted its port advantages, leading to robust growth in portside industries. The overall industrial structure has gradually diversified, and the marine industry has shown vibrant vitality.

Located on the island, Xiazhi Central Primary School is committed to the philosophy of “equipping island children with survival skills and moral ethics suited to their individual development and local characteristics, thereby maximizing the school’s social impact.” In November 1989, it established the “Future Fishermen School,” which was renamed the “Youth Marine School” in March 1993. With the goal of cultivating marine development talents for the new century, the school has focused on sustainable marine education research. In 2002, the “Putuo District Xiazhi Youth Marine School” was designated as a patriotic education base in Zhoushan City.

To highlight the distinctive features of marine education, showcase the production and daily life of fishing communities, and facilitate the normal teaching activities of the “Youth Marine School,” in 2001, the school integrated, expanded, and refined its exhibits, establishing the “Marine Culture Exhibition Room.” The exhibition content comprises five main themes:

The first is marine life specimens: the room houses over 130 species and more than 500 marine flora and fauna specimens, primarily including major fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and some marine plants from the Zhoushan sea area. Among the most valuable are a nearly 40-jin whale bone, a 1-meter-wide sea turtle shell, and a 30-jin coastal hairtail. It offers young people a colorful world of marine life. The second is model displays: these mainly include a comprehensive sand table model of Xiazhi Island and over 20 ship models representing the history of Zhoushan’s fishing industry, basic fishing vessel operations, and fundamental hull structures, allowing students to gain a basic understanding of Xiazhi’s topography and port resources, as well as the basics of ship structures and the evolution of Zhoushan fishing boats. The third is photo exhibitions: the room displays over 100 images reflecting the “fishing, harbors, scenery, and people” of Zhoushan and Xiazhi, with a focus on introducing notable local figures, inspiring students’ pride as islanders and their love for the ocean and hometown. The fourth is fishing life and work tools: exhibits include historical fishing tools such as boat eyes, rudders, oars, grappling hooks, nets, ties, and anchors, as well as everyday items like straw hats, fisherman’s pants, padded jackets, painted curtains, and porcelain bowls. By guiding students to understand the development of local fisheries and their ancestors’ way of life, these exhibits create a strong sense of familiarity. The fifth is student work displays: a selection of various marine-themed works created by students during labor practice is showcased, with particularly unique pieces including shell crafts and marine life collage paintings, whose ingenious designs are truly astounding.

The exhibition room is open to young people free of charge at all times, allowing them to further learn about their hometown’s topography, history, and marine life. It serves as an ideal place to broaden horizons and enhance intuitive understanding of the ocean and their hometown.

In addition, to strengthen the inheritance and innovation of outstanding marine culture, the school also organizes corresponding practical activities tailored to the age characteristics of young people and the unique culture of the island:

The first is marine awareness education: the school offers a weekly marine awareness education course based on students’ age characteristics, teaching five areas through classroom instruction—marine life, marine defense, marine economy, marine environmental protection, and marine culture. To elevate the quality of the school-based curriculum, the Youth Marine School organized core teachers, with expert guidance, to develop a set of school-based teaching materials titled “Marine Education” based on the “Marine Education Curriculum Standards.” These standards and materials have received high praise from education experts and have been used for free circulation within the school since September 2005.

The second is marine vocational technical education: the school offers weekly marine vocational technical education courses, teaching and assessing adolescents on basic fishing skills (including rope and net series, daily life series, art series, and knot-tying, divided into four parts), helping them remember that they are children of the island, appreciate the hard work of their parents, learn basic fishing skills, and demonstrate the diligence and wisdom of island youth. The school organizes the annual “Challenge the Sea” Marine Month series of activities, involving all students over a four-week period, with over 70% of children participating in activities such as marine skill operations, marine science and technology information reports, and marine work exhibitions, further strengthening their marine awareness.

Over the years, through continuous inheritance and innovation, Xiazhi Youth Marine School has developed a unique school model and a rich variety of activity formats. It has hosted multiple groups of visitors from various systems within and outside the city, especially in November 2005, when it welcomed a group of nearly 20 teachers and students from France’s Lérix School, providing international guests with a unique island cultural experience.

The “Island Primary School Curriculum Reform Research” project carried out by the Youth Marine School won the second prize for basic education achievements in Zhoushan City in 2003; in 2005, it was named a National Advanced School in Labor Technical Education, in 2006 it was recognized as a Zhejiang Province Green School, in 2007 it received the Zhoushan City Patriotic Education Base Exhibition Innovation Award, and in 2008 it was designated as a fixed interview location for Putuo District’s external publicity efforts.