Ant Island Pioneer Memorial Hall

Ant Island Pioneer Memorial Hall

The Ant Island Pioneer Memorial Hall serves as a patriotic education base.

Zhoushan City’s Putuo District Ant Island Township is located in the southeast of the Zhoushan Archipelago. The township covers a land area of only 2.64 square kilometers and has a total population of 4,136 people. Yet, on this “tiny island” with no significant natural advantages, generations of Ant Islanders have achieved remarkable accomplishments. In the 1950s and 1960s, the people of Ant Island, driven by a firm belief in “accomplishing great things through diligence and thrift” and with the tenacious courage of “an ant gnawing at a bone,” relied on their own efforts and worked hard under difficult conditions. They twisted straw ropes, built fishing boats, and—without spending a single cent from the state—transformed the once impoverished and barren Ant Island into a model fishing community along Zhejiang’s coast and even gained nationwide fame. It was also here that China’s first people’s commune was established. In December 1958, Ant Island was awarded a State Council citation signed by Premier Zhou Enlai as a National Advanced Unit in Socialist Rural Construction, earning the proud reputation of “Tiny Ant Island Outpacing the Soviet Union.”

To deeply commemorate and reflect on this glorious history and to better inherit and promote the pioneering spirit of their predecessors, the Ant Island Pioneer Memorial Hall was established in the 1990s. Covering an area of 400 square meters, including a 120-square-meter exhibition hall, the hall is divided into two major sections: “Ant Island of the Past” and “Ant Island of Today.” It displays over 300 precious and detailed historical materials, presenting through text and images the island’s unyielding history of hard work, fisheries development, and construction achievements over four or five decades. The exhibits highlight the extraordinary accomplishments of the hard-fought pioneering era of the 1950s and 1960s and the changes and progress Ant Island has undergone since the reform and opening-up period. Since its establishment and opening, the township Party committee and government have effectively leveraged the educational role of the patriotic base, allowing the spirit of hard work and pioneering to shine with renewed vitality and producing a powerful impact in patriotic education. Each year, the memorial receives over 50,000 visitors, including nearly 10,000 students, and has been designated as a student social practice base by five universities, including Zhejiang University. It has successfully embodied the spirit of “hard work and pioneering” in the new era, achieving far-reaching social benefits and influence.

As a must-visit site on the Ant Island tourism route, the Ant Island Pioneer Memorial Hall profoundly reflects the historical significance and unique charm of the Ant Island spirit. As a main hub for red tourism, it has also fostered nearby educational tourism venues, promoting the industrial development of red tourism on Ant Island. Recently, the first phase of the Ant Island Fishermen’s Leisure Culture Square, an important component, has been completed. Located south of Ant Island Avenue, the square has a total investment of over 4 million yuan and covers an area of approximately 4,000 square meters. Integrated with the adjacent beach scenic area, the square is an ideal spot for sightseeing and relaxation. Since its opening, the square has greatly enriched the spiritual life of local residents and contributed to the advancement of civilized rural customs.

In recent years, under the leadership of the township Party committee and government, the people of Ant Island have taken up the torch of their predecessors’ pioneering efforts. Using the Ant Island Pioneer Memorial Hall as a “red platform” and focusing on inheriting and promoting the spirit of “hard work and pioneering,” they have committed to building a distinctive island-based patriotic education base, advancing the comprehensive and harmonious socio-economic development of the township. In September 2004, the Ant Island Pioneer Memorial Hall was designated as a Zhejiang Provincial Patriotic Education Base by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Government.