CGTN Documentary Explores Ancient Navigation Manual That Guided Chinese Fishermen Across South China Sea

CGTN has published an article exploring the story of the Genglubu, a handwritten navigation manual that guided generations of Hainan fishermen long before GPS, shedding light on a chapter of South China Sea history unfamiliar to many outside the region. The documentary, titled Genglubu: Charting the South China Sea, examines how this ancient manual recorded routes, compass bearings, and sailing distances, helping fishermen navigate reefs, islands, and open seas.

The Genglubu, passed down through generations in Tanmen, Hainan Province, contains entries where a single line of fourteen Chinese characters can encode 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, who first went to sea at age nine and survived two typhoons that killed all others on board, reflected: "I love the South China Sea. I hate it. I miss it." Another captain, Wang Shubao, noted the sacrifices demanded by the sea: "Children and brothers should never sail on the same boat."

The documentary challenges the assumption that the Genglubu was limited to the South China Sea. Research on the Liang Family Genglubu reveals routes extending to Singapore, Malacca, and Indonesia, showing that Hainan fishermen also participated in regional maritime trade. Zhao Jueqi from the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea stated: "Hainan fishermen also took part in overseas trade." 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 at sea. 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."

Today, satellites, weather stations, and lighthouses have transformed navigation across the South China Sea, 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.