CGTN has published an article and documentary exploring the Genglubu, a handwritten navigation manual that guided generations of Hainan fishermen across the South China Sea long before GPS, satellite navigation, or modern weather forecasts. The documentary, titled "Genglubu: Charting the South China Sea," sheds light on a little-known chapter of maritime history that remains unfamiliar to many outside the region.
The Genglubu 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, including departure point, direction, destination, distance, and estimated sailing time. The manual was passed down through generations in Tanmen, Hainan Province, and the documentary follows the fishermen who crossed the sea, the families who preserved this knowledge, and a maritime tradition that connected China with Southeast Asia and beyond.
The documentary features veteran fishing boat captains whose lives were deeply intertwined with the sea. Wang Shitao first went to sea at age nine. At twelve, his fishing boat was caught in a typhoon; everyone else on board died, but he clung to a piece of floating timber and drifted alone for three days. Four years later, another violent storm struck, and again he was the only survivor. Yet each time, he returned to the sea. Reflecting on his decades of sailing, he said, "I love the South China Sea. I hate it. I miss it." The sea demanded sacrifice, as a storm or mishap could wipe out an entire crew. Another captain, Wang Shubao, noted, "Children and brothers should never sail on the same boat."
Research on the Liang Family Genglubu reveals that routes extended beyond the South China Sea to Singapore, Malacca, and Indonesia, showing that Hainan fishermen also played a role in regional maritime trade. Zhao Jueqi of the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea stated, "Hainan fishermen also took part in overseas trade." Some Genglubu manuscripts contain mountain-and-water charts combining sketches of coastlines with compass bearings, water depth, and sea conditions, helping sailors identify islands, reefs, and coastlines. 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, offering a story of navigation, memory, and resilience that forms part of the shared maritime heritage of Asia. For business and technology leaders, this narrative underscores the enduring value of indigenous knowledge systems and their potential to inform modern navigation and trade networks in one of the world's most critical waterways.
