Singing with one voice

When I arrived on Dongfushan Island in the East China Sea last month, I was told there would be a karaoke competition for members of the garrison.

I was excited about the contest because I was curious about the sailors' song selections and their performances.

The competition began in a meeting room one evening shortly after sunset.

Though informal, it was very well-organized, with a host and a professional way of counting the votes for each contestant.

Since material benefits are few and far between on the island, there was no prize for the winner. Instead, he received the votes and acclaim of his peers.

The 10 participants took the competition seriously, and many practiced in their spare time, even though some still sang in tremulous voices.

They sang the songs they loved - all about youth, love and romance. Some selections were from the hottest lists on Douyin, a popular shortvideo app known as TikTok in the West.

Some of the contestants sang in quiet, self-conscious voices, while others fully enjoyed the attention and applause. Some sang like superstars who knew when to walk around the stage and interact with the audience. While some had genuine talent, others really didn't have good voices.

After, those who took the contest very seriously canvassed support by saluting the audience. The onlookers, judges and contestants all enjoyed the friendly competition and wanted to express themselves, either through their talent or emotions.

Tourists enjoy Dongfushan's peaceful ambience, but for the sailors, whose average age is 25, life is unchanging in terms of work, food, entertainment and a limited number of new arrivals and visitors.

Though they could be part of a bigger world outside, they elect to stay - sometimes for a decade or more - having chosen the job out of a sense of honor and responsibility.

In 2016, the garrison celebrated its 60th anniversary. Veterans returned to visit their old dorms and show their wives and children the beds they slept in and the grounds where they trained.

Those veterans found it honorable and meaningful to have spent their youth this way, because for the rest of their lives, they will hold a different memory of youth from most other people; a precious and unique thing known only to them and their comrades.