Paracel Islands, China, PRC Overview, South China Sea
The Chinese have slowed development and investment in the Paracel Islands in 20244-2025, so where is that reclamation / investment / construction happening?
Updated: May 23 2025 based on information from Copernicus Browser (Sentinel-2), Maxar Xpress and Japan Ministry of Defense.
The Paracel Islands are all incorporated within the Xisha District Hainan Province China Sansha City, and are all maintained and operated by China since 1974, source: Maxar Xpress Open Street Map labeling, Japan Ministry of Defense.
All the Paracel Islands are developed, maintained, operated and occupied by China since they dislodged South Vietnam forces in 1974 (just before the end of the Vietnam War, and before North Vietnam was willing to work together and defend them).
The Paracel Islands are Chinese while the Spratly Islands are regional at this point.
The Paracel Islands are all incorporated within the Xisha District Hainan Province China Sansha City, and are all maintained and operated by China since 1974, source: Maxar Xpress Open Street Map labeling, Japan Ministry of Defense.
All the Paracel Islands are developed, maintained, operated and occupied by China since they dislodged South Vietnam forces in 1974 (just before the end of the Vietnam War, and before North Vietnam was willing to work together and defend them).
The Paracel Islands are Chinese while the Spratly Islands are regional at this point.
Strategic Overview of the Paracel Islands, South China Sea, using Google Earth, August 20, 2024
Overview shot of the Paracel Islands, South China Sea, December 2023, Google Earth
Here is another view of the Paracel islands, labeled Sansha on Copernicus Browser, Sentinel Hub, on 5/23/2025.
Copernicus Browser 5/23/2025 10km False Color. Sansha or Paracel Islands. Note the red highlighting contrasts.
Using Google Translate, the notation at Lincoln Island (the eastern-most point in the Paracels), is East Island Atoll.
The only place we have seen any real constriction is on Triton Island (cannot make out details with our satellite imagery, but we read about some radar installations), and maybe a tiny bit in the Crescent Group in the North, in Observation Bank 8.
- At 0400, we see Bombay Reef, which shows no improvements.
- At 0300 we see a large, fully submerged reef.
- At 0200, harder to see, we see a fully submerged reef.
- At 0130, we see a little red speck of an island, infact the whole island is flaring in false color.
- In the center just to the Southeast is a large reef, which looks fully submerged, named Vuladdore Reef. There is a tiny sand cay at the Southwestern edge. We will add commentary on that page, the Lincoln Island Page.
- At 0730, at the far edge of the photo, we see Triton Island. Sentinel 2 L2A is not showing us enough resolution to be interesting. This is the island that people were talking about for stealth-detecting, line of sight radar system installations.
- At 0900 are the Crescent Islands, which is a crowded reef neighborhood. Lots of small islands.
- At 10:30 is the North Reef which is undeveloped except for a cut in the reef to enter the lagoon and a lighthouse.
- At 12:30 to 0100 are the Amphitrite Group, including the Three Sisters, which flows Southeast, then drops South to the Woody & Rocky Island.
The only place we have seen any real constriction is on Triton Island (cannot make out details with our satellite imagery, but we read about some radar installations), and maybe a tiny bit in the Crescent Group in the North, in Observation Bank 8.
Paracel Islands, also known as Xisha Islands, 西沙群島, or Xisha Qundao or Western Sand Archipelago in China, as Hoang Sa Archipelago or Quần đảo Hoàng Sa, or Yellow Sand Archipelago in Vietnamese (thank you Wikipedia). These features are largely divided into the Amphitrite group in the Northeast (e.g., Woody Island), and the Crescent group in the West (e.g., Prattle Island) (ty Britannica).
These islands cover the western half of the South China Sea between Luzon, Philippines, Da Nang, Vietnam, and Hainan Island, China (PRC). The western edge of the Paracels are within flight and sailing distance to both Da Nang, Vietnam and Sanya, Hainan, China. Those can be patrolled, and that part of the South China Sea controlled.
The eastern edge of the Paracel Islands is an uninhabited and undeveloped, underwater natural reef at this location: 16°05'02"N 114°26'19"E. Google Earth imagery is from 3/6/2012, and is 12 years old. It lies 225 miles west by northwest of the Scarborough Shoal, the hotly contested reef (between Philippines and PRC), which itself lies 147.7 miles due West of the Philippine mainland.
The eastern edge of the Paracel islands is a natural, undeveloped reef ~250 miles West of Scarborough Shoal. Google Earth 3/6/2012.
What lies in the middle of the Paracels is interesting and international. It has islands occupied and built up by at least three of the main players in the space, China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
These are the six island or reef groupings in the Paracels that we document on individual webpages.
A few of those islands were taken (under the de-facto control of PRC) since the Battle of the Paracel Islands in January, 1974 when the PRC expelled Vietnamese forces from the Crescent Group. The battle is called: "In Chinese, the brief battle is known as the “Self-Defense War of Xisha” (西沙自卫反击战), as opposed to Vietnamese name, the Naval Battle of Hoàng Sa (Hải chiến Hoàng Sa)." Woody Island, which now has a permanent population of 1,000 people (thank you The Diplomat dot com), is the capital of the administrative unit Sansha City, Hainan Province, which oversees all PRC interests in the South China Sea.
These islands are claimed by 'de jure' sovereignty by PRC, Vietnam and ROC.
In 2020, we saved a military notice by PRC that outlined this area: HN0059 SOUTH CHINA SEA, MILITARY EXERCISES IN AREA BOUNDED BY THE LINES JOINING:
A:17-16.12N/111-24.65E； B:18-02.19N/112-59.45E； C:16-58.63N/113-48.37E；
D:16-29.12N/113-44.93E； E:15-41.19N/112-38.17E； F:16-03.58N/111-26.69E.
FROM 301600UTC JUN. TO 051600UTC JUL, ENTERING PROHIBITED. HAINAN MSA CHINA.
This is a very busy and crowded portion of the South China Sea. the Northwest corner is 132 miles from Hainan, China. The Southwest corner is 156 miles from Quang Ngai, Vietnam. The easternmost reef is 355 miles from the Philippines.
Google Earth shows numerous reefs, navigation aids, reclamation equipment, and developed islands in this island grouping.
We created one webpage for each section of the Paracel Islands which can be navigated to from this page in the dropdown menu.
These reefs, shoals, atolls, and islands generally do not have names in Google Earth. Therefore, we are using directional names like Central West #x or Northeast #y. In the future, we may go back and fill in names in English and local languages as we learn more about these islands (e.g., Pattle Island in the Crescent Group and Woody Island in the Amphitrite Group). We may also mark the Dragon Hold, a deep underwater sinkhole.
The economy of the Paracels is fishing, and potentially oil and gas reserves.
Wikipedia gives a brief history of the Paracels:
16th century: Portuguese
20th century (1930s): French Indochina set up installations on Pattle Island (Crescent Group) and Woody Island (Boisee in French) which were kept supplied until 1945.
World War II: Japanese Troops established a presence on the Paracel Islands during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
1946: PRC established a garrison on Woody Island.
January 1947: French and Vietnamese forced landed on Pattle Island, and by 1955, South Vietnam possessed the Crescent Group.
1956: PRC established permanent presence on Woody Island (fishing island before then)
1974: PRC expelled the South Vietnamese from the Crescent Group and took full control of the Paracel Islands.
Paracel Island - Xisha Archipelago Tourism
In recent days, China has cruise ship trips that depart Sanya, Hainan, China for Xisha Islands. Cruise ship tourism started in 2013, and after a stop for Covid 19, has resumed. Two ships were named in a Xinhuanet.com article, the Nanhai Dream and the Changle Gongzhu (Princess Changle). These ships sail to Yinyu Island and Quanfu Island, and have a capacity of 721 and 466 passengers respectively.
Trip.com has listings in their travel guide, with videos, for Destinations in Hainan, Sansha for Woody Island, and other islands in the Paracels. Here is the Sansha travel guide for trip.com.
In recent days, China has cruise ship trips that depart Sanya, Hainan, China for Xisha Islands. Cruise ship tourism started in 2013, and after a stop for Covid 19, has resumed. Two ships were named in a Xinhuanet.com article, the Nanhai Dream and the Changle Gongzhu (Princess Changle). These ships sail to Yinyu Island and Quanfu Island, and have a capacity of 721 and 466 passengers respectively.
Trip.com has listings in their travel guide, with videos, for Destinations in Hainan, Sansha for Woody Island, and other islands in the Paracels. Here is the Sansha travel guide for trip.com.
In May 2014, the PRC placed an oil rig in the Paracel Islands. This deserves further research as to whether it is still there, whether it discovered an economically viable field, and whether production has occurred.
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