Modernization Doctrine Internal Security

Forging a Centenary Army · New Appearance, New Actions | The Outpost Consciousness of a Small Coastal City

攻坚建军百年·新样貌新作为丨一座滨海小城的前哨意识

PLA Daily (解放军报) 8 May 2026

Summary

The Wenling City People's Armed Forces Department in Zhejiang Province has expanded its maritime militia force by partnering with more than 40 local high-tech enterprises to establish six specialized detachments—including UAV reconnaissance and emergency communications units—while maintaining a women's militia observation post on Leigong Mountain that conducts continuous electro-optical surveillance of East China Sea shipping lanes. The report illustrates how county-level PAFDs are integrating civilian technology firms into militia force structure, a pattern consistent with broader PLA efforts to build dual-use, locality-specific capabilities along the coast. The emphasis on UAV reconnaissance and emergency communications detachments, combined with regular maritime search-and-rescue and target-identification training, signals that Wenling's militia is being oriented toward real operational tasks—maritime domain awareness and crisis response—rather than ceremonial or purely symbolic functions.

Translation

The Wenling City People's Armed Forces Department of Zhejiang Province Strengthens the Construction of Maritime Defense Militia Forces——

The Outpost Consciousness of a Small Coastal City

■ Tong Wei, Zhou Wei, PLA Daily Reporter Qian Xiaohu

Along the eastern Zhejiang coast, morning fog locks in the sea. Leigong Mountain stands like a blue-gray spine, silently reaching toward the ocean.

The women's militia outpost at the summit is the maritime defense post that greets the sunrise earliest each day. Early in the morning, 25-year-old female militiaman Ding Lingxuan gently rotates the electro-optical observation instrument. On the screen, the outline of a foreign cargo vessel gradually sharpens amid the waves. "06:17, normal passage." She reports in a low voice. This is the third identification of the day. Outside the window, the sound of the surf murmurs like a confession, as if it were the echo of history.

This is Wenling City, Zhejiang Province, on the shore of the East Sea—the place where the first ray of sunlight of the new millennium on the Chinese mainland fell, and also the ancient battlefield where Qi Jiguang won "nine battles, nine victories" against Japanese pirates, and the birthplace of the 2nd Division of the Red 13th Army. As the sea breeze passes through, stories of steadfast vigil spanning time and space resonate between the mountains and the sea.

In 1991, the Leigong Mountain Militia Outpost was established, tasked primarily with reconnaissance and early warning and maintaining maritime defense. From the very founding of the outpost, female sentinels have stood watch, and over time local residents came to call the young women of the outpost the "Sea Island Red Azaleas." On the outpost wall, an old photograph of the original "Seven Fairies Guarding the Maritime Defense" has faded slightly yellow. In recent years, the new-era female militiamen have cumulatively handled tens of thousands of maritime incidents. Youth blooms amid the flashing waves—day after day standing watch on a six-foot sentry platform, because this is the land of the motherland.

At the foot of the mountain, before the "Millennium Dawn Stele," newly enlisted militiamen raise their right fists and swear an oath facing the vast sea: "I am a Chinese militiaman, I swear..." The oath strikes the reef and is then swept into the distance by the sound of the tide. That flash of camouflage made the reporter suddenly understand: Leigong Mountain is not merely a mountain—it is both the eye through which Wenling's militia gazes upon the sea frontier, and the totem of this small city's forward defense.

Setting out from Leigong Mountain, a militia "root-seeking path" winds through the mountains and sea of Wenling. The former site of the 2nd Division of the Red 13th Army in Wugen Town, the Jigu Mountain battle site, the former residence of martyr Jin Xuan... 26 red landmarks are strung together into a vivid classroom for Wenling militia to conduct maritime defense education. After visiting the birthplace of the maritime guerrilla force, militiaman Wang Lei wrote with deep feeling: "Walking this 'root-seeking path' again, my understanding of 'maritime defense outpost' is far more profound."

The reporter noticed that on Wang Lei's phone, a mini-program called "Dawn Camouflage" (曙光迷彩) is embedded in the locally popular "Palm Wenling" (掌上温岭) app. Wang Lei told the reporter that since its launch in 2023, this mini-program has become part of his daily life.

Opening the mini-program, sections such as "Militia Bugle" (民兵号角), "Red Spark" (红色星火), and "Strong Army Battle Song" (强军战歌) come into view. The short drama "Without National Defense There Are No Factory Buildings" (没有国防就没有厂房) and the music video "Cloth Garments as Armor" (布衣作甲) were first released here, reposted by China Military Online and the PLA Daily client, and quickly went viral; the stage play "Zhejiang Ridge Fishing Vessel 49528" (浙岭渔49528), depicting the story of three generations of fishermen standing watch over maritime defense, was selected as a model course (精品好课) for the entire military. Tradition and innovation converge here, condensing into the root and soul of Wenling militia's training and war preparation.

Suddenly, an alarm tears through the stillness of the mountain forest—"Enemy unmanned aerial vehicle detected ahead!" The reporter watched as a column of militia conducting field exercises in the coastal highlands moved on command: dispersing, setting up, camouflaging, networking... movements sharp, coordination seamless. "Being on the front line means you must shoulder the responsibility of the outpost." Before the People's Armed Forces Department leadership had finished speaking, the exercise formation had already charged toward the next tactical point.

In the Jinqing Port channel, militia emergency platoons from various townships were conducting water search-and-rescue training, with commander Tang Zhushan calmly directing operations while keeping his eyes fixed on the water's surface. "Training now runs in a complete closed loop—pre-training mobilization, mid-training supervision, post-training review; not a single link can be handled carelessly." He said that the sense of combat readiness has been etched into the bones of Wenling's militia.

"A vessel is in distress in Sea Area 205!" Militiaman Lin Dabo clearly remembers that rescue: "When we received the report, we had just finished hauling in the nets. We immediately threw the catch overboard and turned to render assistance. The wind was strong and the waves fierce, the boat rocked so hard you couldn't stand, but no one hesitated." When the reporter asked whether he was afraid, this man of fisherman stock rubbed his hands and said plainly: "At that moment we had only one conviction—get the people out!"

Vigilance, measured in seconds and minutes. During the 2025 Spring Festival, a villager in Shitang Town accidentally set dry wood ablaze with fireworks. Militiaman He Yujie discovered the fire at the first moment and reported it. Military-civilian joint response extinguished the blaze, preventing greater losses. The next day, neighbors made a special trip up the mountain to express their gratitude: "Thank goodness your eyes were sharp and you caught it early!"

Since entering the new era, the Wenling City People's Armed Forces Department of Zhejiang Province has leveraged its geographic advantages, precisely linking up with more than 40 local high-tech enterprises, and has organized and built 6 new-type militia detachments including unmanned aerial vehicle reconnaissance and emergency communications. In recent years, in competitions organized by higher authorities, the People's Armed Forces Department has repeatedly taken first place in subjects such as maritime search-and-rescue and target reconnaissance, has been rated an "Outstanding Unit" (优胜单位) for four consecutive years, and multiple militiamen have won gold in individual events.

Fishing sails reflected alongside warships, hearts united to build maritime defense. From the vigil on Leigong Mountain to rescues amid the crests and troughs of the waves, from contemplation at red historical sites to charges on live-exercise training grounds, the glory of "the first light of dawn" has been transformed into the mission and responsibility of guarding the sea frontier day and night—just like Leigong Mountain, standing always at the front line of maritime defense, loyally watching over that stretch of sea.

Reporter's Notes

The Eye of the Outpost, the Responsibility of Vigilance

Leigong Mountain is not tall, yet from it one can see the vast expanse of sea and sky. Is not that outpost of loyal vigil at the summit also the spiritual coordinate of a city and a People's Armed Forces Department?

The outpost is a physical line of defense, and even more a spiritual early-warning line. Here, red genes forge loyalty, technology empowers and strengthens the sinews and bones, and the unity of the military and the people consolidates the foundation. The Wenling City People's Armed Forces Department of Zhejiang Province has planted its sentry position in the mountains and sea, shouldered its mission, and through precise handling of maritime situations and fearless charges toward danger, has given concrete meaning to what it means to "defend in advance, prepare ahead" (防在前、备在先).

Guard one mountain, protect one stretch of sea. The sound of war drums beneath Leigong Mountain resonates with the roar of the East Sea waves, echoing day and night—those are the footsteps of combat readiness that have never ceased in peacetime, and the steadfast, rock-solid loyal vigil of a small coastal city.

Original Chinese

浙江省温岭市人武部加强海防民兵队伍建设—— 一座滨海小城的前哨意识 ■童玮周伟解放军报记者钱晓虎浙东沿岸，晨雾锁海。雷公山似一道青灰色的脊梁，静静探向大海。山顶之上的女子民兵哨所，是每天最早迎来日出的海防哨所。一早，25岁的女民兵丁铃轩轻旋光电观测仪。屏幕中，一艘外籍货轮的轮廓在波涛间逐渐清晰。“06：17，正常通航。”她低声上报。这是当天第三次识别。窗外，涛声如诉，仿若历史的回音。这里是东海之滨的浙江省温岭市——中国大陆新千年第一缕阳光首照地，也是戚继光“九战九捷”的抗倭古战场、红十三军二师的诞生地。海风拂过，山海之间回荡着跨越时空的坚守故事。 1991年，雷公山民兵哨所成立，主要担负侦察预警、维护海防等任务。建哨伊始就由女哨员执勤，久而久之，当地群众就把哨所的姑娘们称为“海岛红杜鹃”。哨所墙上，当年“七仙女守海防”的旧照已微微泛黄。近年来，新时代女民兵累计处置海情数万起。青春，在扑闪的浪花中绽放——日复一日坚守六尺哨台，因为这是祖国的土地。山脚下，“千年曙光碑”前，新入队民兵高举右拳，面向苍茫大海宣誓：“我是中国民兵，我宣誓……”誓言撞击礁石，又被潮声卷向远方。那一抹跃动的迷彩，让记者忽然领悟到：雷公山不只是一座山，它既是温岭民兵凝视海疆的眼睛，更是这座小城拱卫前哨的图腾。从雷公山出发，一条民兵“寻根之路”蜿蜒于温岭的山海之间。坞根镇红十三军二师旧址、积谷山战斗遗址、金璇烈士故居……26处红色地标，串联成温岭民兵开展海防教育的生动课堂。民兵王磊在参观海上游击队诞生地后，深情写道：“重走这条‘寻根路’，对‘海防前哨’的理解更为深刻。” 记者注意到，在王磊的手机里，一款名为“曙光迷彩”的小程序，搭载于本地常用的“掌上温岭”APP上。王磊告诉记者，自2023年启用以来，这个小程序已融入他的生活日常。点开小程序，“民兵号角”“红色星火”“强军战歌”等栏目映入眼帘。短剧《没有国防就没有厂房》、MV《布衣作甲》在这里首发，被中国军号、解放军报客户端转发并迅速爆火；话剧《浙岭渔49528》演绎三代渔民守望海防的故事，入选全军精品好课……传统与创新在此交融，凝聚成温岭民兵练兵备战的根与魂。骤然，警报声撕裂山林的宁静——“前方发现‘敌’无人机！”记者看到，正在沿海山地拉练的一队民兵闻令而动，疏散、架设、伪装、组网……动作利落，配合默契。“身处前沿，就必须扛起前哨之责。”人武部领导话音未落，演练队伍已奔向下一个战术点。在金清港航道，各乡镇民兵应急排正展开水上搜救训练，指挥员唐祝山紧盯水面从容指挥。“如今训练全程闭环——训前动员、训中督查、训后复盘，哪个环节都不能马虎。”他说，备战意识已经刻入温岭民兵骨髓。 “205海区有船遇险！”民兵林大波清晰记得那次救援，“接到通报，我们刚收网，立即抛掉渔获，转向施救。风大浪急，船晃得站不住，但没人犹豫。”记者问他是否害怕，这位渔民出身的汉子搓搓手，朴实地迸出一句：“当时我们只有一个信念，把群众救出来！” 守望，在分秒之间。2025年春节，石塘镇村民燃放烟花不慎引燃枯木。民兵何俞洁第一时间发现火情并上报。军地联动扑救，避免了更大损失。次日，乡亲们特地上山道谢：“多亏你们眼睛亮、发现早！” 进入新时代以来，浙江省温岭市人武部发挥区位优势，精准对接本地40余家高新企业，编建无人机侦察、应急通信等6支新型民兵分队。近年来，在上级组织的比武中，人武部屡获海上搜救、目标侦察等课目第一，连续四年获评“优胜单位”，多位民兵在单兵项目上摘金。渔帆映战舰，同心筑海防。从雷公山上的守望到波峰浪谷间的救援，从红色旧址的沉思到实战演训场的冲锋，“曙光首照”的荣光化作日夜守护海疆的使命担当——一如雷公山，始终矗立海防一线，忠诚守望那片海。记者手记前哨之眼，守望之责雷公山不高，却望得见海天辽阔。山顶上那座忠诚守望的哨所，何尝不是一座城市、一个人武部的精神坐标？前哨，是物理的防线，更是精神的预警线。在这里，红色基因铸忠诚，科技赋能强筋骨，军民同心夯根基。浙江省温岭市人武部将哨位扎进山海，把使命扛在肩上，以精准的海情处置、无畏的向险冲锋，诠释何谓“防在前、备在先”。守一座山，护一片海。雷公山下的鼙鼓声，正与东海涛音共鸣，日夜回响——那是和平年代不曾停歇的战备脚步，也是一座滨海小城坚如磐石的忠诚守望。