Parceleyjar (His-sha Ch’ün-tao, Pinyin Xsha Qundao, Quan Dao Hoang Sa) eru óbyggðar og þrætuepli Kína, Tævan og Víetnam.  Eyjaklasinn telur u.þ.b. 130 kóraleyjar og rif í Suður-Kínahafi, 400 km austan Mið-Víetnam og 350 km suðaustan Hainan-eyju (Kína).  Parceleyjar skiptast í Amphitrite-klasann í norðaustri og Crecent-klasann í vestri auk útpóstanna Triton í suðri og Lincoln í austri.  Á þessum lágu og gróðursnauðu eyjum, sem eru ekki stærri en í mesta lagi 2½ km², er ekkert drykkjarvatn.  Mest ber á fjölbreyttu fuglalífi og skjaldbökum og talsverðum gúanóbirgðum. 

Árið 1932 lýsti Franska-Indókína yfir innlimun eyjanna og kom þar fyrir veðurathugunarstöð.  Japanar hernámu sumar eyjanna í síðari heimsstyrjöldinni (1939-45) en hurfu á brott og sögðust ekki gera kröfur til þeirra.  Árið 1947 hernámu kínverjar Woody-eyju, sem er stærst Amphiutrite-eyja.  Franska-Indókína hélt áfram rekstri veðurathugunarstöðvarinnar á stærstu eyju Crescent-klasans og síðar Víetnamar.  Þegar lýðveldið Tævan var stofnað, gerði það einnig kröfu til yfirráða á eyjunum.  Uppgötvun olíu í jörðu undir Suður-Kínahafi leiddi til alvarlegs ástands, þegar Kínverjar réðust til landgöngu á eyjunum og lagði undir sig veðurathugunarstöðina í kjölfar samninga Víetnama við erlend olíufélög.  Kínverjar náðu öllum eyjunum undir sig og síðan hafa stöðugar deilur staðið um þær.

The Kaohsiung City government is eyeing tourism in the Parcel Islands after a trip to the islands by Kaohsiung mayor Frank Hsieh. Hsieh said that he wants to turn the islands into a "shining sapphire," but only under the condition of no destruction to the ecology. With this in mind, a traffic control system will be instituted, no hotels will be built on the islands, tourists will be forbidden from staying on the islands overnight, and the number of visitors will be limited.

The first group of tourists to the Parcel Islands traveled last weekend on the six-ton Golden Voyage, finally reaching the islands after a 240 nautical mile trip lasting 14 hours.

Located in the South China Sea, the Parcel Islands see sporadic traffic from fishermen restocking supplies, but until last year almost no civilians had landed on the islands. Held by the ROC Navy since 1921, the islands remain a designated restricted military zone.

The Parcel Islands are formed from three coral reefs stretching 150 kilometers long and about 30 kilometers wide. Seen in satellite photos, together they look like a jellyfish. Parcel Island, at just 1.74 square kilometers, is the only island of the group that juts out of the sea. The most prominent feature of the island is the coral that extends from the western spine like tweezers. A layer of coral and shells, ground to a fine white powder by the elements, covers the entire island, hiding the soil.

The Parcel Islands receive plentiful rainfall, getting up to 300 millimeters in the month of September. In addition to palm trees, the island is covered with vines and low shrubbery. Marine life thrives in the area, with over 600 varieties of tropical fish, over 50 species of birds (mostly migratory), over 300 kinds of coral, 120 varieties of marine algae, and 40-some types of invertebrates. Development of the Parcel Islands commenced in 1964, with the establishment of the Parcel Garrison Command Force.

Due to numerous military fortifications, few sites are open to sightseeing. The most prominent site is the Parcel Island marker erected in 1945, the island's major landmark. In 1989, in order to reassert ROC sovereignty over the islands, the Ministry of the Interior erected an additional national marker with the characters "South China Sea Barrier."

Also worth mentioning is the Parcel Great King Temple on the island. Legend relates that a statue of the god Kuan Kung came ashore via canoe in 1948. Garrison troops later erected the temple, dedicated to Matsu (goddess of the sea) in 1975, keeping the canoe on display next to the temple.

The Kaohsiung City government, confident that Parcel Island can be developed into the "Maldives of the East," is aggressively working to obtain funding from the central government. The city government hopes that the recent successful civilian landing on the island will be a small step for Parcel Island, and a giant leap for Kaohsiung City in its quest to become a "maritime capital."

Published: May 25, 2000
Source: United Daily News