Yongshu Reef is heart of Nansha Islands

Soldiers receive supplies from a fishing boat near the Yongshu Reef, Nansha Islands, in China on July 16. Yongshu Reef, a coral atoll located about 740 sea miles away from Chinese mainland , is the administrative and military headquarters of Nansha Islands. High tide swallows the reefs in water 0.5 to 1 meter deep, while it reveals only a few rocks below the low tide. China successfully set up an ocean observatory and mobile services on the reef. About 100 people reside on Yongshu, which has big potential for development. [Photo/Xinhua]