First library opened in Sansha in South China Sea

Students read books at the first public library on China's southernmost island city of Sansha in Hainan province, April 21, 2016. [Photo/people.cn]

YONGXING ISLAND, Hainan - The first public library on China's southernmost island city of Sansha opened on Thursday in the city's only school.

The school, which opened in November last year, has 28 students of kindergarten and primary-school age and 10 teachers.

Established in July 2012, Sansha administers more than 200 islets, sandbanks and reefs in the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha island groups, as well as two million square km of surrounding waters in the South China Sea.

On Thursday, China Publishing Group Corp inked an agreement with the city government of Sansha to build and manage the public library.

The agreement was signed on Yongxing Island, one of the Xisha islands and the city's administrative base. The publishing house donated 13,000 books worth 300,000 yuan ($46,320) to the Yongxing School.

According to the agreement, the library is temporarily housed at the school, until the city government builds another venue.

Xiao Fang, president of Yongxing School, said life on the islands is still difficult because of a lack of facilities. People are also thirsty for good reading materials.

"The library will be a cultural bridge between the islands and the mainland," said Fan Xi'an, an executive of the publishing house.

The company also promised newly-published books would be added to the library's collection every year.

Soldiers read books at the first public library on China's southernmost island city of Sansha in Hainan province, April 21, 2016. [Photo/people.cn]