Xisha

See also: Xīshā

English

Alternative forms

• Hsisha, Hsi-sha (Wade–Giles)
• Sisha

Etymology

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 西沙 (Xīshā, literally “western sand”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃiːˈʃɑː/, enPR: shēʹshäʹ

Proper noun

Xisha

1. Synonym of Paracel Islands: the Mandarin Chinese-derived name.
   • 1986, Zhao Songqiao (Chao Sung-chiao), Physical Geography of China‎^[4], Science Press, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 147:

     If we use a mean monthly temperature ≥ 22°C as an index for the summer season, then there will be summer year round south of the Xisha Archipelago and two distinct seasons (summer and spring-autumn) occur north of it.

   • 1988, Robert S. Ross, The Indochina Tangle: China's Vietnam Policy, 1975-1979‎^[5], New York: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 26:

     In 1974, the Chinese army forcefully ousted South Vietnamese forces from the strategically and economically important Xisha (Hoang Sa in Vietnamese Paracel in English) Islands in the South China Sea.²⁸ Although South Vietnam had occupied the islands for many years, one reason China chose to act in 1974 is that it did not want North Vietnam to occupy the Xisha Islands after unification, for that would have made it militarily and politically more difficult for China to gain control of the islands.

   • 2011, “Geography”, in The Republic of China Yearbook 2011‎^[6], New Taipei: Government Information Office, →ISBN, pages 24–25:

     In addition, the ROC maintains a historical claim to four groups of islands scattered over a vast area in the South China Sea that is surrounded by rich fishing grounds and gas and oil deposits. These are the Dongsha (Pratas) Islands 東沙群島, the Nansha (Spratly) Islands 南沙群島, the Xisha (Paracel) Islands 西沙群島, and the Zhongsha Islands (Macclesfield Bank) 中沙群島.

   • 2016 May 28, Jane Perlez, Yufan Huang, quoting Liu Shibiao, “China Promoting Tourism for Disputed Paracel Islands”, in The New York Times‎^[7], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 May 2016, Asia Pacific‎^[8]:

     The three islands’ beaches are more pristine than the litter-strewn, overbuilt coastline of southern China, Mr. Liu said. “On the beaches, the seawater is much cleaner than in any other places in China, and they are very romantic,” he said. “It is cheaper than Hawaii and Bali.
     “It also bears a special meaning to get married here in Xisha,” he continued, using the Chinese name for the Paracels. “These are our lands.”

   • 2020 August 27, Associated Press, quoting Wu Qian, “Report: China fires ‘carrier killer’ missile in disputed sea”, in The Washington Post‎^[9], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 November 2020, The Americas‎^[10]:

     “Based on annual military training arrangements, the military conducted exercises around the Nansha Islands and the waters and airspace of the northern part of the Xisha Islands,” said the spokesman, Wu Qian, using the Chinese names for the Spratly Islands and the Paracels to the north.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Xisha.
2. A district of Sansha, Hainan, China.
   • 2020 May 27, Li-shih Lu, “China’s expanding military reach”, in Taipei Times‎^[11], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 June 2020, Editorials, page 8‎^[12]:

     Only last month, China established Xisha District (西沙) on Woody Island (Yongxing Island, 永興島) and Nansha District (南沙) on the reef, both of which fall under Sansha, a prefecture-level city established in 2012.

   • 2021 [2020], Yu Zhou, Bo Cai, Cuiqing Gao, “A new species of Geocoris Fallén (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Geocoridae) from Hainan Province, China”, in Entomotaxonomia‎^[13], volume 43, number 1, published 2021, →DOI, →ISSN , archived from the original on March 06, 2024, pages 4-5:

     Holotype. ♂, China, Hainan Province, Yongxing Island, Xisha District, Sansha City, 23-III-2017, coll. Bo CAI, yellow pan traps (NJFU). […]
     Etymology. The specific epithet is named after Xisha District, Hainan Province, where the species was first discovered.

   • 2021 January, Zoe Haver, “China Maritime Report No. 12: Sansha City in China's South China Sea Strategy: Building a System of Administrative Control”, in CMSI China Maritime Reports‎^[14], number 12, China Maritime Studies Institute, →OCLC, archived from the original on January 05, 2021, page 29:

     Sansha City has two districts, both created in April 2020.²¹² The Xisha District (西沙区) People’s Government is based on Woody Island and has jurisdiction over the Paracel Islands and Zhongsha Islands.²¹³ The Nansha District (南沙区) People’s Government is based on Fiery Cross Reef and has jurisdiction over the Spratly Islands.²¹⁴ Each district assumably has a district party committee as well.²¹⁵ Though publicly available information on these new districts is scarce, the establishment of Xisha District and Nansha District will likely improve Sansha’s administrative capacity and expand localized policymaking.²¹⁶

   • 2022, Dragana Mitrovic, “Pandemic's effects on China's foreign policy and its global power role”, in Srpska politička misao‎^[15], volume 29, number 75, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on May 14, 2022, pages 150-151:

     On 18 April 2020, Chinese media reported on the State Council’s decision to set up two administrative units on islands in the South China Sea.⁷ This „major administrative move” meant that the Xisha district would be used for controlling Paracel Islands and surrounding waters and the Nansha district for governing the Spratly Islands and surrounding waters in the heart of the area contested by six regional countries.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Xisha.

Translations

Translations

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 西沙 (sai¹ saa¹)

  Mandarin: 西沙 (zh) (Xīshā)

• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can

Further reading

• Xisha, Hsisha, Hsi-sha, Hsi Sha at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.
• “Xisha Islands, pn.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.