Shi Jinquan is a postman of Sandu Post Office in Jiaocheng district of Ningde under Fujian Postal Branch.

The Sandu’ao maritime mail route in Ningde, Fujian province connects four islands, eight administrative villages, and eight offshore fishing communities. On this route, it is Shi Jinquan and his father who have been fulfilling mail delivery for 50 years. Shi Jinquan took over the mail bags from his father after he had worked on the route for 23 years, and became a postman at the Sandu Post Office in Jiaocheng District of Ningde. Up to now, he has been working there for 27 years. The distance of the mail route the father and the son, postmen of two generations, have covered can circle the earth 14 and a half times.

This route is not an easy one. When it rains, he has to sail the boat in raincoat. Traveling through waves on the sea route, he is usually covered with salt grains in the sunshine in summer, while in winter he has to endure the piercing wind and humidity. Sandu’ao is known as the “floating city on the sea”. A large number of fishing rafts form a labyrinth. Moreover, the residences of fish farmers often change with their farms, which makes the mail delivery time-consuming and troublesome. Besides, risks may catch the postmen off-guard on their route of maritime delivery. One day in 2006, Shi Jinquan sailed his boat into a fish farming area, where the cramped sea lanes usually made it difficult for the boat to navigate. It was that day that the tide went up. The impact of the tide caused two cages on either side of the lane to close together, the lane disappeared instantly, and the boat was lifted up and overturned. At the critical moment, Shi Jinquan quickly picked up the mail bag from the boat and jumped onto a fishing raft. He was still holding the mail bag tightly in his arms when he landed on his feet.

Father and son, postmen of two generations, have never missed a single day of mail delivery or lost a single piece of mail for 50 years. With 100 percent accuracy of delivery, they have won respect and trust from the recipients. Some migrant workers often ask their relatives far away from their hometown to address their mail to Shi Jinquan for forwarding. During their 50 years of commitment, the maritime mail route has narrated one after another touching stories of the postmen.