Zhenbao Island

Zhenbao Island (simplified Chinese: 珍宝岛; traditional Chinese: 珍寶島; pinyin: Zhēnbǎo dǎo; lit. 'Rare Treasure Island') or Damansky Island (Russian: о́стров Дама́нский, ostrov Damanskiy) is an island with an area of only 0.74 square kilometres (0.29 sq mi). It is on the Ussuri River on the border between Primorsky Krai, Russia, and Heilongjiang Province, China.

Designations
Official nameHeilongjiang Zhenbaodao Wetland National Nature Reserve
Designated1 September 2011
Reference no.1978[1]
Zhenbao Island

Prior to the 1991 Sino-Soviet Border Agreement, the island was disputed between China and the Soviet Union. It got its Russian name from the railway engineer Stanislav Damansky, who died there in an incident in 1888 while he was charting the future route for the Trans-Siberian railway.

Conflict between Soviet Union and China
Main article: Sino-Soviet border conflict § Battle of Zhenbao (Damansky) Island

The island was the subject of a territorial dispute between the Soviet Union and China. Battles were fought with a considerable loss of life during the Sino-Soviet border conflict in March 1969. The dispute over Zhenbao raised concerns that it could ignite World War III until an initial resolution of the conflict in November 1969.

On 19 May 1991, both sides came to an agreement that the island was part of the territory of China, and the Soviet troops withdrew.

A 2004 Russian documentary film, Damansky Island Year 1969. ("Остров Даманский. 1969 год"), was made about the 1969 Zhenbao incident.

References
  1. "Heilongjiang Zhenbaodao Wetland National Nature Reserve". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.


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