The World’s Oldest Life-saving Organization Restored in Zhenjiang
A ceremony marking the restoration of Jingkou Life-saving Society in Zhenjiang, China was held on November 30, 2023, signifying the rejuvenation of the world’s oldest water rescue organization that ceased operation in the 1950s.
The registration approval was announced at the ceremony to formally acknowledge the reactivation of the Society that used to operate along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River, the longest river in China and the third longest river in the world with a length 6,300 kilometres.
“The restoration shows our confident determination to carry forward the life-saving culture that manifests our efforts to cultivate the unique cultural heritage of Zhenjiang,” said Ma Minglong, the party secretary of Zhenjiang municipal government. “The Zhenjiang government will support as usual the development of the Society with an aim to build China Life-saving Cultural Park as part of the National Cultural Park of the Yangtze River outlined by the central government.”
The city of Zhenjiang is regarded as the birthplace and spearhead of water rescue in ancient China. It is recorded that lifeboats were deployed in Jinshan, northwest of Zhenjiang City as early as in 1026. The Jingkou Life-saving Society firstly emerged as Yushan wind shelter in 1630s and was formally set up by 15 local philanthropists in 1702. The Society has engaged in voluntary water rescue for over 390 years till 1950s when it stopped operation after merged with Zhenjiang Voluntary Rescue Station.
As the world’s earliest civil life-saving organization with the longest history of operation, Jingkou Life-saving Society has cultivated its unique cultural barely known to the public. Supported by China Diving and Salvage Association (CDSA), Zhenjiang Foundation for Justice and Courage carried out thorough study of the literary and historical data that yielded substantial and concrete outcome that led the inception of restoration.
“Jingkou Life-saving Society is a significant historical and cultural window of Zhenjiang and Jiangsu's foreign exchange and cooperation, and also the most beautiful epitome of China's Yangtze River life-saving culture,” said Yan Weiping, vice president of CDSA. “The findings has filled the gap in historical study and serves strong reference to prove the status of China’s water life-saving culture on the world arena.”
The book, “Research on the Origin of Life-saving on the Yangtze River in Ancient China”, was released at the ceremony, along with the unveiling of the historical site of the Society as the International Education Base for Rescue and Salvage Culture, Jiangsu Provincial Demonstration Base for Water Search and Rescue and Zhenjiang Educational Base for Justice and Courage respectively.