Waiting at the dock — sometimes in fog, driving rain, high winds, or floodwaters — is a shared ritual for nearly every islander.
The ferry service ends at 6 pm, but emergencies do not keep a schedule. Before a dedicated medical crossing was established, residents had to hire private boats at their own expense for urgent trips.
Yan recalls being awakened at 1 am by a knock on his cabin door; a pregnant woman was about to give birth and needed transport. He dressed quickly to depart, only to learn that the baby had arrived before the mother could board.
"The advantage of a bridge is that it won't be limited by time, wind or rain," he says. "Besides that, it will also make it easier for our agricultural products to reach larger markets."
Among those products is Bailizhou's famed sand pear. Yan has watched the fruit's journey off the island evolve, from farmers lining up at 3 am with bicycles piled high with crates to motorcycles, and now to three-wheeled vehicles and trucks carrying pears to markets much farther away.
The bridge's first foundation pile was driven in Baimasi village, where about one-third of residents grow pears, according to village Party secretary Yang Chengjin.
The project, Yang reveals, fulfills the wishes of generations.
"Many elderly people in our village say their biggest hope is to walk on the bridge and see it with their own eyes."
She envisions the development of pear-picking orchards once the bridge opens. A ramp for nonmotorized vehicles will descend near the village's entrance. "In summer, people from Zhijiang can come here to pick pears," she says, hoping it will boost the entire village's economy.
Zeng Xiang, a native of Bailizhou who participated in the bridge's construction, notes that planners took into account the heavy use of electric bikes and three-wheeled vehicles. Lanes for nonmotorized traffic are being built on both sides of the highway bridge to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians.
"When I first heard the bridge would be built, I was thrilled," Zeng says. "I've devoted myself fully to it — not just for me, but for our hometown."
During the holiday rush, the dock at Bailizhou teems with travelers, and Yan's schedule tightens. Boats that once departed every 30 minutes leave roughly every 10.
As in years past, he and his wife are spending the Chinese New Year aboard the ferry. According to his observation, few passengers travel from Zhijiang to the island from the first to the fourth day of Spring Festival; after that, islanders begin departing again for jobs elsewhere.
Safety remains his chief concern. Before departure, he sweeps dust from the dock and reminds each traveler to wear a life jacket.
"This boat is surrounded by water on all sides, and danger is always present. We must stay vigilant."
He has four years until retirement. Whether he will continue operating the ferry after the bridge opens will depend on public demand.
After 34 years on the river, Yan has seen his vessel upgraded three times, each one better than the last.
"Society is developing; life doesn't stay the same," he says. "This bridge will certainly be good for Bailizhou."
