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Ding Jie wins the 10th Xu Chi Reportage Literature Award for his reportage work Astonishment at the Ocean. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]

The 10th Xu Chi Reportage Literature Award — one of China's most prestigious nonfiction literary prizes — was announced in Zhejiang on May 16. Jiangsu writer Ding Jie won the Long-form Excellence Award for his reportage work Astonishment at the Ocean, published by Hohai University Press.

Named after Xu Chi, renowned author of Goldbach's Conjecture, the award is presented by the China Reportage Literature Association to honor outstanding contributions to the genre.

Published in late 2023, Astonishment at the Ocean chronicles the remarkable 40-year journey of Yangkou Port in Rudong county, Nantong. Tracing the transformation from barren saline flats to a national-level port city, the book also explores over a millennium of cultural and spiritual history along China's southern Yellow Sea coast. Through a deeply human lens, Ding sheds light on how Yangkou Port emerged from obscurity to become a golden coastline.

The writing process was a monumental effort. Ding processed more than 10 million words of historical materials to produce the 300,000-word volume, weaving together time and space to capture the port's evolution since 1983.

The book has also sparked emotional resonance among readers, especially natives of Rudong living outside the region. "This recognition from fellow townspeople reflects a deep connection to our regional culture," Ding said. "This work shows how realism, grounded in the times, can generate immense power and pride."