Woody Island is part of the Amphitrite Group in the eastern Paracels and is approximately equidistant from Hainan and the Vietnam coast.

The Chinese Qing dynasty, France (on behalf of Annam), Japan, and the Republic of China had all established a presence on the island at various points of time in history.

[8] Fishing activities in the South China Sea region surrounding the island have been documented in the records of earlier Chinese dynasties.

[9] In 1909 Zhang Renjun (Chinese: 張人駿), the Viceroy of Liangguang ordered Guangdong Fleet Admiral Li Zhun to sail to the island.

Bell) would bombard Woody Island destroying a Japanese weather station and radio equipment, an administration building, a jetty, and several fishing boats.

[citation needed] Following Japan's surrender at the end of the war, the Nationalist Chinese government sent naval expeditions to the South China Sea in 1946 to claim the Spratly and Paracel Islands, and established a permanent presence on Woody Island and Itu Aba.

[12] France had a chance to take over the islands, but decided not to, for fear of compromising its interests with the newly established PRC.

[citation needed] Under PRC control, the island is administered by the Yongxingdao Town Government and is the seat of Sansha, a prefecture-level city of Hainan.

The Sansha Yongxing Airport was completed in July 1990,[16] with a 2,700-metre runway[17] that is capable of handling any fourth generation fighter aircraft of the PLA Naval Air Force such as the Chengdu J-10AH, Shenyang J-11BH, Xian JH-7A, and Sukhoi Su-30MK2.

[18] Other constructions include three main roads and an 800-metre long concrete causeway connecting to Rocky Island (石岛/đảo Đá).

The island's administrative centre is located on Beijing Road, which has an Industrial and Commercial Bank of China branch, a hospital, various shops, hostels, food stations, a post office, small department stores and an aquatic company.

[24] In April 2017, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative – a US think tank based in Washington – reported that a Shenyang J-11BH fighter aircraft was spotted on the island in satellite photos taken on 29 March 2017.

[26] In May 2018, based on PLA Air Force defence circulars and Chinese social media posts, the Washington Post and Washington based Asia maritime transparency initiative reported that China had landed long range bombers on the island as part of a defense exercise.

Supply ships arrive monthly; during this time residents spend two days at the pier unloading materiel.