Soldiers risk life and limb for dam's safety

In a memorial hall in Shimian county, Ya'an, Sichuan province, a 10.5-meter-long wooden boat, its hull weathered and riddled with bullet holes, bears witness to one of the most pivotal moments of the Long March, the Red Army's arduous strategic relocation from 1934 to 1936.

In May 1935, 17 Red Army soldiers crossed the 300-meter-wide Dadu River under heavy fire in the only boat they had, opening a path for the main force.

Today, some 20 kilometers upstream, soldiers from the Sichuan corps of the People's Armed Police Force guarding the Dagangshan hydropower station still talk about that harrowing crossing.

The hydropower station spans the Dadu River with a 210-meter-high dam that supplies power to Sichuan and East China, according to Chen Xingyu, political instructor of the 4th duty squadron of the Ya'an detachment.

The area is prone to earthquakes, flash floods and landslides.

"The Dadu River runs through several urban areas, and the dam's safety affects millions of people," Chen said. "That's one of the reasons we're here."

A major duty of the unit stationed there is to patrol the dam and surrounding mountainsides for safety hazards. The route from the dam's base to a summit observation point climbs 430 meters in elevation, with the most treacherous stretch consisting of more than 1,000 steps built into the cliff face.

"Plant your feet before you move. Don't look down," squad leader Wang Long warned as he turned to steady a new recruit behind him.

Frequent rain leaves the steps slippery, forcing the soldiers to grip the handrail at every step. In some sections, the path is so narrow that they have to press themselves against the mountainside.

"Every time we finish the route, our uniforms are soaked with sweat," said Wang, who has guarded the dam for seven years. The year-round humidity causes rashes, and some veterans suffer from rheumatism and joint pain, he added.

Soldier Li Wenmin said mosquitoes and midges leave itchy bites, while in weedy areas, the soldiers must also watch out for snakes.

"Far from the city, loneliness is also a huge test," Wang said. "But when I think about the power generated during one sentry shift — enough for three or four hundred households for a whole year — I feel it's worth it."

After completing their observations at the summit, the soldiers usually take a short break, during which they often talk about the Red Army.

"The duty is hard indeed," said soldier Bai Mengqi. "But the spirit of the Red Army inspires us to walk our own Long March in this new era."

The unit's sense of duty was further tested on Sept 5, 2022, when a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck neighboring Luding county in the Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Sichuan.

Just over 10 minutes after the earthquake, the squadron dispatched a rescue team to Caoke township in Shimian, one of the hardest-hit areas, where roads were severely damaged and communications were completely cut off.

The soldiers marched through the night along damaged roads. Landslide debris had piled up into treacherous slopes, with the rushing Dadu River on one side. Aftershocks kept coming, and rocks continued to fall.

Corporal Yao Yunjie, following platoon leader Yu Liangbin, could not help asking, "Platoon leader, where's the road?"

Without turning around, Yu shouted back, his voice breaking in the wind: "Was there a road when the Red Army crossed the Dadu River? Follow my footprints!"

The team climbed onto a pile of debris where massive rocks lay jumbled together. Yao slipped, with half his body dangling in midair. Squad leader Meng Honglei, right behind him, grabbed his backpack and shouted, "Grab me! Don't let go!"

Pulled to safety, Yao was trembling, but he gritted his teeth, stood up and said, "I'm fine. Let's keep going."

After walking for 17 hours straight, the team became one of the first rescue forces to reach Caoke. In the following days, they rescued more than 15 injured people and relocated more than 200 residents to safety.

The land around Dagangshan is barren, but huangguogan, a local tangerine, thrives there. Grateful for the soldiers' protection, local residents bring the fruit to the camp gate every harvest season before quietly slipping away.

"The huangguogan is like our enduring Long March spirit," said squadron leader Hu Jingbo. "Through wind and storm, it only grows stronger."