(Starting the New Year at the Grassroots) Guarding "Ten Thousand Homes' Lights" at the Top of the World — Visiting the Outposts Above 5000 Meters in the Shigatse Military Sub-district of Tibet

China News Service, Shigatse, Tibet, February 23 - Title: Guarding "Ten Thousand Homes' Lights" at the Top of the World - Visiting the Shigatse Military Sub-district's Outpost Above 5000 Meters

China News Service reporter Zhao Lang

Along the long border line in Shigatse, Tibet, the area above 5000 meters is in a perpetual winter. The biting cold wind and thin oxygen are the eternal backdrop here. Oxygen deprivation headaches and slow reactions are the true reflections of most people's initial experiences in this place. However, in this "life forbidden zone," a group of young soldiers is using their youth and blood to guard the lights of countless homes behind them.

From Earth Dens to Sunshine Rooms: A Huge Change in the Outpost

"The old squad leader said that when they first arrived, this mountain was bare, with nothing at all." At the Renla Outpost, which is at an altitude of 5309 meters, officer Wang Yeting recalls the descriptions of his predecessors. At that time, the soldiers drank water that seeped from the thin film laid in dug pits, and going months without a bath was common. The place for duty was a previously dug earth den.

Now, all of that has become a thing of the past. The reporter from China News Service saw at the outpost that solid barracks, warm sunshine rooms, and continuously supplied air conditioning and heating have completely improved the conditions for border defense. The opening of the internet has made "the ends of the earth" feel like "within reach." Wang Yeting can video call his family every day, watching his two lovely children grow up on the screen, and that concern no longer feels powerless due to the vast distance. It is reported that all outposts on the front line have seen significant and uniform improvements in hardware conditions.

Photo shows officer Wang Yeting at the Renla Outpost assigning tasks for the Spring Festival. Zhao Lang Photography

To welcome the New Year, Wang Yeting and his comrades are enthusiastically preparing "blind box draws" and various fun games, making this Spring Festival at the snowy peak filled with the warmth of home.

While guarding the peace of "everyone," it is inevitable to worry about one's own "small family." When mentioning his family, Wang Yeting is filled with deep guilt. Since getting married in 2020, he and his wife have two children, but one scene has not changed in six years: "Every time I return to the unit after leave, my wife never sees me off. As soon as I put on my backpack, she hides in the room and cries." Others in the family also fear facing the scene of parting, and it always ends up being his mother or mother-in-law who silently sees him off.

What troubles him even more is an incident when his father was seriously injured and hospitalized, the family had heavy farm work, his mother was running around, and his wife, who was pregnant, had to take care of their young child. Meanwhile, he was shouldering heavy border defense duties and could not be by his family's side when they needed him the most, "It feels very painful." In his words, Wang Yeting is filled with guilt.

"Returning to the Unit is Returning Home": The Glory of Nine Years of Commitment

Unlike Wang Yeting, soldier Danzeng Duoji at the Renla Outpost is a native of Tibet. Enlisted in 2017, he has been guarding the border for nine springs and autumns. He has personally witnessed the development of the border outpost, where the dirt road leading to the outpost has turned into a smooth highway, with stable water and electricity, sufficient oxygen, and even the ability to take hot showers at any time. "Before, we could only go to the county to take showers as a group; now it's much more convenient."

Coming from a farming family, Danzeng Duoji has found his life's value in the military and has been honored with military achievements multiple times. For him, not returning home for the Spring Festival or Tibetan New Year is no longer "lonely." He laughs and says, "In the army for nine years, I've only gone home for the New Year twice. I spend more time with my comrades than with my family. Returning to the unit is like returning home; this is my second home."

This Spring Festival and Tibetan New Year, Danzeng Duoji enjoyed dried beef and "Kase" (Tibetan snacks) sent from his family in Sangri County, Shannan. He humorously mentions his father: "He likes to drink, and every time during the holidays, I dare not give him too much red envelope money, fearing he will spend it all on alcohol."

In the material reserve area of the Renla Outpost, the reporter saw stacks of rice, flour, oil, and fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as a complete range of commonly used medicines. With the improved conditions, even the most remote outposts can have all daily necessities delivered within two days.

The "Green" Youth Blossoms at an Altitude of 5592 Meters

"5592," this altitude is the name of the highest outpost in the military. The first lesson upon arriving here is to adapt to the thin oxygen.

25-year-old Zhang Ronghua, when he first arrived here, was filled with excitement and pride, and in the blink of an eye, he has been guarding the border for several years. He said, "No matter how difficult the conditions, just thinking about being a tiny individual participating in the defense of the country's territory makes me feel particularly proud."

Photo shows soldiers at the 5592 Outpost repairing the steps. Zhao Lang Photography

At nearly 5600 meters, green is rarely seen throughout the year. However, in the sunshine shed of the outpost, tender green grass is thriving in the flower pots. This hard-won touch of green is specially planted by the soldiers, and they cherish it greatly.

The squad leader of the 5592 Outpost, He Shurong, told the reporter from China News Service that getting haircuts used to be a problem in remote outposts. Now, comrades practice on each other, and everyone has developed the skills of a "barber." Far from towns and villages, the occasional visit from a mobile supermarket has become a holiday for the soldiers. "Sometimes when comrades go to the county, they also bring back fried chicken, hamburgers, and milk tea," Zhang Ronghua added, noting that the conditions at the outpost have improved significantly and are not as isolated as the outside world imagines. On ordinary days, playing basketball, singing karaoke, and gaming are all common entertainment activities for young people, even at the snowy mountain peak.

Despite the strong winds year-round, sometimes blowing sand and dust obscuring the sun and rattling windows, the soldiers' lives are always full of vitality.

The Wind is So Strong that the National Flag Needs to be Changed Almost Every Week

From the northeast of the motherland to the southwest, soldier Li Cundong has crossed 5000 kilometers from Heilongjiang and has been stationed at the Chaguola Outpost at an altitude of 5318 meters for over ten years. He said that the wind here is so strong that a new national flag needs to be changed almost every week.

Li Cundong describes the daily routine: even when encountering blizzards, patrols are unwavering. If vehicles cannot pass, they go on foot. Carrying 20 to 30 kilograms, trekking along the border line above 5000 meters is a common occurrence. Once, they set out in the dark and returned only when it was dark again, spending the whole day solving meal issues in the patrol vehicle. "It is these ordinary yet special experiences that repeatedly engrave the awareness of border defense in our hearts. Whenever we encounter anything, it will be like a nail, firmly embedded here."

Photo shows Li Cundong performing observation tasks at the Chaguola Outpost. Zhao Lang Photography

In the sunshine room of the outpost, there are flowers and green plants, as well as stone paintings made by the soldiers, each stroke filled with a desire for life and a yearning for greenery. "In everything we do, we treat the outpost like home, making it more comfortable," Li Cundong said. If we cannot change the environment, we change ourselves, turning the hardships of the environment into motivation for work.

In front is the border, and behind are the lights of countless homes. The security of the nation is accomplished by individuals like them, who abandon personal small righteousness and integrate into the greater righteousness of the country.

The snow and wind above 5000 meters cannot blow away the soldiers' will to persevere. The soldiers' youth shines even brighter because of the wind and snow here. At the top of the world, they guard every inch of the territory with their lives, allowing the lights of countless homes in the motherland to shine warmly and peacefully every night. (End)