Xinjiang Military Region Hongqilafu Border Defense Company: Writing Loyalty in a Forbidden Zone of Life

Xinjiang Military District Hongqilafu Border Defense Company——

Life Forbidden Zone Writes Loyalty

■ Miao Guanglin, PLA Reporter Wang Yue

In summer, on the Pamir Plateau, the snow-capped peaks rise into the clouds. Soldiers of the Xinjiang Military District Hongqilafu Border Defense Company patrolled to a point at an altitude of over 4,700 meters, where they conducted a micro party class themed “Talking Loyalty in Front of the Boundary Monument.”

“We must continue to carry forward the fine tradition of our company: ‘the more remote the area, the more we need to unite our hearts and souls; the more dangerous the situation, the stronger the party organization must be!’” encouraged Han Quan, the deputy secretary of the company’s party branch and company commander, to the soldiers.

Established in 1949, the Hongqilafu Border Defense Company has stationed its troops on the Pamir Plateau, known as the “Mother of Mountains and Source of Waters.” Here, the oxygen content in the air is less than 60% of that in plain areas, and temperatures can drop to as low as -40°C, making it a true life forbidden zone.

For more than 70 years, generations of soldiers in the Hongqilafu Border Defense Company, under the leadership of the company’s party branch, have written loyalty through their steadfastness and interpreted responsibility through their struggles—

“Dynamic dispersion should not be an excuse for the difficulty in implementing organizational life systems, but rather a ‘touchstone’ for testing party character!” During an interview, Zhang Qifeng, the secretary of the company’s party branch, said that in recent years, the party branch has focused on the reality of having many points, a wide area, and dispersed personnel, deeply carrying out education themed “Remembering Chairman Xi’s Care and Striving to Be the Vanguard of National Defense and Border Protection,” setting micro party classes at the national border, on patrol routes, and in front of boundary monuments; constructing a red education group centered around “one company, one post, one gate” and “one museum, one station, one hall,” making it easier for soldiers to receive the influence of red culture. In addition, the company’s party members and key personnel have also taken the lead in carrying out activities like “Writing a New Chapter for the Company’s History, Adding Glory to the Banner,” allowing the spirit of Hongqilafu, which is “Rooted in the Pamirs, Loyal to Border Defense,” to be passed down from generation to generation, continuously enhancing the cohesion, unity, and combat effectiveness of the party branch.

The more arduous the task, the more party members and key personnel must charge to the front lines; the harsher the environment, the more the fighting fortress must be as solid as a rock. On the patrol route in Wufulang Valley, the story of party member and first-class sergeant Xiao Yao, who fearlessly charged forward in the face of death, is still fresh in everyone’s memory.

Wufulang Valley, known locally as the “Valley of Death.” Before the road was repaired, every time the company’s soldiers patrolled, they had to cross several snow-capped mountains over 5,000 meters high and wade through ice rivers more than 30 times, all while risking being struck by falling rocks.

In July 2022, when Xiao Yao led the way across the river, both he and a yak were overturned by the swift current. In a critical moment, he tightly wrapped the whip around the yak’s saddle bridge and was eventually rescued by his comrades. When asked if he was afraid, he said, “At that moment, it felt like I was going to be swept away by the river; saying I wasn’t afraid would be a lie. But I am a party member, and I must charge to the front in urgent and dangerous tasks.”

In the Hongqilafu Border Defense Company, the exemplary role of party members is not only reflected in every life-and-death test but also integrated into the daily patrol duties.

Once, when a patrol team returned from a reconnaissance mission at a certain point, they were suddenly caught in a blizzard with extremely low visibility. Party member and assault team leader Cheng Cheng remained calm and led the way at the front of the team to find the path. In the end, the team returned safely.

During the interview, one statistic left a deep impression on the reporter: the company’s jurisdiction has not experienced any border-related issues for over 40 years.

As times change and conditions improve, the loyalty of the soldiers of the Hongqilafu Border Defense Company to the party has remained unchanged, and the tradition of party members and key personnel being determined to defend the border and lead the charge continues to thrive.