A dozen men work to maintain two bridges along the China-Laos Railway. [Photo by Wu Meng and Wang Rui/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A dozen men are proud of their work maintaining two bridges along the China-Laos Railway. They help trains and passengers stay safe every day.
The railway, which connects Kunming, Yunnan province, with the Laotian capital, Vientiane, is a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative. It began operating in December 2021. Along the line, there are 301 bridges.
Two of the bridges — Jinghong Lancangjiang Bridge and Ganlanba Lancangjiang Bridge — are dubbed "brother bridges" because they look alike and both cross the Lancangjiang River, which runs through Yunnan.
To ensure the normal function of the bridges, 12 men, whose average age is 25 — conduct inspections and perform maintenance of their surfaces and supporting structure.
According to team leader Che Han, they have to work late at night, after the trains stop running.
"It's tiring but we are proud of it," he said.
