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A bridge, a person, a lifetime | Stories of "Good People in the New Era" in China
Source:Reprinted from China Civilization Network
Author:
Date:2025-01-03 17:48:17
The Dian-Yue Railway is the first railway in Yunnan Province, and meter-gauge trains have been running on this railway for over a hundred years. In the section of the Dian-Yue Railway in Pingbian County, there is a landmark "Herringbone Bridge" that has stood between cliffs for over a hundred years.
Under the scorching sun, the bridge guard Yang Youguang walks on the "Herringbone Bridge". He has been stationed here for over thirty years. Now, Yang Youguang, along with his wife and several colleagues, takes turns guarding the bridge, ensuring the safety of passing trains.
Yang Youguang inspects inside the tunnel. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
At the age of 18, Yang Youguang was brought to the "Herringbone Bridge" by the armed forces minister right after joining the army, starting his bridge-guarding career, which has lasted for 33 years. Now, he and his wife, along with several colleagues, take turns guarding the bridge, ensuring the safety of passing trains.
During his duty, Yang Youguang wears his work uniform, carries a flashlight, and moves between tunnels and bridges, checking the safety of various railway facilities, especially on the "Herringbone Bridge". This is a job he is very familiar with.
When trains pass over the "Herringbone Bridge", they must go through two tunnels. To ensure safe passage, Yang Youguang not only checks the condition of the bridge surface but also needs to accurately grasp the situation inside the tunnels. He moves in and out of the tunnels, inspecting the overall condition of the bridge, walking down steep steps to check the condition of the components.
The tunnel entrance resembles a human face and is referred to as the "Human Face Tunnel" by locals. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
When a train approaches, Yang Youguang stands at the entrance of his approximately three-square-meter duty room, waiting for the train to pass over the "Herringbone Bridge" and records the time of the train's passage. In addition to his bridge patrols, Yang Youguang organizes work logs, cleans, and picks up trash around the bridge in the duty room at the bridgehead. At 51 years old, Yang Youguang has two children. He is a family-oriented man, leading a simple life of going up the mountain to guard the bridge and coming down to return home, living a life of two points for half his life. Over the years, Yang Youguang's only hobby has been raising and fighting birds, an activity that local Miao men enjoy during their leisure time.
Yang Youguang stands at the bridgehead, and the house on the left in the distance is his home at the foot of the mountain. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
In Yang Youguang's dormitory building, several large characters are very eye-catching—"Where there are people, there is the bridge, coexisting with the bridge". This is his vow that he has practiced for over thirty years. Yang Youguang said, "I have long regarded the 'Herringbone Bridge' as my home." From day to night, from 18 to 51 years old, he has always remembered his responsibilities and missions, never slacking off.
Yang Youguang eats dinner at a stone table next to the dormitory building. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
He is actually a person who loves life. When two bugs fight on the railing, he watches with great fascination. When an old friend comes to repair the bridge, he smiles happily. He is also a person with interests. When going up the mountain, he brings his pet birds to keep him company while guarding the bridge. He is also nostalgic. In the old photo album at home, apart from a wedding photo, the rest are old photos of the Herringbone Bridge and training with comrades while guarding the bridge. His home is built at the foot of the mountain next to the Herringbone Bridge, and when he looks down while guarding the bridge, he can see his home; when he looks up at home, he can also see the bridge. Recently, the village has been renovated, and the house needs to be moved back a distance, which has troubled Yang.
At home, Yang called his wife who was guarding the bridge, saying he forgot where he put the honor certificate that the unit had previously given him, and he wanted to find it to show the reporters.
Yang Youguang is on the phone with his wife. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
This taciturn man may feel that no matter how much he says, it is not as powerful as those honor certificates. Watching Yang stand by the window talking on the phone, with the Herringbone Bridge standing tall behind him, which has weathered a hundred years of storms, several reporters were moved. Youth will eventually fade away, but spring flowers bloom year after year. Perhaps when Yang first arrived at the Herringbone Bridge at eighteen, he never imagined that guarding this bridge would be his lifelong task. Just like some flowers, they are beautiful and excellent, yet they hide in corners and grow deep in the mountains.
Yang Youguang's two newly built houses in Herringbone Bridge Village both face the Herringbone Bridge. He and his wife have dedicated their entire family to the work of guarding the "Herringbone Bridge".
Yang Youguang inspects the bridge. Image source: Xinhua News Agency
Every seemingly ordinary act of perseverance has its significance. After more than thirty years, Yang Youguang has transformed from a handsome young man into a sturdy middle-aged man, and the Dian-Yue Railway is no longer busy. Now, only two trains pass over the "Herringbone Bridge" each day. Nevertheless, Yang Youguang still diligently guards his post, ensuring the safety of passing trains.
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