Changbai Mountain Tianchi: A heart-warming outpost at the border of wind and snow

Source: Xinhua News Agency Military Branch, People's Liberation Army News And Communication Center Rong Media

Author: Mei Shixiong Liu Baorui Wang Zhenshu

　　Not long ago, recruit Liu Maorui stepped on the patrol road for the first time, and encountered extremely cold weather of minus 43 degrees Celsius.

　　"It was really heart-wrenching cold, and within a few minutes my whole body was frozen." From the east coast of China to the Tianchi post in Changbai Mountain in the northeast, Liu Maorui, a soldier of a border defense brigade of the Army in the Northern Theater, had imagined the cold here, but he did not expect it to be so cold.

　　After returning from the patrol, Liu Maorui, whose cotton hat, nose protection and eyelashes were covered with thick white frost, immediately felt warm as spring as soon as he stepped into the gate of the outpost.

　　"Since the Nineteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our arduous outpost on the northeast border defense line has gradually been built into a well-known heart-warming post." Deputy company commander and sentry commander Guo Yanlong said.

　　As the highest border post in the northeast, the suffering of the Tianchi post has made generations of officers and soldiers unforgettable.

　　"Rice is not steamed, oxygen is not enough, spring comes early in June, and snowflakes flutter in September." This oil poem vividly expresses the hardships of the officers and men of the Tianchi outpost.

　　According to Zhang Tiancong, the platoon leader, in the Tianchi outpost, the wind above level 8 in the whole year reached more than 260 days, and the maximum wind force in an instant could reach 14 levels, and the roof of the previous outpost weighing more than 10 tons was often directly overturned by the strong wind.

　　Sergeant Xue Muyao has been stationed at the post for 5 years. In his opinion, the most bitter thing before was the shortage of water in winter.

　　"Our main source of water is meltwater from ice and snow, and the officers and men shovel the snow into the water cellar and then melt it into water by heating." Xue Muyao said that the shortage of water resources once made bathing a very luxurious thing, and officers and soldiers often could not take a hot bath once a month.

　　The problem of heating has also plagued the officers and soldiers here. "In previous years, the outpost mainly relied on burning coal for heating, and due to the thin oxygen, the heating coal was not burned completely, which produced toxic gases such as carbon monoxide." Wu Chenxi, the instructor of the company, said, "For safety, you can't leave people next to the coal stove, and in the morning, your face is all blackened, and no part of your body is clean." ”

　　Today, the Tianchi outpost has undergone historic changes.

　　The reporter braved the 10-level wind to come to the post. The first thing that catches your eye is the thick and sturdy roof. Guo Yanlong introduced that the roof of the outpost now weighs more than 20 tons and is welded with 7 mm thick steel plate, which can effectively resist extremely bad windy weather.

　 The gate of the outpost is made of aluminum material, and the window glass is also double-layered cold protection design, which creates a warm and comfortable harbor for the officers and soldiers. Guo Yanlong praised the new doors and windows: "In the past, when there was a strong wind, the doors and windows vibrated together with the entire barracks, and it was difficult for the officers and men to sleep, and now the sound of the wind was particularly small. ”

　　Entering the post, a strong smell of food wafted through the air, and the officers and men were preparing lunch. In the kitchen, steamers, ovens, rice cookers, microwave ovens, bread machines, soy milk machines, pressure cookers... All kinds of cooking utensils are available.

　　Sergeant Lutong is using the oven to make egg tarts for his comrades. He said: "Now there are a complete variety of cooking utensils, there are many cooking tricks, and you can do whatever you want. ”

　　Whether it is the kitchen operation room, the study activity room, or the washing room and toilet, the first-class hardware facilities allow the reporter to break the inherent impression of the harsh environment of border defense.

　　When I walked into the dormitories of officers and soldiers, I felt a burst of warmth in an instant. The thermometer on the wall shows that the temperature inside is 20 degrees Celsius, and the temperature difference between the outside is more than 60 degrees Celsius. Guo Yanlong introduced that in 2015, the first electric boiler was installed at the post, replacing the old coal-fired boiler; in 2019, the second electric boiler was installed at the post, and the indoor heating problem was completely solved.

　　Descending down the stairs to the first floor of the post, the reporter saw that there were 3 areas for officers and soldiers to carry out physical exercise and leisure and entertainment. Treadmills, spinning bikes, multi-functional fitness equipment, billiards, chess, all kinds of musical instruments are readily available.

　　Opposite the cultural and sports activity room is a water cellar for water storage. In recent years, the brigade party committee has replaced the water cellar of the outpost with new heaters, and the snow has melted faster. Filtration equipment has also been installed, and after the snow melts, it will carry out 2 precipitations, 2 rough filtrations and 1 disinfection, which will be supplied to officers and soldiers for washing, bathing, washing dishes, and cleaning, so as to provide clean water sources for officers and soldiers to the greatest extent.

　　One effective measure after another has enhanced the appearance of the post and warmed the hearts of officers and men.

　　"Barracks facilities have improved, conditions have improved, and our 'home' has become warmer." Sergeant Sun Hubing said, "We will certainly live up to the party's concern and stand guard well for the motherland, put up a good post, and guard the border." (Produced by the Xinhua News Agency Military Branch and the People's Liberation Army News and Communication Center)