Editor's note: This is the longest highway in China, stretching from Kanas in Xinjiang in the north to Dongxing, Guangxi in the south, passing through Xinjiang, Tibet, Yunnan and Guangxi, and the total length of 10,065 kilometers when fully completed.
This is the highest road in the world, crossing the world-famous Kunlun, Gundes, Himalayas...
This is the highway with the strongest national characteristics, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Mongolians, Hui, Russians, Tibetans, Dulong, Dai, Jingpo, Zhuang, Jing... Dozens of ethnic groups live along the road.
It's a thrilling highway, rushing down the Altai Mountains, through snowy mountains, grasslands, deserts, glaciers, rainforests and finally the blue sea.
This is National Highway 219!
Beginning on March 29, the Xinhua News Agency interview team ran along National Highway 219 from the snowy mountains to the sea.
As marching reporting unfolds, this issue of "I'm On" captures several gripping interviews experienced by journalists north of the Tianshan Mountains to tell you the story behind the photos exclusively.
Climb the snowy mountains with your equipment on your back and meet Suka, who guards the "wonderland on earth"
The reporter's 20,000-li "covenant of mountains and seas" began in the Kanas scenic area at the starting point of the G219 national highway. Here, there is a world-famous mountain village - Hemu Village, wooden houses made of logs stand quietly, small bridges and flowing water, cooking smoke... The quaint mountain village is as charming as Kanas Lake. It was in this "wonderland on earth" that the reporter found a story that was more touching than the beauty.
Although it is not the peak tourist season, just after 7 a.m., dozens of tourists from all over the country began to climb the Harden platform on the back mountain of Hemu Village, which is the best place to watch the sunrise. At about 9:30, tourists began to descend the mountain one after another, and almost at the same time, at the horse farm at the foot of the mountain, Suka, secretary of the party branch and director of the village committee of Hemu Village, had already rode horses with members of the professional cooperative of farmers of the sightseeing horse team and began to go up the mountain along the horse road.
On March 30, Suka (center) and the horse team members looked at the village from the viewing platform on the back mountain of Hemu Village. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
After a while, Suka and several members of the horse team ascended the platform overlooking the village and discussed the future development of the horse team. "It feels good to be part of the horse team and earn money every day!" Adeli, a member of the horse team, told reporters, "In the peak season, I can earn about 1,000 yuan a day." ”
"The mountain circuit can't be seen, and the sky above the snow leaves a horse." The horse's hooves were galloping, but the reporter faltered, carrying dozens of pounds of equipment to climb the snowy mountains, and finally caught up with the horse team.
On March 30, reporter Li Xiang was interviewed and filmed in the snow. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Fei Maohua
The reporter found that in order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, in addition to deep cultivation around tourism services, Suka also led the villagers to establish a professional cooperative of mountain nectar breeding farmers, introduced investment in the construction of Jikeprin Ski Resort, and the Burjin County (Kanas Scenic Area) mineral water plant project with a total investment of millions of yuan is also about to come out - on the snowy plain, Suka, who is praised as the "guardian" by the villagers, is leading the group to "gallop" on the road of rural revitalization.
Visit horse teams, homestays, schools, shops... On a busy day, Suka's footsteps did not stop, and the reporter's shutter kept constantly. Towards 8 p.m., the sun was about to set and the cold wind was getting started. The reporter said goodbye to Suka and advised him to return home early, only to learn that his wife and two daughters were in Altay, more than 200 kilometers away, and that he was working alone in the village.
"I don't see you a few times a year. If you're busy, you won't see each other once in a few months. Suka said.
"Then don't your wife and children complain about you?" The reporter asked.
"I said no way. I grew up here, I worked here, I did something practical for the villagers, and that's it, that's what I told them. ”
On March 30, Suka rode around the village on a mountain tour. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
When the setting sun cast the last rays of light on Suka, his hair shining golden in the wind, the scene reminded the reporter of the morning when Suka galloped on his horse.
Perhaps, on the road of rural revitalization, every gallop with great spirit, there are busy figures like Suka, and more silent dedication behind this figure, which is why we will win.
Try the Tacheng cheese bun and feel the "sweetness" of the multi-ethnic group
After driving about 700 kilometers south along the G219 national highway, the reporter came to Tacheng, a small border town where 25 ethnic groups live. There is a food that is taking the country by storm, and it is the "Tower City cheese bag". The reporter couldn't help but find out.
On April 1, at the Tacheng Frontier Food Shop, employees were making "Tacheng Cheese Buns". Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Fei Maohua
In a food factory called Jiangqu Food Store, the reporter saw that employees of Han, Hui, Uygur, Daur and other ethnic groups were working together and dividing labor to carry out the last few processes before the launch of the "Tacheng Cheese Bag": the staff skillfully cut the baked bread into four pieces, each piece and cut two horizontal cuts, and then spread thick cheese and raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts on the sliced bread... Finally, sprinkle with another layer of powdered milk.
Taking a bite of the made "Tacheng cheese bag", the mellow aroma of bread, the silky milk aroma, the crispy aroma of nuts, and the fruity aroma of dried fruits collide and blend in the mouth, and finally form a rich sweet aroma, which brings a "sweet crit" to the taste buds of the reporter.
Cheese packs are available everywhere, but why are Tacheng's cheese buns popular throughout the country? In the interview, the reporter found that all ethnic groups in Tacheng have lived and interacted together for a long time, and the food culture has influenced each other, borrowed and intersected, forming a strong folk custom, coupled with the enthusiasm of Tacheng people for food, and finally cultivated "Tacheng cheese bag", a cuisine that integrates the characteristics of multiple ethnic foods.
On April 1, at the Tacheng Frontier Food Shop, Wang Huipeng (fourth from right), founder of the food factory, and some employees took a group photo in the factory area. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
Perhaps, the photo can't take the taste, but the "Tacheng cheese bag" in the photo is the sweetness of the food, and the sweetness is in the mouth; It is also the "sweetness" of national integration and unity, sweet in the heart.
Night visit to the "Fengkou National Gate" to explore the "heart" of Alashankou
Can you imagine? There is such a place on National Highway 219, with an average of more than 180 days of windy weather above grade 8 per year, even trees cannot stand up their backbones and can only bend over to grow. This is the Alashan Pass, the "gate of the wind and the country" after Tacheng to the south and driving along the 219 national highway for more than 200 kilometers. Here, there is a group of "guards of the wind mouth country".
During the interview, the reporter was pleasantly surprised to find that three of them were "family", and their names all had a "xin" in their names: Cui Hongwu, nicknamed Xinkang, his wife Liu Xin, and their "child", the police dog Kang Xin. Loyalty, love, responsibility, initiative... During the three days and two nights here, the reporter explored the "heart" of Alashankou.
When the reporter saw Cui Hongwu, it was late at night.
In the early hours of April 4, several freight trains from Kazakhstan arrived. Cui Hongwu and two colleagues set off in the cold wind to begin the inspection work, filtering every detail of the train precisely.
Cui Hongwu, 28, has been doing this kind of work for 10 years.
In the early morning of April 4, Cui Hongwu (front) and his colleagues carried out the investigation of the car body. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
It was spring, but after nightfall, the temperature dropped below freezing. Coupled with the constant gusts of cold wind, journalists in down jackets need to constantly stomp their feet to barely withstand this bone-chilling cold.
Trains slowly moved in and sped away. Cui Hongwu and his colleagues repeated the skillful and machine-like rigorous and accurate inspection.
With the first rays of sunlight in the morning, Cui Hongwu ended the night of rush. Almost at the same time, his wife, Liu Xin, had woken up in the dormitory and was ready to go on duty. The two agreed to have breakfast together in the cafeteria. A 15-minute breakfast, but a rare time in the day for the little couple. The reporter hurriedly recorded this warm moment.
Cui Hongwu (left) and Liu Xin have breakfast in the canteen of the unit on April 4. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
"I thought about hardship, but I didn't expect it to be so hard." Recalling the scene when she came to Alashankou in 2019, Liu Xin told reporters with a smile, "The wind can away, it's not an exaggeration, I was 110 pounds at that time." ”
Alashankou has since become the meeting point of Cui Hongwu and Liu Xin. Here they met, got to know each other, fell in love and entered the marriage hall in April 2020. Six months later, the police dog Kang Xin also joined the small family.
Liu Xin is the first batch of female police dog handlers at the Xinjiang Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, and Kang Xin's main job is drug search. "Kang Xin is very sensitive to smells, and once it has a heavy smell action, I usually ask my colleagues to focus on checking and double-check whether there is any problem." Liu Xin introduced that anti-drug dogs mainly rely on smell to work, and any smell on the police with dogs may affect it, so she never uses cosmetics and skin care products.
On April 4, Liu Xin and police dog Kang Xin underwent a car body inspection. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
At 10 o'clock in the morning, when the first inbound truck drove into the duty point of the Alashankou entry-exit border checkpoint, the reporter followed Liu Xin and Kang Xin to work. At 19 o'clock in the evening, Liu Xin took Kang Xin back to the kennel, bathed and fed it, and the whole process took three or four hours. It was not until after 22 o'clock at night that Liu Xin returned to the dormitory of the two. At this time, Cui Hongwu was already dressed and ready to go.
This is the day of this "post-95" little couple, an ordinary day.
"What are your plans for the future?" The reporter asked.
Cui Hongwu (right), Liu Xin and police dog Kang Xin walk at the Alashankou National Gate on April 3. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
"Go down step by step at work, do it steadfastly, and plan to have a baby as soon as possible in life." Cui Hongwu said they were ready to take turns to take care of both parents in Xinjiang, "I really owe too much to my parents over the years, I have worked for 10 years, and I am on duty here every Spring Festival every year, and I did not celebrate the New Year with the elderly." ”
"What made you choose to stay?"
"Because the conditions on the frontier are very difficult, our hearts are closer. Because the wind is strong at Alashankou, our roots are deeper. ”
Perhaps, they, like all the "guards of the wind outlet country", have long been accustomed to such work and life. Walking out of the 20-square-meter dormitory of the two, the night was as cool as water, and the windy streets were almost empty, but there was a warm current in the reporter's heart.
Lake Serimu at sunset taken on April 6. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xiang
After the interview at Alashankou, the reporter continued to travel along the 219 national highway to Serimu Lake and saw a light blue "ice push" stretching for tens of kilometers. The surface of the lake, which has been frozen for months, is gradually melting, and the vast Serimu Lake is playing the prelude to spring.
Early the next morning, the reporter got up early and set off, looked up and saw "the bright moon rising from the Tianshan Mountains, the vast sea of clouds", and his heart was instantly turbulent: Looking back at several interviews north of the Tianshan Mountains, it was the silent dedication and perseverance of countless ordinary people like Suka, Adli, Wang Huipeng, Cui Hongwu, Liu Xin, etc., that built everyone's beautiful life today, and the future is as hopeful as spring.
On April 7, the reporter crossed the Tianshan Mountain Range and headed to southern Xinjiang. Just like the magnificent scenery of National Highway 219, full of Chinese stories in the new era, the 20,000-li "Covenant of Mountains and Seas", wonderful reports along the way continue.
Curated by: Lan Hongguang
Coordinator: Fei Maohua, Zhou Daqing, Liu Jinhai
Reporter: Li Xiang
Editors: Deng Jian, Xu Jiayi, Yin Dongxun