CCTV News: On the eve of the Qingming Festival, the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania held a Qingming Festival memorial service at the cemetery of Chinese experts in Tanzania, deeply remembering the Chinese experts who sacrificed their lives for the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia railway and other Sino-Tanzania cooperation projects.
Qingming sends acacia, flowers send loyal souls. The cemetery of Chinese experts, located in the western suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is buried in the cemetery of 70 Chinese experts and skilled workers who died in the line of duty for assisting Tanzania's national construction, and most of these martyrs died while aiding the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway.
Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian and Tanzanian Minister of Works and Transport Mbarawa walked up the stone steps of the cemetery, sorted out the couplets, bowed and saluted, and all the personnel paid a silent tribute and bowed three times to remember the experts who were buried here in China's assistance to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and other Tanzania-aided projects.
Chen Mingjian, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, said: "These Chinese experts have used their lives to create an indelible monument of friendship for China-Tanzania practical cooperation, and the governments and people of China and Tanzania will always remember their contributions and sacrifices to China-Tanzania friendship." ”
Huang Yuzheng, head of the Schistosomiasis Control Expert Group in Zanzibar, said that he came to the Chinese Expert Cemetery to remember the experts who died in a foreign country, and at the same time to carry forward their spirit and work together to promote the building of a community of health for all.
Zhang Junle, a representative of Chinese-funded enterprises, said that he would continue to carry forward the spirit of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, actively participate in the construction of the "Belt and Road", actively practice the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and strive for the cooperation between China and Tanzania and the friendly exchanges between the two peoples, and bear more fruitful fruits.
Ronald: Remembering the history of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and renewing China-Africa friendship
Tanzanian youth Ronald Dooley is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and management of the cemetery of Chinese experts. He said that the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, which was built by Chinese martyrs who sacrificed their lives, is still benefiting the Tanzanian people, and this railway carries the friendship between China and Africa, and he is proud to be able to maintain the cemetery of Chinese experts.
Ronald has been in charge of the maintenance and management of the Chinese expert cemetery for five years. Every year, people from all walks of life in China and Tanzania go to the cemetery to pay respects. Ronald and his colleagues prepare in advance every year. This year, too, he and his colleagues began cleaning the tombstones and monuments of the martyrs and pruning the greenery many days in advance to ensure that the memorial service was carried out smoothly.
The sun was scorching, and in a short time, Ronald and his colleagues were drenched.
The 35-year-old Ronald studied at Liaoning University in China. After graduating from university, he returned to Tanzania and has been working in the field of cooperation between China and Tanzania. Currently, his Chinese company has been involved in the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, and Ronald is proud to be responsible for the maintenance and management of the Chinese expert cemetery.
Ronald, a Chinese expert cemetery maintenance manager, said that Tanzania and China have many similarities, such as values. Tanzanians also have their own heroes, who gave their lives for their country. The ride through the meandering river is like an adventure, but the railway itself is very safe. He is proud that China and Tanzania are round-the-clock friends.
Ronald told reporters that after engaging in related work, he was very interested in the history of the Tanzan Railway, and often went to the company's Tanzan Railway Exhibition Hall to visit and learn. Historical photos and old objects left over from the construction of the Tanzan Railway are treasured here, including measuring instruments and other equipment and instruments used in the construction of the railway, office supplies, etc. They all tell the story of the past to the visitor.
"This is a handwritten blueprint from a [Chinese] engineer back then, and for us, it's like a treasure, and we still keep it for half a century," Ronald said. You can tell from the blueprints that the engineers were very intelligent, and you can still feel the wisdom of the engineers to this day. ”
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway is about 1,860 kilometers long, stretching from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in the east to Kapiri Mposhi, a town in central Zambia in the west. From the survey and design in 1968 to the completion in 1976, it took 8 years. During the construction period, China sent more than 50,000 engineers and technicians to participate in the construction, and about 16,000 Chinese personnel were on site during the peak period.
Ronald also took reporters to the Dar es Salaam station of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. He said that the Tanzania-Zambia Railway is a "road of friendship" built by the Chinese and African people with sweat, blood and even their lives, and the dedication and sacrifice of China's aid builders should be remembered.
Ronald said: "Among the Chinese martyrs who died in the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, there was a young man in his 20s, a young man in his prime who sacrificed his life, and we should remember such a story and tell the younger generation the history of the [Tanzania-Zambia Railway]." This railway carries a lot of important information and should be understood by the younger generation, and the friendship between China and Tanzania and China and Africa has benefited the people of both sides, whether it has been, is or will be. ”
Half a century later, the Tanzan Railway, which passes through the grasslands, mountains and swamps, is still providing convenience for residents in the areas along the route and contributing to local economic and social development.
Ronald told reporters that there are still many locals who travel by the Tanzan Railway, and every time he and his family come to the station, there will always be many memories, memories of the deep friendship between China and Tanzania. He hoped that young Tanzanians would understand the importance of China-Tanzania cooperation and that the cooperation between China and Tanzania would continue. Long live the friendship between China and Tanzania!