Editor's note: Zhan Tianyou, a shining name in the history of Chinese railways!
In 1905, construction of a railway from Beijing to Zhangjiakou began. In 1909, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was opened, and the loud whistle shocked the world! Mr. Zhan Tianyou, the engineer who designed and built this railway, has also been famous at home and abroad.
Mr. Ruan Peizeng was born in Beijing and grew up in Zhangjiakou, which is the starting and ending point of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. He often goes back and forth between these two points, and pays homage to Zhan Gong Tianyou five times, so let's look back on this past with him. (Zhang Xiumei)
◎ Ruan Pei Zeng
My hometown is Beijing, and I grew up in Zhangjiakou, which is the starting point and end point of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway built in 1905. Since I was a child, I have heard a lot of stories about this railway, and I have also read some related books after school, among which Zhan Tianyou's deeds are even more familiar.
In the era of Lafayette, who regarded the train as a "steam monster that swallows clouds and spews fog", and also ordered to switch to horse-drawn trains, Zhan Tianyou made arduous efforts to build the first railway to win glory for the country. This railway also gave birth to half of Zhangjiakou, imported Jinghua culture, and prospered the entire city. In the past few decades, I have visited Qinglongqiao Railway Station and Zhangjiakou South Railway Station five times to see the bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou and the museum.
Mr. Zhan Tianyou's achievements have been 120 years now, and they have not been indifferent with the passing of time. Every visit gives me a new understanding and understanding. I was impressed by his character, wisdom and perseverance. Premier Zhou Enlai said: "Zhan Tianyou is the glory of the Chinese people." Today, "Qinglongqiao Zhan Tianyou" has become a patriotic education base.
One
When I left Zhangjiakou in 1963 to go to school, my first wish on the way was to see the bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou.
Qinglongqiao Railway Station is located in Badaling, with dangerous mountains and green peaks. When I first saw the bronze statue, it was different from what I imagined, not golden but black and gray. At the time, I thought that maybe the train had blackened it. Look closely, the bronze statue is lifelike, especially the slightly high eyebrow bones show perseverance and courage, the deep eyes reveal talent and wisdom, and the two mustaches are even more unique. The gentleman's tuxedo is neat and straight. The gloves in his hand have not had time to be put down, and it seems that he has only returned from inspecting the construction site, and it seems that he has just finished an important meeting. The gentleman's eyes were blazing, staring at the passing cars in front of him.
Looking up at the bronze statue, my thoughts are far away. In front of him is the "father of Chinese railways" read in his childhood book. Under pressure from all sides, he insisted on not appointing a foreign engineer, and said: "China has a vast land and resources, and I am ashamed that I have to rely on outsiders for the work along the way!" Among them, the Badaling section of the mountain is steep and the terrain is complex, Mr. lived in a tent in this deep mountain valley, gnawed the nest head, surveyed and measured on the rugged mountain road during the day, calculated and drew under the dim oil lamp at night, and had to think hard to solve one technical problem after another, and worked hard every day. Even though the progress of the project is slightly stable, he still lives in the village of Shifosi at the foot of the Great Wall to facilitate his work. Every day, I travel to and from the construction site one or twenty miles away.
Only then did Mr. have the first railway that Chinese built by himself, only then did Mr. have the herringbone section with a rare slope of 33‰ in the world, only then did Mr. have the "shaft digging method" to speed up the progress of the tunnel, and only then did Mr. have the "pneumatic caisson method" that British engineers could not solve......
In the future, I prefer to take the Qinglong Bridge. You can see the majestic scenery of Badaling, mountains and mountains. The car has become a "reverse line" of "head to tail and tail to tail", and it seems that it is unwilling to carry me, so where do I come from and where I go back. But you will find that the scenery outside the window is different from when you came. The original front of the car will also have a companion, one end and one tail, pushing and pulling, all panting and pulling the whistle. That's the fun of herringbone sections.
The more I walked this line, I gradually understood the scenery outside the window. This section of the road needs to pass through several peaks of Juyongguan and Badaling, with a large slope and steep terrain. It is necessary not only to open mountains and mountains, fill in ravines and pave roads, but also to dig tunnels through mountains. I have counted four main long tunnels, and it is said that the Badaling Tunnel is 1,091 meters long. Having studied engineering, I know this is not an easy task. The six working faces of the "shaft excavation method" should be two and two in the opposite direction. They are hundreds of meters apart, and to penetrate accurately, precision instruments are required to measure, which was not easy more than 100 years ago. Isn't it often said that "the difference is a thousand miles"?
Two
When I returned to Zhangjiakou at the end of 1968, I had already heard that the bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou was already resting in the grove behind the station, so I wanted to visit the "dormant" gentleman. At that time, there were very few people who took the old line of Beijing-Zhangzhou. On that day, I met a couple who had just graduated from Tsinghua University and were leaving Beijing to see the Great Wall. There are also three middle-aged people from the Northeast who are on a business trip, who happen to be railway technicians. Listening to their chat, they all came to pay homage to the bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou.
Everyone got off the train together, and according to the guidance of the station staff, it was easy to find the bronze statue. I remember clearly that Mr. was lying in the small forest not far behind the station house, with the blue sky on his back, towering above his head, and his feet on the station house. The dry branches of the small trees around him shivered in the cold wind. I think: the grandmaster of the mainland railway, the spirit of more than 40 years has not changed, and the "eldest son" who has guarded the self-built railway day and night has finally rested.
The six people were silent, and the three middle-aged people bowed and hurried back to the platform. Parking hours are limited. I looked back again, and the gentleman looked as usual, his face was serene, and his demeanor was still the same. The railroad tracks in front of me were still shining, and they stretched out fearlessly into the distance. Mr.'s hard work is still there, and Mr.'s heart and affection are still there. Looking from the platform, the Badaling in the depths of winter is already black and yellow, the mountains in the distance are covered with snow, and the peaks are still rushing forward. The Great Wall next to the station, the battlements wind along the ridge, and the arrow tower stands majestically, loyally guarding this glorious roadbed of Mr.
Mr. once said, "Life has a long and short life, and destiny has a sinking and rising." Fortunately, my life can be turned into a railroad track crawling on the land of China. "For more than 100 years, although the wind and smoke have been continuous, the clouds and sunny days have moved to each other, and Mr. has been able to maintain his true colors and deal with it calmly. My heart grew tighter. In my own life, I have also remembered this passage from my husband in the trough. Sir is not only a railway engineer but also a soul engineer.
Three
I retired from Qinghai in 2000. I heard that in 1982, the bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou has been re-erected, and the tombs of Mr. and Mrs. have been moved to Qinglongqiao Station, and the "Zhan Tianyou Memorial Hall" has been built next to the station. Naturally, I wanted to see these changes.
Yongdingmen, the starting station of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou line, is still open, but there are many restrictions on the parking of cars at Qinglong Bridge. Fortunately, you can take the bus line to the Great Wall tourist point, and walk back a short distance to Qinglongqiao Station.
Leaving the hustle and bustle of climbing the Great Wall, I turned onto the road to Qinglong Bridge. Although it is a mountain road, it is also flat and very quiet. The distant mountains and near the slopes are dark green, with thick shade, birds chirping, flowers fragrant, and a gentle breeze. I can only see a person from afar, and when I get closer, I still see a road guard. There are several other attractions along the way. The "Red Leaf Ridge" of Qinglong Bridge can see the red leaves of Badaling in autumn. Looking at the maple trees that cover the sky, I think it is no less than the famous red leaves of Xiangshan. At the first turn, a pair of culverts built in 1905 that were several tens of meters long and divided into up and down are crossed, which have been re-repaired and used as roads. According to reports, at that time, it was only used to transport materials and auxiliary construction. This shows the enormity and arduousness of the entire scale of the project. Not far further you can see a drainage culvert, which was built to protect the herringbone road section, and there is a standing sign stating: built in 1905. It also appears to be a protected cultural relic.
The secluded mountain road has come to an end, and finally I see the station hidden in the green valley. Because of the feeling of meaning along the road, there will be another artistic conception in the heart, as a resting place for Mr., it is really a good place to find. Mr. can listen to the spring rain, watch the autumn leaves, bathe in the cool valley mountain breeze in summer, and show the wind and bones of the snow and frost in winter.
The station building has been renovated and is still in the style of East and West. White lines are added to the plaster wall, red tile roofs, and red shutters.
The bronze statue of Zhan Gong is still the same, but it feels more majestic and magnificent than the original. Maybe it's because the base is higher than the original? Or is it because I feel it more deeply? Not far behind the bronze statue is the tomb of Mr. and Mrs. together, and on top of dozens of stone steps is a burial chamber made of granite. A semicircular piece of white marble stands on top of the tomb, and the relief on the white is very beautiful. Behind the tomb is a black marble tombstone, as tall as a screen, guarding the tomb, engraved with a "Life of Mr. Zhan Tianyou". Sleeping in this pure and solemn place, you can also show the calm and indifferent side of Mr.
Since then, Mr. has also begun to protect the lady who sleeps behind him. I remember reading some of the deeds of Mrs. Tan Juzhen. Madame is a learned socialite in her hometown. The most impressive thing is that their eight children were born in eight different places. When I first read it, I thought it would be so boring to be able to go to so many places every year. Only after being sensible did I understand that this showed another kind of displacement of Mr., and how difficult it was to have a stable environment for a period of time.
Editor: Fan Fan
Source: Heshan News client