Yunnan Ruili and Hekou: Raising a Flag and Guarding a Home Together (Photo by He Xingyu and Zhao Guoxiao)
In the south of Caiyun, guarding the gate of the southern frontier of the motherland, at the southwest end, if you think of the Ruili port on the Border between China and Myanmar, then, at the southeast end, you will definitely think of the estuary port on the border between China and Vietnam, and the two gates guarding different directions jointly raised a flag on the Day of National Day.
This is the starting point of the domestic section of the Yunnan-Vietnam Meter Gauge Railway, and after a century of vicissitudes, the roaring whistle of the international intermodal train can still be heard. About 4 kilometers away from the railway, is the China-Vietnam Red River Highway Bridge, a majestic national gate stands here, looking up, the six words of the China Estuary Port are bright red and eye-catching, and in the square in front, a bright red five-star red flag is slowly rising with the majestic melody of the national anthem. Looking down from the flag fluttering in the wind at the top, three police officers dressed in protective clothing at the estuary entry-exit border checkpoint lined up neatly and walked down from the flag-raising platform. At the same time at the Ruili port, 3 police officers also completed this sacred task in the same way. Today, they solemnly celebrate the birthday of the motherland in the form of raising the national flag!
"Although there is no audience, no honor guard, and even wearing protective clothing, we also hold this sacred flag-raising ceremony in strict accordance with the standards." Flag raiser Yu Hamamatsu told reporters. In the past, every holiday, the Hekou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station would hold a grand flag-raising ceremony at the port, and the surrounding area would be full of Chinese and foreign tourists who came to watch the flag-raising ceremony. "Going to the national gate to see the flag raising" has become a beautiful national business card at the port of hekou. Now affected by the epidemic, the noise of the port is no longer there, and the flag raisers have also worn protective equipment and become the "great white flag raisers" of the national gate.
"In the past, after we raised the national flag, the time was exactly 8 o'clock, when the entry and exit trucks and personnel who had cleared customs between the two countries would gather at the port and wait in line for inspection, and there were tens of thousands of people and thousands of vehicles at the end of the day." Yu Hamamatsu continued. In 2019, the flow of people entering and leaving the estuary port reached 6.79 million, with an average daily customs clearance flow of 18,000 people, which is an important land passage connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia in China and one of the busiest ports in Yunnan Province.
Hekou is located in the forefront of Yunnan's opening up to the outside world, with the Kunhe Expressway, Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, Honghe Waterway convenient transportation advantages, China (Yunnan) Pilot Free Trade Zone Honghe area is also landed here, the port development opportunities are broad. In order to actively serve the overall situation of the country's opening up to the outside world, cope with the increasing flow of passengers and goods in and out of the country, and ensure the safety and stability of the entry and exit order, the estuary entry-exit border inspection station actively seeks police force from science and technology, relies on the construction of "smart border inspection", continuously improves the customs clearance efficiency of people, vehicles and goods, and makes due contributions to the development of service ports.
After Completing the flag-raising task, Yu Hamamatsu returned to the inspection post of the inbound and outbound freight vehicles. Behind the rapid customs clearance of more than 1,100 tons of epidemic prevention materials, the inspection of more than 900 freight vehicles per day, and the 24-hour all-weather duty on the post each time, these figures are the achievements of Yu Hamamatsu in the past two years, and also the epitome of all the civilian auxiliary police at the station in the epidemic prevention and control battle.
At present, as one of the few cargo channels still in operation, on the one hand, it carries the material exchanges and economic development on both sides of the port; on the other hand, due to frequent trade exchanges, the situation of the port to prevent the import of overseas epidemics is still grim. During the National Day holiday, Yu Hamamatsu and his comrades-in-arms will, as always, continue to stand under the national gate to fulfill their duties and missions of guarding the national gate.
Continue west along the estuary through the whole of Yunnan to the southwest of the motherland, the end of the 320 National Highway - Ruili, the Ruili port in the early morning is exceptionally clean, after a night of rain washing, the corner of the port hanging dew reflects the sun's rays, as if fading all the haze under the epidemic, every holiday Ruili port is crowded today but like a lotus on the lake quiet, clean but proudly standing. Under the national gate, the police yue Hongying, Jiang Zhengyong and Lu Kai wore thick protective clothing to sort out the national flag, like the comrades in arms at the mouth of the river, at this time in previous years, all the police at the Ruili Border Inspection Station had also put on their dresses and lined up, and the flag protection team escorted the national flag to the flag-raising platform with a healthy step, and at this moment, the square of the Ruili port was empty. However, the national flag must be raised. Therefore, the fourth team on duty who was on duty at Sister Ruili took on this task, "Who was the police officer of the flag protection team before?" Deputy Captain Li Huagang carefully selected the flag-raising personnel, and police officer Lu Kai was a big man in the team, he was originally a member of the flag protection team, and today's "flag thrower" was naturally played by him. "This mission is only completed by the three of you alone, there is no applause from the audience, but you must successfully complete this meaningful flag-raising ceremony with the highest standards and the best state!" Under the empty national gate, the 3 of them held the national flag solemnly, accompanied by the sound of the national anthem, Lu Kai threw the national flag high into the air, he looked up at the rising national flag, with tears in his eyes, the past scenes kept appearing in his mind, he experienced the changes of the Ruili National Gate, and the Ruili National Gate also witnessed the growth of him and the city.
When I first saw Ruili Port more than 10 years ago, Ruili Sister, who is located at the intersection of the China-Myanmar and China-India Highways, is an important window for China's southwest to open up to the outside world and an important bridge for China to go to the world. Lu Kai recalled the first time he stepped on the flag platform at the Ruili Port, when the Ruili Port was already the largest inland port for China's trade with Myanmar, and the total import and export volume of border trade every year has always ranked first in the province. The Ruili Border Inspection Station has also been advancing with the times, constantly upgrading the level of informatization, science and technology and integration of the port, and efficiently ensuring the rapid development of bilateral trade. Guomen has witnessed the "Oriental Jewelry City" - Ruili National Key Development and Development Pilot Zone development history of leaps and bounds. With a high sense of political responsibility and revolutionary dedication, generations of Ruili border inspectors have worked hard to ensure the security and stability of the country and borders, serve the development of local economic construction, brave the wind and rain, and forge ahead in a pioneering spirit, and their hearts are as bright red and dazzling as the five-star red flag flying at the port.
Last year, an epidemic broke all the calm life, and the rebound of the three epidemics constantly challenged the physical and psychological limits of the Ruili border inspection police; the border inspection police who ensured the efficient clearance of freight trains and cars at the mouth of the river also always tightened the string of anti-input. More than 600 days and nights, more than 14,000 hours of fearless perseverance, in the face of unprecedented control pressure, they took the initiative to cancel holidays, postpone the wedding date, separate many places and even missed their weddings, they put down their "small things", and used their flesh and blood to build an indestructible "Great Wall of Steel" at the national gate and border.
(China Daily Yunnan Reporter Station)