Warrior spirit of Genghis Khan

DONGXIANG, Gansu - The offspring of Genghis Khan's forces are leading an army of workers building highways and railways in the most inhospitable places in China.

Eight years ago, Ma Yousufu decided to leave the dry and forbidding mountains of his home to join a team building the Qinghai-Tibet railway in Northwest China - the highest railway project in the world.

"It was difficult to breathe," said Ma, 47. "It was higher than 5,000 meters above sea level. Every day I was struggling with a pounding head and severe vomiting," he said.