Guardian of the desert

The first thing He Guowu looks for when he is back in Dunhuang city in Gansu province is latiaozi (pulled noodles), a local staple that is hard to find at his post in the Yumen Pass.

He is not lucky today. It is 2:30 pm when he arrives and most restaurants are closing. He stops at three restaurants, gets three "nos" and finally settles in a Sichuan restaurant.

Having worked for 10 years as the head of the management office of the Yumen Pass, about two hours' drive from his home in Dunhuang, He, 58, is the longest-serving guardian on the site.