Power tower team tackles Taklimakan

Inspectors battle high temperatures and frequent sandstorms as they monitor more than 300 pylons in China's largest desert

Knocking his wrench on a power tower while standing alone in the middle of the vast Taklimakan Desert, Ahmat Tohti listens attentively to the sounds it makes.

Differences in the sound can tell Tohti - a power tower inspector in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region - whether the bolts and screws are securely tightened.