A life on the rails: Xue Jun

Since he began working on China's rail network in 1985, Xue Jun has earned seven train driver's licenses. Over the past 30 years, Xue has driven trains powered by steam, diesel and electricity, including diesel multiple units and bullet trains, and witnessed speeds rise from 60 kilometers an hour to 350.

The 50-year-old, who drives bullet trains for the Jinan Railway Bureau in the capital of Shandong province, was elated when he sat in the driver's cabin for the first time in 2011.

"I felt proud of myself for earning a license to drive such an amazing train, and proud of my country for developing the infrastructure so rapidly," he said.