Excelling against the odds
China's exceptional female workers making their mark in industries dominated by men
Tang was inspired by her mentor. "Though we have disadvantages in strength, we are more meticulous, especially with precision components. This attention to detail often translates into higher quality and greater accuracy in our work," she said.
Over the years, Tang has shown her excellence in tackling urgent, difficult and important tasks, maintaining quality products and guaranteeing on-time delivery.
Beyond this, she successfully refined the circumferential welding process for small headers and optimized preheating technology, resolving long-standing issues like uneven temperature distribution and slow heating rates.
Her portfolio includes the production of more than 5,000 metric tons of headers and boilers to be exported to Iran, Thailand and Malaysia.
Over the past 18 years, she has been promoted to team leader and has won numerous awards in welding competitions.
Her colleagues have given her the nickname "Welding Mulan". The ancient legend of Hua Mulan is the story of a female soldier who disguises herself as a man to take her aging father's place in the army.
"Our company is indeed quite large, and since welding is the most critical process in boiler manufacturing, we take it seriously. All our welders must strictly adhere to welding procedure specifications, and workers are only allowed to produce after they are given a certification after long-term training," she said, adding that the boilers serve a wide range of industries, including chemical, metallurgical and petroleum.
"If welding is not done properly, it doesn't just damage the product — it can lead to severe accidents, even casualties. So, yes, I've gained a deep sense of achievement and honor from this hands-on work," she said.
One time at work, she was struck in the face by a grinding machine and bled badly. "I thought I would be blind, but I was lucky enough," she said, adding that despite the injury, she's never thought of quitting.
In 2019, she became a welding trainer, and has since taught some 600 workers every year. Two years later, her own workshop was established. Tang and her team today publish essays and guidebooks for welding workers.
