Military personnel brave hazardous hikes to safeguard essential dam in Sichuan

For the officers and soldiers of the 4th Duty Squadron of the Ya'an Detachment of the Sichuan Armed Police Corps, hiking over a thousand steep steps to monitor the safety of a dam in Shimian county, Sichuan province, is just another Tuesday.

One of the unit's primary duties is to patrol the dam and surrounding mountainside for safety hazards at the Dagangshan Hydropower Station, which sits just over 20 kilometers upstream from where the Red Army crossed the Dadu River during the Long March (1934-36).

The hydropower station includes a 210-meter-high dam that supplies power to Sichuan and East China, according to Chen Xingyu, a political instructor of the squadron. "The Dadu River runs through several urban areas, and the dam's safety affects millions of people," said Chen.

The routine patrol requires the officers and soldiers to climb 430 meters from the dam's base to a summit observation point, with its most treacherous stretch consisting of over 1,000 steps built into the cliff face.

Squad Leader Wang Long, who has guarded the dam for seven years, said frequent rain leaves the steps slippery, forcing the soldiers to grip the handrail with every step. In some sections, the path is so narrow that they have to press themselves against the mountainside.

"Far from the city, loneliness is also a huge test," Wang said. "But when I think about the power generated during one sentry shift — enough for three or four hundred households for a whole year — I feel it's worth it."