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The last edit to this post was made by lovelife1997 on 2018-11-9 at 08:11. There is a responsibility called \"to stand guard for the people\"”； There is a mission called “staying up to guard the motherland.” While families gather together, the soldiers remain on their horses. During the Spring Festival, along the tens of thousands of kilometers of coastal defense lines across the motherland, the soldiers stand ready, guarding peace and tranquility day and night. From the Eastern Pole marker to the western border posts, from the turquoise waters of the South Sea to the frozen lands of the North, Xinhua News Agency reporters visited the border areas at China’s eastern, western, southern, and northern poles, as well as various remote and challenging military outposts, witnessing the song of loyalty being composed by the border guards in the new era. Companying loneliness, fighting against the bitter cold, unafraid of life or death – no regrets for my youth! Faced with respect and praise, the border guards said, “Where I stand is China!” ” On the evening of February 15th, New Year’s Eve, in Sumhanah, Wucha County, Xinjiang. At 20:49, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the figures of the soldiers at the “First Post in the Western Frontier” appeared even more majestic and upright. Sergeant Gou Xin, 23 years old, and Corporal Liang Fei, 22 years old, stood on the watchtower at the far western edge of the motherland, keeping a close eye on the border. “Is there any responsibility more significant than ‘standing guard for the people’? Which mission is more sacred than ‘guarding the borders of the motherland’? ”Guarding the western gateway of the motherland on New Year’s Eve, keeping watch for the people of the whole country, Gou Xin, Liang Fei and their comrades felt immense pride. February 16, the first day of the Lunar New Year, Heixiazi Island in China’s East Extreme. As the Morning Star quietly disappeared and the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, the first day of the new spring began. At 6:35 in the morning, “Salute!” ”The clear command sounded like the bells of dawn; the flag-raiser raised his right arm sharply, and the bright Five-Star Red Flag rose slowly in the morning light. The soldiers couldn’t help but sing the national anthem. Representing the motherland by welcoming the first rays of dawn every day, the national flag holds a sacred meaning in the hearts of the soldiers stationed at the posts. Since taking over defense duties on the island on October 14, 2008, the officers and soldiers at Dongji Station have been guarding this land for 10 years. Heixiazi Island’s profound history and strategic location make every officer and soldier feel a heavy sense of responsibility. “Through the bright and eye-catching national flag, I came to understand more deeply what a homeland means and what a mission entails. ”College student soldier Le Lei spoke emotionally during the “Speech under the National Flag.” In the watchtower control room, squad leader Zhang Liliang is using the information-based video surveillance system to conduct real-time inspections of various locations. “In case of an emergency, a soldier can call the brigade commander at any time and from anywhere. ”As one of the first soldiers to take over duty on the island, Zhang Liliang witnessed the transformation of Dongji Station over the past 10 years – from foot patrols to a more comprehensive system of surveillance and control. He said that the methods used for carrying out duties have become better, and the efficiency of these duties has increased as well; “Our responsibilities have also grown greater.” ” Kawao Beach, a name that sounds utterly ordinary, houses the army’s highest-altitude outpost. Located in the heart of the Karakoram Mountains, this outpost is famous for its high altitude, remote location, and harsh conditions: it sits at an elevation of 5,418 meters, with an oxygen level that is less than 40% of that in the plains ； The company is over 400 kilometers away from the regimental headquarters, and it will take at least 12 hours to get there ； Frozen all year round, with snow falling in all four seasons, and wind speeds reaching up to level 8... Sergeant Fang Zongqing, born in the 1990s, is now a veteran border guard; he joined the army in the same year the unit was established, and has spent 8 years at this \"post closest to the stars\". In this \"no-life zone\" where not even grass grows and where Tibetan antelopes cannot survive, Fang Zongqing and his comrades persisted in training every day: \"When the weather is good, we go outside to practice tactics.\" ； When it snows or there is strong wind, we practice small exercises indoors, without any moisture at all. ” “It can’t be said that lying down is a form of dedication. ”Fang Zongqing said, “Without solid **qualities, how can one defend the border effectively?” ” “Starting 150 meters in front of me, there is a high-mountain defense zone that stretches for 6.8 kilometers. Our mission is to ensure its absolute safety. ”Standing at the Zhan Niang She outpost, which had barely enough space to stand in, Sergeant Zhan Hua joked that he was a member of the \"Zhan\" surname family. Jian Niang She is located on the Yading border in Tibet, at an altitude of 4655 meters, surrounded by nearly vertical cliffs. In this area regarded as the most hazardous in the entire army, heavy snows cover the mountains for up to 7 months of the year, and winds of force 6 or higher blow for 300 days. In Zhan Niangshe, where avalanches can be triggered by just shouting during the period of heavy snow cover, there are always touching stories to be told. That spring, the year Jian Huaxin joined the army, it snowed particularly heavily. 18-year-old soldier Yu Hui was caught in an avalanche while on duty and fell off a cliff; 23-year-old squad leader Jing Leilei rushed into the snow to rescue him despite the dangers, and both were swept away by the drifting snow. Wang Xin, a 25-year-old health worker, rushed back into the snow once the snowfall slowed down. Regrettably, an avalanche occurred again... The next day, their comrades found the three martyrs in a snowdrift several hundred meters below the mountain; their bodies were frozen black and they were huddled together “This incident affected my entire military career. ”Zhan Hua asked, What is duty? What is dedication? What is a comrade-in-arms? A series of questions found their answers in that moment. Wang Lecheng, a soldier born in the 1990s who joined the army last September, was assigned to the Arctic outpost in Mohe County, Heilongjiang, upon arriving at his unit as a recruit. As soon as he got off the vehicle and took his first breath, he gained a new understanding of how cold it could be. ” The lowest temperature recorded at the Arctic outpost was minus 52.3 degrees Celsius. When on patrol outside, the soldiers have to wear thick cold-protective masks and cotton hats, but \"the wind still hurts the face as if it were being scraped by a knife.\" “In the coldest places, warriors have the warmest hearts. ”Wang Lecheng said that it was his first New Year spent in the military; “I missed home too, but my role here requires me more.” It is because of us guarding the borders that the people of our motherland can celebrate the New Year with peace of mind. ” Soldiers guard the borders; the motherland is their backing, and the people are their support. Corporal Wang Zequn has been in the military for 3 years, but this is the first time he is spending the New Year on the border in Inner Mongolia. Last June, due to changes in the tasks of their unit, Wang Zequn and more than a dozen of his comrades were transferred from the islands to the northern frontier, arriving at the Sanjiashan outpost of a border defense brigade under the Army of the Northern Theater Command. On February 17th, just as dawn was breaking, Wang Zequn and his comrades began another day of hard work. “The more it is a holiday, the more important it is to stand guard and keep watch, so that people of all ethnic groups can enjoy themselves to the fullest – this is the mission of border guards. ”Wang Zequn said. On the wall of the outpost, there hangs a large photo showing a warm group picture of the commander and the officers and soldiers at the outpost. On January 26, 2014, *the commander* braved the bitter cold, climbed 58 steep steps to reach the outpost, signed his name in the observation log, and stood guard together with the soldiers. “Every time I see the photos and think about how close *the Lord* is to us, my heart feels warm. ”Wang Zequn said. The cold wind outside is biting, while it’s warm and cozy inside. In recent years, to improve the working and living conditions of the troops stationed at these outposts, the military replaced the boilers there and built new kitchens, bathrooms, and recreational areas. The local authorities added insulation to the walls, and together, the military and local residents kept the cold at bay. “Soldiers guard the borders; the motherland is their backing, and the people are their support. ”In the view of Zhan Ronghua, the political commissar of a border defense regiment in the Tibet Military Region, as investment in various aspects of the military continues to increase, the conditions for border defense in the highlands will become better and the means used for duty performance will become more advanced, thereby enhancing our ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. February 15, New Year’s Eve, Huyang Reef in the South China Sea. Guo Yuebing, a soldier born in the 1990s and newly assigned to the reef, followed his squad leader as they waded through water up to their waists, moving step by step toward the sovereignty monument on the northeast side of the reef. Following the old tradition, they go to repaint the monument of sovereignty on this special anniversary day. Huayang Reef is located at the southernmost tip of the islands and reefs under Chinese control in the South China Sea. It is an isolated reef surrounded by strong winds and rough waves, with complex sea and air conditions, and is known as the \"first outpost in the South China Sea\". On New Year’s Eve 30 years ago, the People’s Navy deployed on reefs for the first time. Generation after generation of officers and soldiers stationed on the reefs have overcome the harsh natural conditions to build an impregnable steel wall at the country’s \"southern gateway,\" defending the nation’s dignity and maritime rights through their practical actions. “At this moment, I deeply felt how heavy the burden on my shoulders was, and how glorious my mission was! ”After carefully tracing each character on the stele, Guo Yuebing said that we will surely remain highly vigilant and protect this \"ancestral sea\"! Alashankou, Xinjiang – an important node on the \"Silk Road Economic Belt\" and the largest land border crossing in western China. Eastward, to the interior of China ； Westward, leading to Central Asia and Europe. In 2008, when the new recruits were assigned to their units, Yan Xiaofei went to Alashankou, known as the \"first outpost at the strategic pass,\" where he served for 10 years. He rose from a private to a sergeant, and from an ordinary soldier to the unit’s \"living map\" and expert in border affairs. “I am more familiar with the uneven surfaces within the defense zone than I am with my own home. ”Yan Xiaofei still remembers the words that his senior squad leader, Wang Shuai, told him when he first joined the army: \"The national borders are like one’s own home – can you just let anyone in your home?” Can anyone just climb over your backyard wall? ” At the Dongji Station, it was the tears of a veteran soldier who had fought in the war that made Sun Xueqing, a soldier born in the 1990s, \"even more convinced that her youth was not wasted\" in an instant. Last summer, an old soldier who had shed his blood in the southern regions of his homeland arrived early in the morning at the boundary marker at the far eastern edge of the country, gazing at it for a long time while tears streamed down his face. The veteran, in his fifties, told him that the responsibility of defending the motherland now lies with you, the younger generation. When Sun Xueqing joined the army, she thought she would return home after two years. But when faced with the decision of staying or leaving last fall, the 21-year-old chose to continue serving. He found that he couldn’t leave; “he had already merged with this land.” The most loyal wait, at the farthest edge of the sky ； The strongest defense is in everyone’s heart!