During the Spring Festival, who doesn’t look forward to family reunion? ! But on the western frontline, the reporter saw a group of young people who actively chose to stay at work, making "busy" and "enriched" the main theme of the festival. They say that only when the machines are functioning properly can thousands of families be happy and every household be safe; only when contemporary young people shoulder more heavy responsibilities can the country be rich and the people strong, and the rivers and seas clean and prosperous.
Come, come with us and listen to their voices.
Ningxia’s “smart inspection” protects the lights of thousands of homes
Guangming Daily reporter Yan Lei and Zhang Wenpan
"UAV No. 1 requests to take off!"
"Permission to take off, start inspection."
In the main control room of Ningxia's ±800 kV Lingzhou converter station, the monitoring screens of three nests turned green at the same time, and the drones buzzed.
"Celebrate the New Year with joy, and the power supply cannot be 'broken'! Our inspections must be careful, careful, and more careful." Liu Shuji told reporters while staring at the data transmitted back in real time on the big screen. This master's student who graduated from Henan University of Science and Technology in 2013 is now the technical backbone of this ultra-high voltage converter station.
He told reporters that this is the starting point of the Lingshao DC Power Transmission Project, an important channel for Ningxia's "West-to-East Power Transmission". "The annual electricity transmission exceeded 56 billion kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to one-tenth of the electricity consumption of Zhejiang's entire society!"
While he was talking, a shiny silver robot dog attracted reporters. According to the technician's instructions, it is steadily moving on its four "legs" and walking into the equipment area to perform the corona detection task!
"This is our 'new colleague' – an ultraviolet inspection robot dog, nicknamed 'Lingji'." Liu Shuji said with pride, "Look at our 'black technology', is it 'fashionable' enough? There are drones for high-altitude and outdoor equipment inspections; there are robot dogs for internal inspections in complex spaces. During the Spring Festival, this system inspects the entire station three times a day."
During the 13 years since he took root in the west, Liu Shuji has seen converter stations becoming more and more “technical”.
"When I graduated from college, I was deeply moved by my mentor's words: UHV is the 'Mount Everest of Electricity' and the west is the main battlefield. Once you have learned a skill, you should use it in the 'main battlefield'. So, here I am!" Liu Shuji recalled. Over the years, this young man from Henan has devoted himself to the digital upgrade of converter stations and led the development of a variety of intelligent inspection equipment, including the "Lingji" that has been used in many UHV stations in Ningxia.
Empowered by technology, the effect is unexpectedly good. "When I first arrived at Lingzhou Station, inspections were all done manually, with '20,000 steps of grounding' a day. What now? All it takes is one order! The work idea has also changed. It used to be 'passive repair', now it's 'active defense'; it used to be 'human sea tactics', now it's 'man-machine collaboration'…" Liu Shuji said with excitement.
Xinjiang “Data Station” serves satellite transmission
Guangming Daily reporter Zhao Minghao, Yao Kun, Huang Xiaoyi
In the spacious control hall, all kinds of equipment are running at high speed; on the huge electronic screen, the data stream is flashing continuously. Only the bright red couplets on the lintel, the eye-catching word "福", and the colorful candies in the rest area convey the festive atmosphere of the New Year… Here is the satellite "data station" located in the western border of the motherland – the China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station Kashgar Station of the Institute of Aerospace Information Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
A stocky man wearing glasses and sky-blue overalls was skillfully operating in front of the computer. From time to time he would turn sideways and give a few words of advice to the young researchers next to him. He is the webmaster Wang Jianping. During this Spring Festival, he took the initiative to lead the team on duty as always.
"The Kashgar station operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The satellite does not take holidays, and we have to keep pace with it." Wang Jianping said with a smile.
This year is Wang Jianping’s 19th Spring Festival spent at Kashgar Station.
In 2007, after graduating from Shihezi University, Wang Jianping did not return to his hometown of Gansu. Instead, with the "satellite dream" he had had since childhood, he devoted himself to the Kashgar Station which was still under construction. This is the first civilian satellite data receiving station in western my country.
"At that time, there were no walls in the station area. Except for the computer room and antennas under construction, there were only desert beaches and yellow sand that could not be seen to the edge." Wang Jianping recalled, "Visibility was less than 100 meters on a sandy day. Before entering the computer room, you had to pour out the heavy sand from your shoes…"
The wind and sand did not shake his determination. He was quickly attracted by the hot career: "Here, I can constantly be exposed to new knowledge, new technologies, and new systems, and I can help the site grow day by day. We started everything from scratch. Now, we receive an average of nearly 300 satellite data per day, with a success rate of 99.6%, and many technical indicators have reached the international advanced level."
His eyes were shining with pride: "These satellite data are extremely valuable! From scientific research, disaster monitoring, to agricultural water conservancy, urban planning… everything is inseparable from this real 'hard-core support'."
"What makes me most gratified is that young people have come and stayed." He looked at the energetic young figures at the work station, his eyes full of joy.
Gansu’s “nerve center” ensures petrochemical production
Guangming Daily reporter Shang Jie Wang Bingya Guangming Daily correspondent Xu Xueping
On New Year's Eve, as soon as it gets dark, the golden city of Lanzhou is decorated with lanterns and colorful flowers, making this ancient city extraordinarily bright and gorgeous.
Standing on the crowded landscape along the Yellow River, Yang Qingzheng, a young man from Sichuan, made a video call to his parents in his hometown in Chengdu.
"Dad, Mom, look, how lively my place is! Don't worry, you won't be alone during the Spring Festival in Lanzhou. The unit has also prepared a New Year's Eve dinner." On the screen, the two old people nodded frequently, and the worries on their faces gradually dissipated…
This is the first time Yang Qingzheng spends the Spring Festival away from his parents in a foreign country. In June 2024, after graduating from Southwest Petroleum University with a master's degree, he came to Lanzhou Petrochemical Company. This year, he took the initiative to sign up to stay in the company on duty during the Spring Festival.
"In Lanzhou Petrochemical, I have found a place to use my talents. I want to take root here and contribute all my strength." He said.
Outside the window, fireworks lit up the night sky. Yang Qingzheng stood up from the computer in the control room, stretched his waist, and sat down in front of the computer again to get busy. "The control room is the 'nerve center' for the smooth operation of the device, and there is no room for sloppiness. Behind every beating number that passes before our eyes is the smooth operation of the device, a steady improvement in efficiency, and an efficient saving of energy." Yang Qingzheng introduced to reporters while operating.
"The west is a natural treasure house of petrochemical resources. In recent years, thanks to the support of national policies and the empowerment of cutting-edge technology, the transformation and upgrading of Lanzhou Petrochemical has taken greater and greater steps, providing a stage for young talents to display their skills. As long as you have the ability and are willing to pay, there is room for development. In September last year, just one year after joining the company, I participated in the team’s scientific research innovation project. With the help of the team’s masters, I quickly achieved scientific research breakthroughs, and the results were very helpful in improving the stability and efficiency of the system.” Yang Qing was so proud!
"Guangming Daily" (Page 01, February 17, 2026)
