As a child, I read a magazine that introduced the world's unsolved mysteries at the time, including a description of a large lake monster in Kanas Lake in Altay. Witnesses reportedly saw the monster frolicking on the lake's surface, and animal skeletons found along the shore proved the existence of a large carnivore, suggesting the monster was no benevolent creature. This left me with a lasting impression of Altay. Now, in my forties, after completing a TBM drilling project in Ecuador, South America, I returned home, only to find myself facing an opportunity to revisit Altay.
In 2017, the Eighth Hydropower Bureau prepared to enter the domestic TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) field and participated in the bidding for a water diversion tunnel project in Altay. I was fortunate enough to participate in the preparation of the bidding documents for the TBM tunneling construction technology part of the project. The bidding process was relatively tedious. In my spare time, I would imagine what Altay would be like and how I would integrate into this vast and mysterious land.
At the bidding mobilization meeting, company leaders repeatedly emphasized the significance of participating in the Altay project and issued a no-alcohol order during the bidding period. The company's chief engineer was assigned to lead the entire technical bid preparation process. More than thirty professionals were drawn from various projects to Changsha for intensive bid preparation. Working day and night, dozens of people finally completed the bid documents on time and successfully passed the review of internal experts from the superior unit. In March 2017, thanks to everyone's joint efforts, the bid documents won first place. The connection with Altay thus transformed from a dream into reality.
arrival
On March 26, 2017, I embarked on my journey to Altay. The dazzling lights adorned this border city, making it exceptionally beautiful. If it weren't for the reminder of the -17 degree Celsius temperature, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between this northwestern prefecture-level city and those in the interior. I arrived at the hotel close to midnight, and the city was still bustling with traffic, with people moving about in the barbecue restaurants.
After putting down our luggage, we joined the diners. The barbecue chef focused intently on his skewers, the marinated lamb rolling around on the charcoal fire, the dripping fat sizzling on the red-hot coals. A plate of grilled meat was quickly served, the lamb taking up more than half the length of the skewer. A few skewers were enough to satisfy our cravings.
The next morning, looking out the hotel window, we saw that the snow on the road was about 10 centimeters deep. After our usual visit to the property owner, we headed to the construction site, about 60 kilometers from Altay city. The thick snow covered the ground like a blanket, making it impossible to see the terrain. Our guide relied on his memory of the mountain shapes to navigate, trying to stay in areas with shallower snow, but the snow still reached our thighs. For us, coming from the south, this was an "adventure" in the snow.
Before we knew it, we had groped our way through the snow for nearly 2 kilometers before finally spotting a high-voltage substation that had been built for the project. According to the information, the future construction site would be located near the substation. On the way back, a sudden gust of wind blew up, whipping up a flurry of snow that instantly erased our footprints. Everyone's shoes and socks were soaked through, and even the extra-thick down jackets we had specially bought couldn't keep out the cold. We finally managed to get into the car, still shivering, until we arrived at the hotel.
Breaking the ice
At the end of August 2017, several of us TBM professionals, along with a few recent college graduates, spent several months learning at the factory. We witnessed the TBM equipment take shape firsthand and personally participated in its installation and commissioning. Our eyes and hearts were filled with anticipation and enthusiasm.
In August, Altay is bathed in exceptionally generous sunshine, and various fruits ripen, filling the air with the sweet aroma of Hami melons. A bite reveals their delightful sweetness and refreshing taste. Along the roads leading to the project site, sunflowers bloom in vibrant, bright colors, stretching as far as the eye can see.
On October 23, the TBM equipment arrived at the construction site in Altay. This was significantly later than scheduled, meaning we would have to install the equipment during the Altay winter. In early November 2017, Altay experienced its first snowfall, followed by a rapid drop in temperature, with daytime temperatures plummeting to -25 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures dipping to -35 degrees Celsius. This extreme cold was indeed a tremendous challenge for us Hunanese.
On December 31, 2017, the installation and individual commissioning of the TBM and its supporting equipment were finally completed, with the temperature approaching -40 degrees Celsius. With the command "Start!", the TBM equipment and its supporting systems successfully started up, and everyone cheered with joy, oblivious to the ice crystals forming on their eyebrows and beards. Unfortunately, due to the extremely low temperature, mobile phones and cameras immediately went black as soon as they were removed from our bodies, so not a single photo was taken of that important moment. But that feeling of pride will forever be etched in our hearts, remaining fresh and vibrant.
Altay clearly didn't feel our joy and excitement. After the TBM had only been running for about ten minutes, the conveyor rollers and drive drums of the slag removal system began to "grow" rapidly. Ice of varying thicknesses condensed on the drums, and several ice lumps nearly 20 centimeters high grew on the conveyor drive drum, causing uneven tension on the belt, making it sway left and right and unable to work properly.
The lights in the project team's conference room stayed on until 3 a.m. that night, as they engaged in heated discussions and welcomed New Year's Day 2018. It was during that meeting that we finally finalized the ice-breaking plan and conducted extensive calculations and demonstrations to ensure the feasibility and reliability of the implementation. The long-awaited TBM finally began its official tunneling operation.
Bitiewuerge
"Bitewurge" translates to "the other side of the mountains" in Chinese. It is the closest natural village to our project site. Dozens of Kazakh families live there, each with a very large courtyard. The houses were all planned and built with the assistance of the government.
My first visit to this village was during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2017. The village organized a Mid-Autumn Festival gala and specially invited colleagues from the project and workers from Tianjin Hengtongli, the TBM service provider, to attend. The village cadre stationed here, surnamed Gao, is from Heilongjiang Province and has been working in the village for over three years. We received extremely high honors at the gala. They gave toasts in Kazakh, which Secretary Gao translated for us. Most of the toasts were welcoming friends from afar and offering blessings. The gala included singing and dancing performances. Younger Kazakh youths sang in Mandarin, and we also presented a specially prepared performance.
The Kazakh people are known for their singing and dancing. Their dances were lively and unrestrained. A solo performance on the dombra silenced the more than one hundred people in the audience. Everyone swayed to the melody, their faces beaming with happiness. Even the most active children quieted down and listened intently. Such a performance needed no applause, rhythm, or whistles; it was as if any other noise would be a desecration. The evening concluded with a chorus of "My Motherland."
Success
On June 30, 2022, the TBM tunnel of the water diversion project we undertook was successfully completed, leaving behind a circular tunnel more than 20 kilometers long and seven or eight meters in diameter in the Gobi Desert of Altay. This is the prototype of a modern "Red Flag Canal", which will improve the water shortage situation in Xinjiang and greatly promote the industrial and agricultural development and take-off of some parts of Xinjiang.
Altay, we've spent over a thousand days and nights with you. We've worked together, accompanying the TBM as it tunnels step by step, hoping the project will be completed soon, bringing in a stream of clear water to transform the Gobi Desert, leaving behind lush greenery to nourish the beautiful Xinjiang.
Altay, the place where we worked hard. Although we didn't see the giant red fish in Kanas Lake, we are already lucky enough to have participated in the construction of Altay and contributed our sweat to it in our lifetime.
Our ancestors "landed and defended the border regions, taking root in the frontier," and those who come after us "drew water to revitalize the region and benefit the people." We, every member of the Eighth Hydropower Bureau who participated in this great project, will be proud and honored! Cordless Vacuum Cleaner China
(Zhu Haiqiang, Jian Xiaohui) Working inside a TBM tunnel (Photo by Ding Yongzhe)
Engineering Equipment Company: Jian Xiaohui
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