The history of China's railway transport

Zhan Tianyou (third from the right on the front row) is a distinguished Chinese railway engineer. Born in April 1861, Zhang went to study in the United States at the age of 12. He obtained a bachelor's degree in railway engineering from Yale University. In 1905, he was appointed chief engineer, making him responsible for the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, the first railway constructed in China without any foreign assistance. For his contributions to railway engineering in China, Zhang is still known as the "Father of China's Railways." [File photo]