Across China: Weather workers of Mount Changbai brave cold, wind and monotony

CHANGCHUN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- While much of China basks in the sunshine and warmth of spring, Jiao Xiangzhao, a weather observer in northeast China's Jilin province, has been preparing for winter-like conditions.

Jiao heads a team of seven working at a meteorological observatory perched atop the main peak of Mount Changbai. The mountain is a dormant volcano that has erupted three times since the 16th century, with the last eruption recorded more than 310 years ago.

For his upcoming shift, which usually lasts 15 to 30 days, he has brought food, barrels of water, gasoline, and extra-warm clothes.

Jiao has every reason to prepare thoroughly. With an altitude of 2,623 meters (about 8,600 feet), the 60-year-old observatory is subject to some of the most brutal weather in China.

For more than 280 days a year, gale-force wind batters the observatory. Wind speed can sometimes reach 140 km per hour. The temperature is below freezing for most of the year, and can be as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius in winter.

"Weather equipment manufacturers love us because we can help them test their products in extreme weather conditions," said Pan Changhong, deputy director of the Changbaishan Meteorological Administration, with which the observatory is affiliated.

For each shift, two or three observers live in the observatory, collecting and uploading data such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, humidity and visibility.

Many of the tasks can be done by machines. When the instruments fail due to bad weather, as they occasionally do, observers have to fix them or work longer hours to finish the job on their own.

"We have a lot of thunderstorms up here, which threaten both people and the equipment," Jiao said.

Weather observation involves a lot of outdoor work. But for observers working at Mount Changbai, every trip is an adventure.

"With the fierce wind, disorienting fog and heavy snow, one can easily lose one's bearings," said Cheng Kun, who worked at the observatory two years ago.

Cheng currently has a managerial role in the administration.

"Before we worked outdoors, we tied one end of a rope around our waists with the other end fixed to the house. This way, we could find our way back and have something to grasp when the wind forced us to our hands and knees," he said.

Indoor life is not much easier. For most of the year, frozen water pipes paralyze the water supply, which makes showers out of the question and washing one's face optional.

Apart from adverse weather conditions, weather observers have to live with monotony and loneliness.

"At the beginning you chat with your colleagues, but soon you just run out of topics," Cheng said.

"We used to read newspapers plastered on the walls to kill time, and over time we could practically recite the stories in them," said Wang Guoxiang, a veteran weather observer who retired two years ago.

Despite the brutality of the working conditions, weather observers here have maintained high morale.

"The work can be tedious, but we are like cogs in a big machine. If we do our work well, the data put together can be of great value to climate research," said Deng Yuanbo, 26. He has been working at the observatory since 2015.

"Our work is of great significance to the research on the climate of Mount Changbai, for the prevention of forest fires and the protection of the biological diversity of the mountain," Cheng said.

"Just think about the sacrifice our predecessors have made. The hardships we have now are nothing," Deng said.

The adverse weather has taken its toll. Liu Jide, former head of the observatory, has been working here since 1980. Multiple illnesses, such as snow blindness, high blood pressure, heart disease, rheumatism, impaired vision and hearing, have been troubling him due to more than 30 years of living on the mountain.

While most weather observers suffer from occupational diseases, some have sacrificed more than others.

In 1981, Sui Jintang, then head of the observatory, fell into the valley while trying to retrieve weather data records that were blown away by the wind. His pelvis was shattered and he died at the age of 41.

Sui's tombstone is near the observatory. Every year, new members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the administration pay tribute to the fallen hero and take an oath of allegiance in front of the tombstone.

"Heads of the observatory have all been CPC members. We didn't make it a criterion, but CPC members just stand out," said Yang Huanyu, director of the administration.

A CPC branch has been set up at the observatory and it has started cooperating with its counterpart at the company that runs tourism for the Mount Changbai scenic spot.

In the event of emergencies, such as tourists being stranded, CPC members at the observatory will take the lead to organize evacuating tourists or offer beds for them to stay overnight.

In 2016, Liu Jide was awarded the honor of being named a model CPC member by the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee.

"I don't think I have done enough, but my identity as a CPC member has encouraged me to set an example," said Liu, 59, who is scheduled to retire next year.

"I hope the young people working at the observatory can carry on our spirit," he said. Enditem