70th Birthday of PRC: Three generations pursuing the dream of high speed train

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China's railway sector has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. But starting much later than other countries, it has taken China more effort to grow from an industry newcomer into a major player. A family of train manufacturers tells CGTN's Feng Yilei how they have made the huge leap.

China's first self-developed bullet train, the Fuxing, could be the best symbol of the nation's speed.

The world-class train is made here in the northeastern city of Changchun. It's hard to imagine that just four decades ago, manufacturers were still finding their way. 76-year-old Li Shizhong remembers the old days.

LI SHIZHONG, RETIRED WORKER CRRC CHANGCHUN RAILWAY VEHICLES "We did many odd jobs on a rotating schedule to build a proper plant for formal production. The conditions were very bad- no dust collectors, and lighting was poor."

It was through such hardship that Li Shizhong saw the birth of China's first underground vehicle. But at that time, there was no experience of new designs; only drawings for workers to refer to.

LI SHIZHONG, RETIRED WORKER CRRC CHANGCHUN RAILWAY VEHICLES "Once I was told to process some intricate components I had never seen in a short time. After staying up all night and catching a cold, I nearly gave up. My wife encouraged me to keep trying hard and not to worry about failure. Finally, I made it."

The model worker's master hand and hard work ethic have been successfully passed down-His son Li Wanjun has become a chief operator at the company, hailed the nation's "master of high-speed train welding".

Just like the older generation, Li has also overcome many technical barriers while producing the most advanced vehicles for foreign clients. And more importantly, he has realized his father's unfulfilled dream - building China's own high-speed train. But for the younger man, new challenges lay ahead.

LI WANJUN, CHIEF OPERATOR CRRC CHANGCHUN RAILWAY VEHICLES "We now face different demands from home and abroad. Skilled workers should first master manual skills to finish high quality products. But that is not enough today, we also need to innovate and to learn about the latest intelligent manufacturing."

In the past three decades, Li has turned down many foreign companies' offers to work elsewhere. He set up his own studio and began to train young talent, leading them to secure a series of industrial criteria and national patents. And his team is now also growing at an unprecedented speed.

LI WANJUN, CHIEF OPERATOR CRRC CHANGCHUN RAILWAY VEHICLES "Young people nowadays are better educated and more realistic. They are living in better times and they know that as long as you keep improving your skills, your hard work will pay off and the company and the nation will honor you. They are no longer humble about being technical workers."

While a number of people quit their jobs in the difficult early days, more workers like the Lis have endured the darkest of times, and embraced the industry's grandest achievements. And this glory is all kept in the company's archives.

Now Li Wanjun's daughter, the youngest girl of the family, looks after the archives. Following the same path, she is starting at a basic job level.

LI SIQI, CLERK CRRC CHANGCHUN RAILWAY VEHICLES "I'm currently busy with work, as our company is quickly growing with more exports and construction projects. My father and grandfather look forward to me succeeding them. And I'm learning from their spirit - to do the basic jobs to perfection."

The Li family believes that it is generations of dedicated workers that will take China's high-speed train manufacturing to the top. And they will continue to drive it forward, full speed ahead. Feng Yilei, CGTN, Changchun, Jilin Province.