Connecting the Last Mile: Electricians trek risky mountain trail to set up power grid in cliff village

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03:17

People in many of China's remote villages still have a hard time getting access to electricity. This problem is amplified in villages in mountainous regions, where bringing large equipment is difficult because of bad road conditions. CGTN's Liu Xinqing visited one cliff village in the city of Lichuan, in central China's Hubei Province.

It's an uphill journey. A trail so dangerously steep that it could scare away most climbers. But for these electricians, it's just a normal trip.

XIANG GUANGXUE, ELECTRICIAN JIANNAN POWER SUPPLY STATION, LICHUAN BRANCH OF SGCC "We normally carry insulators, electrical wires and equipment, which are needed for setting up power lines."

These workers have earned the nickname "back-basket electricians" as they trek through mountainous villages carrying electricity materials in back-baskets all year long. Qin Fasong is the head of the operation team in the Jiannan Power Supply Station of Lichuan City. He has been working like this for more than two decades.

QIN FASONG, CHIEF ELECTRICIAN JIANNAN POWER SUPPLY STATION, LICHUAN BRANCH OF SGCC "Our task today is carrying these materials to the cliff village at the mountain top, planting an electric pole, replacing the aging electrical wires in order to make the voltage more stable."

Zhongping Village is one of the most remote places in Lichuan City. It's about three kilometers meters away from the closest concrete road, and it takes nearly two hours to climb to the top. Our camera crew had a hard time carrying only a camera. But each electrician must carry a much heavier load of 30 to 40 kilos at a time.

QIN FASONG, CHIEF ELECTRICIAN JIANNAN POWER SUPPLY STATION, LICHUAN BRANCH OF SGCC "We grew up in the mountains and are used to climbing mountainous trails. But it's still very difficult for us to climb while carrying a heavy load, and we are often drenched in sweat when we get to the top of the mountain."

It's not just small equipment. Electrical poles as heavy as 400 kilos also need to be carried to the village and planted, all with bare hands.

LIU XINQING LICHUAN, HUBEI "The conditions on this road are so treacherous that each step forward is a big challenge. But these electricians say they feel a heavy sense of responsibility because all the materials they carry on their back are desperately needed for providing electricity in the mountainous village."

46-year-old LIU QIXIANG came back to Zhongping village after working in big cities as a migrant worker for many years. He plans to open a farm, but the power shortage has prevented him from processing enough feed.

LIU QIXIANG, VILLAGER ZHONGPING VILLAGE, LICHUAN CITY "I plan to expand my farms by raising more chickens and pigs, but the low voltage cannot support fodder producing machines. So I hope this problem can be solved so that I can start."

JIANNAN power supply station has only 23 electricians, but have to take care of the electricity needs of more than 18,000 households in 53 villages, a mission that keeps them trekking through the mountain trails day in and day out.

QIN FASONG, CHIEF ELECTRICIAN JIANNAN POWER SUPPLY STATION, LICHUAN BRANCH OF SGCC "I feel really proud of my job. I feel happy when local villagers greet us with warmth and smiles."

Daily maintenance needs have made these workers the most frequent visitors to these remote villages.There are many more electricians like Qin in this mountainous region of Lichuan. All devoted to their work with one mission - bringing power and light to places where it's most needed. Liu Xinqing, CGTN, Lichuan, Hubei Province.