Wang Liuyang (L) and Xu Pan climb the Caiqin Watchtower in Zhanhe forest farm in the city of Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, March 23, 2023. [Xinhua/Xie Jianfei]

HARBIN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) — Wang Liuyang could not comprehend his lookout parents until he became a lookout himself.

When he was young, he was often left alone in the woods as his parents had to be on duty on the high watchtower in Zhanhe forest farm in the city of Heihe, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China.

"I thought they owed me until I became a lookout myself. Now, I feel the responsibility and can understand their hardships," said Wang, 31.

A forest lookout's job is to observe the area at the tower, monitor the wind speed, wind direction and other weather conditions, and record and deliver relevant information for fire prevention. During the high fire risk period, the tower must be manned around the clock.

In Zhanhe forest farm alone, there are more than 20 watchtowers guarded by dozens of lookouts.

Dedication

Zhu Caiqin, Wang's mother, followed her husband to Zhanhe forest farm in 1988. 

Zhu still remembers how she felt when she first climbed the 24-meter-tall tower. "My heart almost popped out," Zhu recalled.

Zhu Caiqin and her husband Wang Xuetang work on a watchtower in Zhanhe forest farm in the city of Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 4, 2004. [Photo by Ding Zhaowen/Xinhua]

For more than 30 years, they trudged through the mountains in knee-deep snow, endured mosquito bites in summer, had no fresh meat, fruits and vegetables to consume during fire season, and made peace with being so far away from the urban sprawl.

In 1992, Wang was born. Due to the nature of their work, he was often left under the tower alone.

Zhu nervously recalls how Wang, aged just 3 at the time, could not find his parents and climbed up the high tower on his own to find them.

"When I found him, he was almost at the top of the tower," Zhu recalled, adding that she could not imagine what would have happened if he had fallen.

There was another time when their 4-year-old son was nowhere to be found after chasing a hare deep into the woods.

As it was a period of high fire risk, Zhu had to stay at her post. Her husband searched for more than an hour before finding the boy asleep in the woods.

"What if he was carried away by a wolf," Zhu said while holding back her tears.

This aerial photo shows the Caiqin Watchtower in Zhanhe forest farm in the city of Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, March 23, 2023. [Xinhua/Xie Jianfei]

Succession

Over the years, Zhu figured out a way to calculate the position of smoke points so that they could accurately report the coordinates.

She and her husband participated in nearly 100 forest fire fighting operations.

Once, a fire broke out and spread to their forest. Zhu and her husband guarded the watchtower for three days and nights without putting down their microphones and pens. They filled two notebooks and successfully transferred over 1,000 messages without any errors, greatly contributing to the firefighting.

The tower they worked on has been named after Zhu as "Caiqin Watchtower."

Now, Zhu has retired and Wang has taken the baton. Xu Pan, his wife, has joined him. Xu described the lookout as one without airs and graces. "You have no one to appreciate your makeup here in the forest," Xu said with a smile.

Wang Liuyang (R) and Xu Pan load living supplies onto a car in the city of Heihe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, March 22, 2023. [Xinhua/Xie Jianfei]

Xu said it is difficult for women to balance family and career. "In the eyes of outsiders, my mother-in-law has won many honors because of her work, but the efforts behind them are unimaginable," she said.

Zhu is comforted that the forest she has protected her whole life is now guarded by her family.

"I hope they do a good job and live up to everyone's expectations," said Zhu.

Intern Guo Shuxian contributed to the story.

(Source: Xinhua)