China News Service, Shigatse, February 8th (Xie Mu) "Hello, please show your ID card and border pass." In a simple sentence, the immigration management police at the Laomaquanhe border checkpoint said it countless times a day, in the words of police officer Huo Hailiang Say, "Here it is the same day repeated 365 days."
Laomaquanhe Border Checkpoint is located in Saga County, Shigatse City, Tibet Autonomous Region. It is the first border checkpoint from Lhasa to Ngari. It is located at an altitude of 4,600 meters. A group of policemen with an average age of 26 are stationed here. They are "taken care of" by strong ultraviolet rays and strong winds all year round, giving them faces that are more "mature" than their peers.
The picture shows the police at the Laomaquanhe border checkpoint checking people’s identity information. Photo by Qing Guangqiang
"I have already calculated that I will be on duty on the night of New Year's Eve." Policeman Renzeng pointed to the stack of conveniences in the duty room and joked to the policeman on the same shift, "Here are 'braised beef' and 'braised chicken with mushrooms'. I’ll treat you to whatever you want to eat.” Laomaquanhe Border Inspection Station needs to carry out routine border inspections 24 hours a day, and New Year’s Eve just means that there are fewer vehicles passing by that day than usual. "New Year" is a word that makes people happy, but for the policemen who stick to their posts at the Laomaquanhe border checkpoint, this word is tinged with a sense of helplessness and sadness.
Most of the lock screen wallpapers on the mobile phones of the police here are wives and children. They stick to the plateau year after year. They can only put their endless longing for their families into the small mobile phone screen. "You can see them as soon as you pick up the phone, and you think about them again." Police officer Zhang Wei said, looking at his smiling wife and children on the phone. It is normal for them to spend less time with their families and stay away more often. Faced with their parents who are getting older year by year and their children who are growing taller, they feel a sense of indebtedness, but there is nothing they can do about it. No matter when we take a vacation, it’s when the whole family is together that we “celebrate the New Year”.
The duty room of Laomaquanhe Border Inspection Station is close to the border road. The short walk from the duty room to the duty site is enough to dispel the warmth accumulated in the body. The cold wind coming from all directions makes people shiver. "It's not cold here in the summer, but the traffic is very heavy. Once you stand up, you have no chance to sit down. There are fewer cars in the winter, but it's too cold in the winter. My hands and feet are stiff after standing for an hour. It's like this all year round. Come here no matter what. What are you going to do if you don’t work?" Policeman Huo Hailiang always drew laughter when he opened his mouth.
The picture shows the police at Laomaquanhe Border Inspection Station checking the information of passing people and vehicles. Photo by Qing Guangqiang
The "three shifts and two operations" 24-hour two-way search and arrest system has made the police here accustomed to a life of "jet lag". "Sometimes after working the night shift, my body is very tired but I just can't sleep. As soon as I close my eyes, I cry because of the pain, but you have to get used to it," said police officer Zhu Yuncong. In order to maximize the rest of the police officers, the spare room will be adjusted to a room for two people according to the police officers' living habits. A good night's sleep is the biggest luxury in daily work.
From January 1, 2023 to November 2023, Laomaquanhe Border Inspection Station inspected a total of 1,288,220 persons and 543,157 vehicles entering and exiting the border management area; a total of 4 cases of hiding to avoid inspection and bypassing borders were seized; 4 cases of fugitives were seized and handed over online people; 11 people under control were seized. Generations of new police officers have taken over the border guarding baton from their predecessors, forming a border security filter network and building a strong border security defense line. (over)