International Online Report (Reporter Mi Chunze Yang Yuan): There is such a group of Chinese builders who have crossed thousands of mountains and rivers to Missan Province in southern Iraq, overcoming many difficulties such as the epidemic, high temperature, and security situation and turmoil, and helping local power construction. On the Dragon Boat Festival, they took local materials on the banks of the Tigris River, made rice dumplings with their Iraqi colleagues, and celebrated a different kind of Chinese festival in a foreign country.
On the outskirts of Amara, in Missan Province in southeastern Iraq, Tang Qing, a Chinese employee of the Missan Combined Cycle Power Plant Project, and his Chinese and Iraqi colleagues finished their day's work and came to the banks of the Diggris River with the sunset in the evening. Because the power plant project is far from central cities such as the capital and the port, and it is difficult to obtain ingredients, they use local materials, do not pick some reed leaves from the riverside as rice dumpling leaves, and replace them with local Iraqi dates without red dates. Tang Qing introduced, "We only have this reed leaf here, so now (only) use this bag, the effect of the package is still a little small, we just use local materials, this is Iraqi special dates, we use this date for the Dragon Boat Festival rice dumplings, quite sweet, very delicious." ”
Li Chong, the person in charge of the construction of the Missang combined cycle power plant project, was interviewed by a reporter from the main station
After cleaning the reeds collected from the river, preparing dates and rice, Chinese and Iranian employees on the project gathered together to wrap rice dumplings together. The Yifang employees also learned to wrap rice dumplings with great interest, laid out the rice dumpling leaves, put a palm date, and then put a handful of Jiang rice, and as soon as the rope was tied, a small rice dumpling was wrapped. Speaking of the different Dragon Boat Festival celebrated together on the banks of the Tigris River, Tao Zhilong, a builder of the Missan combined cycle power plant project in Iraq, was very excited at the event site, "When I came to the construction site to learn to make rice dumplings for the first time, I used to buy and eat them at home, and the first time I wrapped my own rice dumplings, which is equivalent to the combined version of China and Iraq." ”
Iraqi employee Akil made rice dumplings for the first time, "This is the first time I spent the Dragon Boat Festival with Chinese employees, dates are produced in Missan Province, Iraq, only Jiang rice is produced in China, rice dumplings are picked by us from the Tigris River, (all Chinese colleagues) are very good, I have many friends on the project, I have worked with them for four years, I share everything with them, they are like family to me." ”
In order to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, the power plant project also held a variety of traditional Chinese cultural activities: dragon boat racing, pot throwing games, etc., Chinese and foreign employees hands-on experience and enjoyment. Zhang Bo, head of Energy Construction International Iraq in the Missan combined cycle power plant project, said: "Every festive season, because the project is completed immediately, many employees have not gone home for a year, before the completion of this project, it may be their last Dragon Boat Festival during the implementation of this project, so it is also to alleviate everyone's homesickness, specially arranged this activity, so that everyone to spend the Dragon Boat Festival happy and meaningful." ”
Southern Iraq has hot summers and local residents often experience power shortages. The Missan Combined Cycle Power Plant Project is the largest existing gas-fired power station in Iraq, which is contracted by CITIC Construction and constructed by China Energy Construction Tianjin Power Construction, reflecting a new model of international production capacity cooperation between Chinese enterprises in overseas collective cooperation and joint construction of the Belt and Road. Since the combined cycle was connected to the grid in April 2023, the project has played a huge role in solving the power shortage in southeastern Iraq. Li Chong, the representative in charge of the Missan combined cycle power plant project, said that the project has helped improve the local people's livelihood in Iraq and achieved good social benefits. "During the implementation of this project, we have provided a large number of employment opportunities for local residents, and have effectively assisted the local government to solve the employment pressure of the school-age population, which has been praised by the Missan provincial government."
At the end of the interview, the Dragon Boat Festival blessings from Iraq were jointly expressed at the site of the Missan Cycle Power Station: "I am in Misan, Iraq, and the Dragon Boat Festival is healthy!" I love China, I love China Festival! ”