Aerial photo taken on March 19, 2022 shows Song Chen up for work at the watchtower on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li He)
BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Coming from the same village in Yixian County of Baoding City in Hebei Province, Song Chen and Song Bao are currently working as forest rangers stationed at the watchtower of Mangshan Mountain in the forest adjacent to the Ming Tombs, a major tourist site in Beijing's suburb.
The two forest rangers, grown up as childhood friends, are now work partners since they landed on this job a few years ago. They are collaboratively responsible for maintaining the 886.7 hectares of national key non-commercial forest.
Working and living in the mountain all the time, Song Chen and Song Bao need to take turns to buy food and other daily supplies by riding an electric motorcycle down the hill. After work, they entertain themselves mainly with television and smartphones. They are also happy to chat with tourists who occasionally pop in at the observation tower.
As the fire prevention and control work should never be taken lightly, Song Chen and Song Bao stay vigilant on guard all the time against any potential risks threatening the safety of the forest resources.
Aerial photo taken on March 19, 2022 shows the watchtower blanketed with snow on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li He)
Song Chen cleans the snow in the yard outside the watchtower on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)
Song Bao cleans the snow in the yard outside the watchtower on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)
Song Bao (front) waves goodbye to Song Chen as he departs for patrolling the forest at the watchtower on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)
Song Bao walks back to the watchtower on Mangshan Mountain after patrolling the forest in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)
Song Bao (L) and Song Chen prepare dinner at the kitchen in the watchtower on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)
Song Chen has his finger accidentally slashed by a snow shovel while cleaning the snow in the yard outside the watchtower on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)
Aerial photo taken on March 19, 2022 shows the watchtower perched on Mangshan Mountain in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li He)■
