Constant upgrades help improve quality of life

Having started with just the basics, the facilities and equipment at the police station in the isolated Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark, Gansu province, have improved in recent years.

Constant upgrades have made it easier for the officers in terms of both work and lifestyle compared with decades, or even just a few years, ago.

This is the fourth year that Li Jianqiang has worked at the station. Recalling his early days, Li said he was always anxious during the night shift because the extremely quiet nighttime environment made him nervous and very sensitive to the surroundings.

"The absolute darkness made the moon seem brighter than in any other place. At the time, everyone had more candles than anything else at hand because the station didn't have any electricity," he said.

In 2017, electricity and running water were installed. At the same time, other infrastructure at the station was upgraded.

Xie Shengqiang, the station's deputy head, said the deployment of automobiles, airport-style security facilities, an identification system for faces and IDs, and iris-recognition technology have brought more convenience to the officers and improved work efficiency.

"We also have drones, which can fly to places that can't be reached by people or automobiles, which helps us save more lives," he said.

The only remaining problems are a reliable source of fresh food and ways to spend the dull off-duty hours at weekdays, though the officers usually work out their own methods of staving off boredom.

Moreover, at weekends, they take turns to go back home to downtown Dunhuang, about 160 kilometers away, to spend two days with their family members. After, they return to work at the station.

"Every time we head back to the station from home, we buy vegetables that can last a whole week for all our colleagues. So, meals at the station taste best on Mondays, as the vegetables are still fresh," Yan Jinlong, who has worked at the station for three years, said.

Team members also jog and play basketball as after-work entertainment. "I've now become totally accustomed to the place, and found an interest in working and living here," Yan said.

Although some team members inevitably leave the station after working there for a while, young officers arrive regularly to take their place.

"The spirit of the station－working to serve the people and keep the desert safe－is passed down from one generation to another," Xie said.