Iron man's spirit lives on at oilfield

On Sept 21, eight workers from Daqing Oilfield Co, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corp, were awarded the title New Model of Tieren Spirit at a commemoration in Daqing to mark the centenary of Wang Jinxi's birth.

Zhu said: "Wang was an outstanding representative of the Daqing people and a model for all oilfield workers in China. Although he left us for more than half a century ago, his 'Tieren spirit' continues to shine on us."

Liu Li, one of the eight model workers and team head at the company's second oil extraction plant, said: "Like Wang Jinxi, my father was part of the first generation to develop the oilfield at the beginning of the 1960s. I grew up listening to their stories about the oilfield and the hard work everyone put in. I was determined to follow the 'Tieren spirit' at a young age."

Since joining the plant in 1993, the industrious 49-year-old has spent much of her spare time deepening her knowledge of oil extraction and undergoing professional training.

In 1994, she finished in second place in a technology competition held at her plant, and three years later, Liu took third place in a national technology competition. Just 23 at the time, she was the youngest of the winners.

In 2001, after months of research and testing, Liu invented a new tool — a combination of a crowbar, pipe pliers, a wrench and a screwdriver. It was her first step on the road to innovation, and the invention encouraged her to continue her work.

"Workers used to carry a set of individual tools that could weigh more than 10 kilograms, but the combination tool only weighs 2.5 kg, which makes their lives much easier," Liu said.

With more than 2,000 technical innovations and inventions under their belts, Liu and the other members of her team have solved a series of production-related problems.

She has also received a number of awards for her work ethic, professionalism and technical innovation.

"As a new generation of oil workers, we will boost oil and gas exploration and development, take concrete action to ensure national energy security, and build China into a modern socialist country," Liu said.

Over the years, music and many documentaries and other films have depicted the life of Wang.

In July 2021, Liaoning Ballet of China created the dance drama Iron Man, which incorporates ballet and Chinese classic and modern dance to tell Wang's story.

The drama has been performed by some 100 artists from Liaoning Ballet of China and the Liaoning provincial song and dance troupe in cities nationwide.

Qu Zijiao, head of Liaoning Ballet of China, said, "We want the public to better understand the 'Tieren spirit' through the form of a dance drama."

After a performance of Iron Man in Daqing in May, a member of the audience said: "It was the first time I had watched a ballet drama, but Iron Man is the best to my mind. Like most young people in Daqing, I feel proud to devote myself to the oilfield."