From "Remote Mountain Cold Outpost" to "Iron Outpost": The "Six Networks" Give Soldiers Greater Confidence in Guarding the Border and Greater Drive in Patrol Duties
■ Staff Sergeant First Class Ma Tengfei, "Motuo Border Defense Model Battalion," Tibet Military District
Early in the morning, the clouds and mist had not yet lifted from the mountains of Motuo, Tibet, but the parade ground was already bustling. As usual, a white cold-chain transport vehicle pulled into the garrison on schedule and came to a steady stop. Everyone crowded around and unloaded basket after basket of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and eggs from the truck.
"Look at these greens — so fresh and vibrant, like they were just picked from the field." "These fish are still jumping!" Before us lay an abundance of all kinds of ingredients, like a mobile fresh-food market. Comrades were noisily discussing what to have for dinner, every face lit up with smiles.
The outpost where I am stationed sits in dense forest on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, at an elevation of 3,500 meters, far from the county seat. Fresh perishable supplies delivered every three days have already become standard here.
Seeing this scene, I feel genuinely happy from the bottom of my heart. In the past, such a sight was beyond imagining.
I have guarded the border for 19 years, and my first experience entering Motuo remains vivid in my memory. At the time, the Motuo Highway had not yet opened. I followed the column into the mountains on foot — crossing snow-covered peaks, scaling cliffs — and it took a full three days to make it into Motuo, then another day to reach the company. My feet were covered in blood blisters, and I had no idea how many times leeches had bitten me.
Those days without a road were truly brutal.
The outpost and the company headquarters were connected only by a narrow mountain path. All supply transport depended entirely on us carrying loads on our shoulders and backs, with a round trip taking several days. Once, a sick comrade wanted to eat eggs. We wrapped them carefully and guarded them with great care, but no matter how cautiously we walked, we stumbled the whole way, and by the time we reached the outpost, the egg yolks had already soaked through an entire backpack. Even now, thinking back on that feeling is painful. Every winter, when heavy snow sealed off the mountains, the outpost became an "isolated island in a sea of snow." The dining table held nothing but turnips and canned goods; leafy green vegetables became a rare luxury. In those days, as the cook, I worried every single day about three meals.
In October 2013, the Motuo Highway was completed and opened to traffic. Later, soldiers and civilians together blasted through mountains and built roads connecting the outposts and opening up patrol routes. A dense and efficient border road network gradually took shape.
Once the roads were open, all manner of construction followed, pushing into the front-line border areas, and the bottlenecks constraining border defense development were broken one after another.
The national logistics network "wove" remote outposts into its fabric — from supply materials to online shopping deliveries, efficient transport transformed the logistical support here. Now we use the "Snowy Plateau Delivery" (雪域配送) system: we place orders and select dishes independently online, fresh goods arrive via cold-chain transport, and fruits, meat, and eggs are replenished as we consume them. On the dining table, braised prawns, dry-pot spare ribs, seasonal vegetables, and fresh fruit have long since become everyday fare.
After meals, everyone likes to take out their phones and chat with family for a while.
On the subject of network signal, I have the most to say. When I first arrived at the outpost, making a phone call meant climbing to a hilltop five kilometers away and holding the phone up while searching in every direction for a signal. That "signal tree" at the summit had been climbed so many times by everyone that the bark had been worn smooth. Intermittent signal was the norm; both ends of the call would be shouting, and neither side could hear the other clearly.
Three years ago, communications network coverage finally reached the outpost. Now, in any corner you like, you can pull out your phone and video chat with family. The outpost has also activated a remote medical consultation system: if anyone is bitten by a venomous insect or develops an acute illness, they can connect with specialist physicians for a consultation at any time.
Tides surge at the border; the changes have been immense. Over 19 years through cold and heat, I have witnessed with my own eyes the transformation of a "remote mountain cold outpost" into an "iron outpost." This year, the state is pressing ahead with full intensity on the "Six Networks" (六张网) construction. We look forward to more of the fruits of national development reaching the border, giving soldiers greater confidence in guarding the border and greater drive in their patrol duties.