Grooming horses and sharpening weapons to meet a fierce battle; lying with spear at the ready, we press forward once more.

Grooming horses and sharpening weapons to meet a fierce battle, we lie with spears at the ready, poised to press forward once more.

— A Documentary Account of Sinochem Bureau’s Participation in the Qinghai Muli Ecological Restoration Project

Winter arrives particularly early in the Muli mining area; while the Central Plains still savor the golden September and silver October, here winter has long since set in. By late November, heavy snowflakes and frosty breath are commonplace in Muli, Qinghai, and residents have long relied on cotton hats, military overcoats, thick leather trousers, and sturdy yellow boots as standard gear. At this time, the second project office of the Qinghai Muli Ecological Environment Comprehensive Remediation Project is bustling with activity—only upon inquiry do we learn that the backfilling of the No. 4 well pit, which they are constructing, has just been completed and sealed off.

“At present, we have completed all backfilling work and are now proceeding with slope repair and site leveling, entering the final stage,” said Tian Li, the project leader from the China Chemical Geology And Mining Bureau. “This also marks a milestone in our progress at Muli, laying a solid foundation for subsequent construction.”

Let’s go! Up the mountain!

In late September, a decisive battle for the comprehensive governance of the ecological environment was launched in Muli. This is bound to be a tough fight—one that must be won—because it bears on the CPC Central Committee’s and the entire society’s commitment to protecting the plateau’s ecology, on the earnest expectations of the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, and on the mission and responsibility of central state-owned enterprises to safeguard the environment.

As one of the participating units of the China National Coal Geological Bureau, the China Chemical Engineering Bureau sprang into action upon receiving the order, launching a full‑scale operation. It promptly established a leading work group, assigned personnel to key positions, and assembled a high‑caliber, specialized design team.

At the time, Assistant Director Tian Li volunteered to go, becoming the oldest member of the team and the first to head up the mountain. “I never imagined I’d be climbing again at my age, let alone at such a high altitude. I didn’t overthink it—I just wanted to do something meaningful alongside this group of post‑80s and post‑90s colleagues.” Under the setting sun, the side profile of this post‑70s leader was illuminated, his features sharp and resolute. “Right now, there are 13 of us on the mountain—the youngest is 22, with an average age of 32—a remarkably young team.”

Jin Gang, Tian Wenbin, Zhang Guang, Zhou Lijun, Zhai Derong, Zhang Yupeng, Cao Dengxuan, Li Jiale, Wang Yanshuai, Gao Xiang, Wang Liang, Zhu Jianhua, and Chen Po—whether summoned by name or volunteering to go—none of them could have imagined that once they climbed the mountain, they would hardly ever come down again.

In response to the directive issued by Hao Peng, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, to “go all out in support and coordination, and deliver excellence in the Qinghai Province Comprehensive Ecological Environment Governance Project,” and to the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government’s requirements—“lay a solid foundation within two months, establish robust institutional safeguards within the year, achieve greenery and a visible transformation within two years, and realize park‑level results within three years”—they feel more anxious than anyone else.

They press ahead with the schedule and seize every moment, resolute and with no other choice.

So hard! This bone

Well No. 4 looms like a ferocious beast with its maw wide open, swallowing truckload after truckload of excavated spoil and draining the strength and resolve of everyone involved. Given its sheer size—stretching roughly 3.7 kilometers from east to west and 3.4 kilometers from north to south, with a total area of 11.69 square kilometers—even thousands of heavy‑duty construction vehicles are but a mere speck within its vast expanse.

(Before construction of Shaft No. 4)

“It’s tough—really tough. Extreme weather, a body that’s constantly protesting, and challenging conditions, coupled with the difficulty of finding a construction team large enough to handle the job, made it seem impossible at times to even level the site. But we were determined to turn the impossible into the possible!” Tian Li said with a smile. Before mining began, Well No. 4 was situated in a plateau‑hilly terrain, generally sloping from west to east. The highest point within the area lies near Exploration Line No. IX, at an elevation of 4,119 meters, while the lowest point is near the Xiaduo Luo River on the eastern side, at 3,982 meters, yielding a relative elevation difference of 137 meters.

(Construction of Shaft No. 4 in progress)

As time went on, the challenges facing the construction team were overcome, and a sizable fleet of vehicles gradually rolled into the site. More than 1,500 transport trucks and over 300 accompanying engineering vehicles converged in the Muli mining area, all united in sounding a “heroic anthem,” tirelessly battling raging blizzards, struggling against suffocating respiratory distress, braving near-zero visibility, and pushing the limits of human physiology.

(After construction of Shaft No. 4)

They had already been stationed on the mountain for more than three months, and the weather was growing colder and increasingly unfavorable for construction, rendering the original plan less and less viable. The project team held late-night meetings time and again to devise a new approach—proposing solutions, discarding them, revising, and re‑discarding—until no one could even recall how many meetings had been convened, how many proposals had been put forward, or how many drafts had been debated before they finally settled on an optimized plan that both conserved manpower and resources and better suited the prevailing weather conditions.

The plan is set, the construction process is finalized, and the work standards are established—now it’s time to tackle this challenge head-on!

Keep going! Every second counts.

Safety is undoubtedly the most critical aspect of all construction work. In Muli, it has become a keyword that everyone frequently emphasizes, because the Muli project is truly unique.

Its unique characteristics are reflected in the large construction area, the multitude of participating entities, the tight schedule, the heavy workload, and the extreme environmental conditions—much like a chessboard where a single move can set the entire system in motion. If the efforts of the construction team, the inspection group, the technical team, and the surveying team are not properly coordinated and integrated, the overall project progress will be compromised.

Well No. 4 was jointly completed by the China National Chemical Engineering Group, the Jiangsu Coal Geological Bureau, and the Guangdong Coal Geological Bureau. The heavier the responsibility on one’s shoulders, the greater the pressure—and Tian Li was no exception. “Perhaps being on the plateau is one factor, but the pressure is another: I couldn’t sleep or eat; even when I did manage to doze off, it was only a half‑asleep, half‑awake state—everyone felt the same.”

(Before construction of Shaft No. 3)

“For that single blast, for that benchmark, Tian Li and his team have been working tirelessly on the Muli Plateau. ‘Every day, I rack up over ten thousand steps—there’s no way around it; I have to make a full patrol to feel at ease. At peak times, I’ll run two or three circuits, and I’ve become thoroughly familiar with every platform, every spoil heap, and every slope at Well No. 4,’ Tian Li said with a smile.”

Morning and evening meetings are no exception: detailing work tasks, reporting construction progress, and discussing technical challenges all feature on the agenda. Even when the evening meeting runs late, Tian Li still makes his rounds—“The boss sent me to check on things.” Nighttime temperatures often plunge below minus twenty degrees Celsius; people move in a mechanical, almost robotic way, so frozen they can barely bring themselves to breathe, and even their standard-issue gear feels shockingly inadequate in such extreme cold.

(After construction of Shaft No. 3)

“With nearly two thousand pieces of construction equipment operating simultaneously, dust and debris are flying everywhere, visibility is almost zero, and the work goes on around the clock. We have to coordinate every vehicle meticulously—unless I’m on site myself, I can’t feel at ease. The safety string must be kept taut at all times,” Tian Li said, his eyes betraying exhaustion.

Even the toughest physique can’t withstand such intensity—let alone on the frigid, oxygen‑deprived Muli Plateau. Yet no one dared to slow down; “every second counts” became the rallying cry that united the entire project team.

Their appetite and sleep quality have been steadily deteriorating, their weight has plummeted, and losing over ten jin is nothing unusual here—everyone has grown thinner to a whole new degree, their weathered looks reflecting a newfound depth.

Hang in there! Do your utmost.

This young project team is predominantly made up of post-80s generation members—some have just started families, while others have only recently become fathers.

Wang Yanshuai said, “Coming to Muli is not just a matter of sentiment—it’s also a sense of responsibility. It means tackling tasks far more complex than those in the plains, all while operating in conditions where oxygen is scarce and mental processing feels slower, and it means steadfastly holding the line time and again against biting winds and blizzards.”

Tian Wenbin said, “I’m from Qinghai, and I feel immensely proud to be able to contribute even a small effort to my hometown’s environmental protection!”

Zhou Lijun said, “Standing on a mountain at 4,200 meters, though breathing is difficult, as a candidate member of the Party, I do not seek to make a sensational impact; rather, I strive to turn complexity into simplicity in tackling challenges and improving my work, and to excel even in the simplest tasks.”

Gao Xiang said, “I am a brick in the revolutionary cause—wherever I’m needed, there I go.”

Zhai Derong said, “I was transferred from a project in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan. My goal is to temper my willpower in challenging conditions, align myself with the Party ideologically, and strive to become a qualified young person who is unafraid of hardship.”

Wang Liang said, “Although the environment here is harsh, we all care for one another; we are colleagues, comrades-in-arms, and, above all, family.”

Zhang Guang said, “Since we’ve come, let us make the best of it. As the first wave to set foot on the Muli Plateau, we will transform from support troops into volunteer soldiers, facing each day’s challenges with the resolve to return only when our mission in Muli is completed.”

Cao Dengxuan said, “I’m about to start a family but haven’t yet; putting the greater good before my own. As for marriage, I can put it off—for the sake of my career, it’s both without regret and a source of pride.”

Zhang Yupeng said, “I’m the youngest on the project, so it’s only right that I take the lead. Our seniors have always stayed on the front lines; as the younger generation, we should even more so bring the energy and drive of youth and never give up easily.”

Li Jiale said, “I am just a tiny screw—wherever I’m needed, that’s where I’ll tighten. I firmly believe in my abilities, and this will be a defining moment in my career as a surveyor.”

Vibrant! Youth Commando Team

Vast grasslands, towering snow-capped mountains. On the pristine Muli Plateau, the banner of the “Youth Commando Team” flutters in the wind, dazzling and radiant. That distinctive, eye‑catching Sinochem Mingda emblem, carried aloft alongside the team’s flag, is etched even more deeply into each heart—sacred and solemn.

As Wang Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Sinochem Bureau, remarked during his visit to the plateau: “Working on the highlands, oxygen is what’s most scarce, but spirit is what’s most precious. You march alongside the wind and snow—not only as the ‘light‑keepers’ of the plateau, but also as the ‘guides’ through the snowy realm. You dedicate your lives to your projects; each one of you moves us deeply and deserves to be remembered and celebrated. Sinochem Bureau needs this kind of spirit—this spirit will enable us to go even further.”

In this clash between fervent spirit and icy winds, in the ongoing contest between humanity and nature, the people of Sinochem Mingda have demonstrated directness, courage, tenacity, and an unwavering essence. For the sake of that solemn promise, they have raced against time, confronted every challenge, braved blizzards and bitter cold, and repeatedly pushed the boundaries of human endurance. Having endured this unique baptism of ice and snow, they have accumulated experience, honed their resolve, and elevated themselves—cultivating a steadfast will, noble sentiments, a profound sense of responsibility, and lofty aspirations that have lifted Sinochem Mingda to new heights.

Tian Li stated: “The containment of the water pits is only a milestone victory; the road ahead remains long. We will continue to stay focused on our goals, press forward with renewed vigor, and accelerate the implementation of corrective measures in response to the expert guidance. We will ensure accountability at every level and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to advancing the remediation efforts with efficiency and high quality, so as to complete all remediation tasks by year’s end, lay a solid foundation for next year’s vegetation restoration and greening initiatives, and deliver a satisfactory outcome in the comprehensive ecological and environmental governance.”

“Thank you so much for coming. This place used to be a treasure trove, but now it’s been gutted—my heart aches.” Driver Zhang, a local, has witnessed Muli’s former splendor. “Seeing you all today gives me hope again. I look forward to the day when the slag‑heap pits are transformed into green spaces, restoring our plateau to a sea of flowers.”

On December 29–30, 2020, the Haixi Prefecture Government, together with relevant agencies, conducted a phase‑wise acceptance inspection of the Juhugeng No. 3 and No. 4 shaft remediation project in the Muli Mining Area. On December 29, the project owner and members of the expert panel convened in the Tianjun County Government conference room to hear a work report and review project documentation. On the morning of December 30, Shen Weishou, head of the expert panel, led the acceptance team to the remediation site for on‑site inspection and verification. At the acceptance review meeting held that afternoon, both the project owner and the expert panel expressed full recognition and high praise for the remediation efforts at Shafts No. 3 and No. 4. With this, after nearly one hundred days of tireless work by the Second Project Department, Shafts No. 3 and No. 4 successfully passed the phase‑wise acceptance, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent soil covering and vegetation restoration phases.