Unsung Hero: Meteorologist on reef
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E-mail CNTV, February 27, 2013
Our series of feature stories on Unsung Heroes continues. Today the theme of our story is persistence as we take a look at the life of Li Wenbo, a marine meteorologist at the garrison on the reef in the South China Sea. During his twenty-one years of service there, he has helped establish China's hydro-meteorological research.
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Li Wenbo, a marine meteorologist at the garrison on the reef in the South China Sea. |
This narrow path leading to the dock is Li Wenbo's favorite spot on the reef. He says this is the place where he feels most at home.
Li Wenbo, hydrometeorologist, Nansha troops, said:"The reef that I'm stationed on is called Yongshu Reef. It's not very big, just the size of a standard soccer field. I remember first setting foot on Nansha in September 1992."
The Nansha Waters is in a crucial international shipping channel.
As a graduate of hydro-meteorology, Li thought this position would be perfect for him. He could help defend China's maritime territory while conducting hydro-metereology research in Nansha.
Every 3 hours, Li collects and reports data on 20 hydro-meteorogical elements, like wind speed and air pressure.
But as days turned into years, Li realized staying at his job was not going to be an easy task.
Li Wenbo said:"In 1995 I got a military dog. But barely three months passed, it just went mad. It would bite anyone it encountered. So it's even hard for dogs to live in an enclosed space for a long period of time."
Back when communication technology was less developed, Li would barely receive one letter from his family in a year.
And as time passed, new conversation topics with the other men stationed on the reef also gradually dried up.
Life on the island was so boring he would stare at food can wrappers for hours.
Initially he thought his desire to serve his country would help him conquer the rough climate, the dangerous work, anything.
But he failed to consider how lonely life would be on this isolated reef, situated 14-hundred kilometers from the Chinese mainland.
He kept a daily record of the changes in the sea and sky, but had no idea how tall his son had grown.
He dedicated 21 years of his life, including the prime of his youth, to studying Nansha. And despite the monotonous routine, those 21 years made him an excellent hydro-meteorologists who has helped fill gaps in China's research in the South China Sea.
Now he only goes on the reef three times every two years. That gives him another 12 visits before he will retire.
He says as long as he can move his legs, he's determined to fulfill his duty and continue his lifetime mission.
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