Armed with a flame-resistant jacket, helmet, boots and gloves, with a welding mask in the left hand and a welding torch in the right, 47-year-old Wen Suxia concentrates on repairing the broken door of a train carriage in her company's workshop.

Wen is a welder in the Shijiazhuang Maintenance Section under China Railway Beijing Group. As the only female welder in this maintenance section, Wen has stuck to her post for nearly 30 years.

Her father was a railway worker, and so is her husband. Upon entering adulthood in 1989, Wen said she was faced with the task of making a significant life choice for the first time.

The terrible working conditions – with flames and sparks of molten metal everywhere and every day – once made the young woman hesitate about her decision, Wen recalled.

However, she insisted that she is not a person who often gives up. Wen said she believed that nothing in this world is difficult for one who sets her mind on it, so she pressed forward with an indomitable will.

Wen's daily work is to repair and consolidate the doors of freight train carriages. She contends that she works hard with great care and responsibility. As the volume of railway freight has continuously increased in recent years, Wen said the job has become more tiring and burdensome for her and her colleagues.

Welding is a special type of work that requires both technique and strength. In addition to learning skills from her teachers and colleagues, Wen said she pays attention to physical training to increase her arm strength. She is now a welding expert quite well known in the trade.

There is usually a lot of urgent work on holidays, particularly during Spring Festival when the company is short-handed. Wen said she always remains cool-headed in times of emergency. She explained that she works longer hours and extra shifts to accomplish her work on schedule.

Yang Xinjian, head of the welding team, spoke highly of Wen. "She works hard and never complains. Once she gets down to work, all thoughts of sleep or food vanish from her mind," Yang said, adding, "At this point, even the men cannot compare well with her."

Since 2011, Wen has been awarded the title of "Woman Pace-Setter" six times in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the company.

According to Wen, she spends most of her time in the workshop and does her best not to be distracted by household chores. Whenever anybody advises her to find an easier or comparatively comfortable job, she said she dismisses the notion with a smile.

"I have gotten used to this job, and I would never trouble others to do it when I could do it by myself," Wen said

Wen Suxia, together with head of the welding team Yang Xinjian, checks the doors of the freight train carriages at a workshop in the Shijiazhuang Maintenance Section under China Railway Beijing Group. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

Wen Suxia and one of her colleagues check the doors of freight train carriages. Their daily work is to check, repair and strengthen the broken doors. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

Some special marks are made on a freight train door that needs repair. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

A welder concentrates on his work at a workshop in the Shijiazhuang Maintenance Section under China Railway Beijing Group. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

These are the welding tools and protective clothing used by Wen Suxia – a welding mask, a pair of leather gloves and a mask-type respirator for poison gas. Wen's work is known as manual welding, in which the heat generated by an electric arc melts the workpiece and the electrode to form a welding seam which, after cooling and condensation, can form a firm joint. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

The safety instructions for welding operation hang on the wall of the workshop. Welders are required to strictly follow the instructions to ensure safe welding practices. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

The arc temperature produced in welding is above 4,200 degrees Celsius, and people cannot look straight at it with the naked eye. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

Armed with flame-resistant clothes and boots, Wen concentrates on welding. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

After the welding has been completed, Wen Suxia checks the welding seam with a small hammer. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

Wen Suxia concentrates on welding. She has been awarded the title of "Woman Pace-Setter" six times in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the company. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

Wen Suxia displays the mask-type respirator used to prevent inhalation of poison gas. The active carbon in the respirator absorbs poisonous gases and impurities, leaving a layer of dirt on the filter of the mask. "The filter must be replaced frequently to ensure safe welding operation," she said. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

Wen Suxia makes a routine check of the freight train carriages. She said that she has gotten used to this job and would never trouble others to do it when she could do it by herself. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

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