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(soft music)
(train hooting)
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(train engine revving)
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As if a model train had come to life
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in the forefront bellies of Sichuan
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life follows its own rhythm,
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somewhat more relaxed than elsewhere in China.
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(soft music)
(train engine revving)
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A little steam train is the only means of transportation
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for the people around here.
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It's whistling, echoes through the ravines.
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There is no route here.
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Anyone wanting to go to the market or just visit
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the next Valley has to either walk or take the train.
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(train engine revving)
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Steep rock walls, rice terraces, hills and rivers.
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The little train fights its way over ascending slopes
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and back downhill around bans and through tunnels,
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skinning past the houses and right through the town.
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(train engine revving)
(soft music)
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It's narrow gauge railway tracks
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are ideal for this impassable terrain here in Sichuan,
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in the heart of China, South of the mega city, Chengdu.
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The train route isn't very long
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but this approximately 20 kilometer stretch of railway track
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is the only connection to the outside world
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for the residents of the scattered villages.
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(train hooting)
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The little train always has right of way.
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(train engine revving)
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Whoever misses it has to drive over the railway tracks
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by motor bike, without a helmet of course,
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this way, it's easier to listen to the radio.
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The railway track is the main route for pedestrians too,
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because it is the only way to get
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through the forests and mountains.
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There is good reason for the train's constant whistling.
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(soft music)
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The train driver, Huáng She-Bin, starts his shift.
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"Go to work with joy and return in good health"
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is written on the entrance of the train depot.
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Huáng signs in for his shift.
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His colleague has already finished,
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he has heated up the engines that are about to be used.
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(soft music)
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Seven steam trains are constantly in operation.
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Even the switching moves at the Shixi station
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are powered by steam.
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Huáng She-Bin has to examine the locomotives
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thoroughly before departure.
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He completes an inspection round before every trip,
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as the trains are old and consists mainly of spare parts.
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(men speaking in foreign language)
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There's always something broken.
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I have to re-tighten the screws.
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(men speaking in foreign language)
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(water pouring)
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A vast amount of water is required
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to produce steam.
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Locomotive number 16 is flooded for minutes.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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This job wasn't my childhood dream.
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They were looking for train drivers and I applied.
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The work is quite hard.
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Huáng is going to drive the route twice today.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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We have a great responsibility
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as drivers, if an accident occurs,
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they deduct the cost from our salaries.
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We have to be very attentive as we don't want anyone
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to be injured.
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(door opens)
(coal clatters)
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Huáng She-Bin used to be a postman.
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He was trained for three months before he was allowed
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to take on sole responsibility as a train driver
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on China's last year round, regularly scheduled
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passenger steam train.
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(whistle blowing)
(soft music)
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A particularly large crowd gathers on market day
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in Chongqing, at the Northern end of the terminal.
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The simple carriages are already full
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half an hour before departure.
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The farmers bring back their shopping goods
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to the villages of the Valley.
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Supplies, vegetables, live chickens and passengers,
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everything is squeezed in and skillfully stacked.
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(whistle blowing)
(train horn hooting)
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Huáng will be driving back and forth along the route
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for two and a half hours.
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During the rapeseed flowering season and spring,
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the landscape looks as if a model maker had tipped over
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a tin of yellow paint.
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(train engine revving)
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Rice terraces, bamboo groves and banana trees,
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flourish between the rapeseed fields.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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(soft music)
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In Zhujiajiao, people have a lot of time.
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(soft music)
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Zhou Ping the butcher, has already been waiting
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for two hours, together with his colleague
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he wants to transport pigs to Bajiaogou.
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Finally the animals arrive,
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(soft music)
(train engine revving)
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and so does the train one hour later.
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(train engine revving)
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There are no separate carriages for the animals.
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(pigs grunting)
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A separate compartment is created in the passenger carriage
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with the help of a gate.
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(gate closes)
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(speaking in foreign language)
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We bought these pigs
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from the local farmers were taking them to Bajiaogou now.
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No glass in the windows, simple wooden benches,
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bare metal walls and occasionally pigs in the carriage.
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The little train is not really comfortable.
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The pigs are going to be slaughtered in Bajiaogou,
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their meat will be sold on the market.
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Whoever comes from the Valley to shop there
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will be traveling with Huáng or one of his colleagues.
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A regional commodity cycle powered by steam.
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(train engine revving)
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Mountain bikes, furniture, livestock,
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the little train is indispensable in this Valley.
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For the pigs, the journey continues at breakneck speed.
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Bajiaogou is the second to last stop for the train,
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but for the animals, it is literally the end of the line.
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Xin Ping, drives them forward with a bamboo stick.
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At the town square chairman Mao
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is emblazoned above the propaganda stage
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that dates back to the cultural revolution.
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(soft music)
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Bajiaogou means banana forest,
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an enchanting place almost frozen in time.
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Not long ago in the 1940s,
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this little shopping street built
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by an Anglo-Chinese mining company
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used to house opium dens and brothels.
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Today, the little town seems like an open air museum
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representing traditional China.
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(dog barking)
(cock crows)
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In the Hills above Bajiaogou peasants live as they have done
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for centuries, growing rice and vegetables
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from every available piece of land.
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(soft music)
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It's early morning and Wong Qishan has already harvested.
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(soft music)
(cock crows)
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Peasant woman Wong, runs the farm with her husband.
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Their daughter is already grown up.
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She wants to sell her vegetables at Zhuhai market,
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the basket can weigh up to 20 kilos when it's fully loaded.
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It takes her more than half an hour
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to walk down the hill to the train station.
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(soft music)
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The dainty Wong balances the basket effortlessly
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as she weaves her way along the clay walls
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of the Patty fields. This, is her regular commute.
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There is a little daily market in Bajiaogou,
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but once a week, peasant woman Wong also sells her goods
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at the big market in Zhuhai,
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which can only be reached by train.
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The Bajiaogou train station has recently been renovated.
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(people chanting)
(speaking in foreign language)
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[Female Translator] For the little luck
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I get 51 for my chods.
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Wong needs to sell all the vegetables
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in her basket today,
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otherwise the journey to Zhuhai is not profitable.
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A one-way ticket costs her five yuan approximately 60 cents.
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(train engine revving)
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The tickets can be bought directly from the conductor.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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[Female Translator] I take the train to Zhuhai
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four times a month, I also shop there myself.
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Mostly seedlings.
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It takes Wong a little over one hour
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to get to Zhuhai, while more and more farmers
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squeeze into the carriages at every station.
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The engine house is also located
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in the market town of Zhuhai.
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The locomotives need constant repair and maintenance,
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bolting, welding, hammering.
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Morning meeting for the engine house team.
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The foreman explains what tasks need to be done today.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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Lu Chun Li is a mechanic toolmaker and engine fitter.
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One has to be a Jack of all trades around here.
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(tools clattering)
(speaking in foreign language)
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[Female translator] I make spare parts.
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Lu Chun Li's inspections are as sharp
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as her cutting tools.
(speaking in foreign language)
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[Female translator] This is going to be a bolt
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of the locomotive's control rod.
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I have to finish four of these today.
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The little train is the last steam train
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so you can't buy the spare parts anymore.
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That's why we make them ourselves, it's cheaper as well.
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Mechanic HiChoon,
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is going to put the part to the test.
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Do Chun Li's bolts fit precisely?
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These connecting parts transfer the whole power
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of the steam engine to the wheels.
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Chun Li's parts fit perfectly.
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The locomotives were built specially
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for the unique requirements of this route.
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Four pairs of little wheels lie close together.
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Schweitzer Gung is responsible for safety,
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he knows all the weak spots of the old train inside out
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and is aware of the parts that need double-checking.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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The short trains are good
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for this route.
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A regular train would be more than 70 meters long.
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The locomotive alone is more than 20 meters long.
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You wouldn't be able to drive around the bends very well.
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Our locomotives are only 14 meters long,
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they don't have any trouble with the narrow bends.
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For decades the building plans
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were considered lost and when the files reappeared,
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no one recognized their value.
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The president of the mining company
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is still angry about it today.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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Five years ago,
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a professor at China's mining and technology University
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found the files in a Taiwanese Nyberg.
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He called us to ask if we wanted a copy,
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unfortunately at the time we thought we didn't need them.
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(train engine revving)
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Over the years almost every single component
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of the locomotives has been replaced at some point.
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Today's locomotives are masterpieces of metal fitting,
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pieced together from spare parts made individually by hand,
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mostly without an exact design.
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Right next to the engine house lies the market of Zhuhai,
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the biggest one in this region.
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The moon calendar determines the market days,
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it takes place about nine times a month.
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(upbeat music)
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Peasant woman Wong is late. The train was late.
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All the good selling spots are taken already.
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She squeezes in between motorbikes
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in front of a newly opened store.
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Nevertheless, she doesn't have to wait long
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for the first customer, a good omen for the day.
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(upbeat music)
(people chanting)
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At Zhuhai market, you can buy anything
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that might be considered a feast for Chinese pallets.
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However, more likely to be an acquired taste
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for most Westerners.
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A special breed is much sought after at the poultry stall,
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black chickens, jet black after plucking to be more precise.
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(upbeat music)
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Charlatans, hairdressers, miracle workers
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and fortune tellers.
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They have arranged their camping tables
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on the outskirts of the market.
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For a few yuan you can hear what your future holds.
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Xing Fu Gaho is blind in one eye,
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a sure sign of competence for fortune tellers.
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(speaking in foreign language)
262
00:16:03,980 --> 00:16:06,230
I can see it clearly now.
263
00:16:07,700 --> 00:16:09,360
Young mothers particularly enjoy
264
00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:11,115
the consultation.
265
00:16:11,115 --> 00:16:12,310
(speaking in foreign language)
266
00:16:12,310 --> 00:16:15,140
Your boy is going to accomplish a lot.
267
00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:18,580
He was born this year at one o'clock in the morning
268
00:16:18,580 --> 00:16:21,503
on the 13th of the first moon calendar.
269
00:16:24,054 --> 00:16:26,860
Belithan omens, lucky charms and fortune tellers
270
00:16:26,860 --> 00:16:30,629
is very normal in China. Many live their lives accordingly.
271
00:16:30,629 --> 00:16:33,587
(speaking in foreign language)
272
00:16:33,587 --> 00:16:35,500
[Female Translator] He told me that my son doesn't have
273
00:16:35,500 --> 00:16:40,430
a patron God yet. Usually newborns have a patron God.
274
00:16:40,430 --> 00:16:44,597
We must find one now. I think this would be good for him.
275
00:16:44,597 --> 00:16:47,509
(speaking in foreign language)
276
00:16:47,509 --> 00:16:49,630
Everything is based on a principle
277
00:16:49,630 --> 00:16:51,200
of yin and yang.
278
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:56,040
There are 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches.
279
00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,750
According to this system and together with the best dates,
280
00:16:59,750 --> 00:17:01,583
I can foretell the future.
281
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:05,400
Lu Chun Li,
282
00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,690
the mechanic from the engine house nearby
283
00:17:07,690 --> 00:17:09,530
is also at the market.
284
00:17:09,530 --> 00:17:13,263
She wants to buy pork legs for the team of mechanics.
285
00:17:13,263 --> 00:17:18,263
(speaking in foreign language)
(people chanting)
286
00:17:20,450 --> 00:17:22,610
Lu examines the butchers displays
287
00:17:22,610 --> 00:17:26,480
with the scene-close inspection she uses to check her bolts.
288
00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,691
She only makes a bid at the third stall.
289
00:17:29,691 --> 00:17:33,608
(speaking in foreign language)
290
00:17:39,750 --> 00:17:43,010
Chun Li is going to prepare a very special dish,
291
00:17:43,010 --> 00:17:46,423
knuckle of pork, locomotive style so to speak.
292
00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,100
A hot pot meal in the truest sense of the word,
293
00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:54,530
it goes like this, you take a steam locomotive,
294
00:17:54,530 --> 00:17:57,595
preheat it to seven or 800 degrees.
295
00:17:57,595 --> 00:18:01,512
(speaking in foreign language)
296
00:18:04,090 --> 00:18:07,750
Open the oven, place the pork on top of the blazing embers
297
00:18:07,750 --> 00:18:11,273
with a tong and wait a few minutes.
298
00:18:18,510 --> 00:18:21,060
Locomotive driver Yang Yuan swears
299
00:18:21,060 --> 00:18:23,773
by the unique smoked aroma of this dish.
300
00:18:25,682 --> 00:18:27,140
(speaking in foreign language)
301
00:18:27,140 --> 00:18:29,490
Five to seven minutes in the oven,
302
00:18:29,490 --> 00:18:32,370
then the pork knuckle tastes much better.
303
00:18:32,370 --> 00:18:34,010
We often make it in winter,
304
00:18:34,010 --> 00:18:36,387
afterwards it also gets cooked for awhile.
305
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:41,780
The mechanics have welded themselves
306
00:18:41,780 --> 00:18:44,500
a little oven so they can cook the meat.
307
00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:46,760
Conveniently enough, there is hot coal
308
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:48,780
on every train that arrives.
309
00:18:48,780 --> 00:18:52,070
The thick layer of black suit is scraped off of course
310
00:18:52,070 --> 00:18:55,693
but the special locomotive aroma remains in the meat.
311
00:19:03,610 --> 00:19:06,903
Chun Li cuts the pork into pieces before she cooks it.
312
00:19:10,856 --> 00:19:11,918
(speaking in foreign language)
313
00:19:11,918 --> 00:19:12,751
[Female translator] This pork dish
314
00:19:12,751 --> 00:19:15,940
out of the locomotive oven is so popular in winter
315
00:19:15,940 --> 00:19:17,440
because it gives you strength.
316
00:19:19,570 --> 00:19:21,450
The skin gets a very special taste
317
00:19:21,450 --> 00:19:22,963
from burning it in the oven.
318
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,450
Now the meat will get cooked for another hour.
319
00:19:27,450 --> 00:19:29,362
Altogether it takes about two hours
320
00:19:29,362 --> 00:19:31,563
until the dish is ready to be served.
321
00:19:32,449 --> 00:19:36,366
(speaking in foreign language)
322
00:19:38,420 --> 00:19:40,000
The cooking happens right in the middle
323
00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:41,470
of the engine house.
324
00:19:41,470 --> 00:19:43,380
It was built for steam trains,
325
00:19:43,380 --> 00:19:46,193
so a little smoke is really not a problem.
326
00:19:49,903 --> 00:19:52,486
(soup pouring)
327
00:19:54,380 --> 00:19:57,460
The special flavor enhancer is so strong
328
00:19:57,460 --> 00:20:00,092
that no other spices are necessary.
329
00:20:00,092 --> 00:20:04,009
(speaking in foreign language)
330
00:20:09,390 --> 00:20:11,180
The employees of the engine house
331
00:20:11,180 --> 00:20:13,000
don't need to be asked twice
332
00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,602
and eat the hot pot meal with visible appetite.
333
00:20:16,602 --> 00:20:20,519
(speaking in foreign language)
334
00:20:27,255 --> 00:20:32,255
(train engine revving)
(soft music)
335
00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:42,350
Steady companions of the little train, the coal collectors.
336
00:20:42,350 --> 00:20:45,400
When the locomotive throws out ashes from time to time,
337
00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:47,340
there is always a lot of coal in it
338
00:20:47,340 --> 00:20:49,380
that hasn't finished burning yet.
339
00:20:49,380 --> 00:20:52,150
A valuable resource for heating and cooking.
340
00:20:52,150 --> 00:20:54,841
Not a single small piece gets lost.
341
00:20:54,841 --> 00:20:59,841
(soft music)
(speaking in foreign language)
342
00:21:08,460 --> 00:21:11,670
The little train has to conquer 108 bends
343
00:21:11,670 --> 00:21:14,680
and climb 238 meters in altitude.
344
00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,380
The difficult terrain is also the main reason
345
00:21:17,380 --> 00:21:19,850
why there is still no road connecting the villages
346
00:21:19,850 --> 00:21:23,410
to this day and even the school can only be reached
347
00:21:23,410 --> 00:21:26,343
on foot, by motorbike or by train.
348
00:21:26,343 --> 00:21:28,760
(soft music)
349
00:21:30,010 --> 00:21:33,170
When the children at the school of Sahiba read out loud,
350
00:21:33,170 --> 00:21:35,373
it echoes through the whole Valley.
351
00:21:36,268 --> 00:21:39,935
(children's voices echoing)
352
00:21:46,470 --> 00:21:48,430
There are six classes here.
353
00:21:48,430 --> 00:21:51,180
The primary school is responsible for all the children
354
00:21:51,180 --> 00:21:53,730
from the villages within a wide radius around here.
355
00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,810
Jinja Hui is 11, like all the children here,
356
00:21:58,810 --> 00:22:02,770
she is hardworking, disciplined, and hungry for knowledge.
357
00:22:02,770 --> 00:22:05,196
Their teacher's name is Ms. Payne.
358
00:22:05,196 --> 00:22:06,029
(speaking in foreign language)
359
00:22:06,029 --> 00:22:08,270
[Female translator] I live in Bajiaogou,
360
00:22:08,270 --> 00:22:10,970
every morning I take the train to school
361
00:22:10,970 --> 00:22:12,570
on the way back, I have to walk.
362
00:22:14,550 --> 00:22:16,570
Most of the children have to walk too,
363
00:22:16,570 --> 00:22:18,680
walk very far.
364
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,000
The train doesn't come as often as it used to
365
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,880
and the schedule is inconvenient.
366
00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:24,980
Therefore many of the students
367
00:22:24,980 --> 00:22:27,812
have to walk up to two hours, one way.
368
00:22:27,812 --> 00:22:28,645
(speaking in foreign language)
369
00:22:28,645 --> 00:22:31,237
[Female translator] This is really hard for the children,
370
00:22:32,140 --> 00:22:36,610
especially in the summer, then they often get soaking wet.
371
00:22:36,610 --> 00:22:41,370
When the sun is scorching and it gets very hot around here,
372
00:22:41,370 --> 00:22:45,840
it's hard and dangerous, it's really not easy for the kids.
373
00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,757
(speaking in foreign language)
374
00:22:50,809 --> 00:22:53,090
School is out in the early afternoon.
375
00:22:53,090 --> 00:22:55,560
A few children are picked up with a moped-head,
376
00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,681
but for most of them, a long walk begins.
377
00:22:58,681 --> 00:23:00,788
Jinja Hui is on her own.
378
00:23:00,788 --> 00:23:03,205
(soft music)
379
00:23:10,610 --> 00:23:12,760
Two hours to the furthest station
380
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,870
with worn out shoes over the railway tracks every day,
381
00:23:16,870 --> 00:23:19,030
no matter what the weather is like,
382
00:23:19,030 --> 00:23:21,529
she has to pass through four tunnels.
383
00:23:21,529 --> 00:23:24,370
(motorbike engine revving)
384
00:23:24,370 --> 00:23:26,530
She knows the train schedule by heart
385
00:23:26,530 --> 00:23:28,514
but some trains come unannounced.
386
00:23:28,514 --> 00:23:32,304
(train engine revving)
387
00:23:32,304 --> 00:23:34,794
[Female translator] I walk through them all on my own.
388
00:23:34,794 --> 00:23:39,794
(train engine revving)
(horn hooting)
389
00:23:49,290 --> 00:23:50,870
A security guard is positioned
390
00:23:50,870 --> 00:23:52,600
in front of the longest tunnel.
391
00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,513
Here you can't see the other end of the tunnel at first.
392
00:23:57,473 --> 00:23:58,306
(speaking in foreign language)
393
00:23:58,306 --> 00:24:00,060
It's my task not to let anyone
394
00:24:00,060 --> 00:24:02,900
into the tunnel when a train is about to arrive.
395
00:24:02,900 --> 00:24:04,200
I'm in charge of security.
396
00:24:05,305 --> 00:24:08,555
(train engine revving)
397
00:24:10,514 --> 00:24:11,347
(speaking in foreign language)
398
00:24:11,347 --> 00:24:12,640
[Female translator] At first I was very scared
399
00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:14,480
to enter the tunnel.
400
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,223
I get up so early that it's still dark outside.
401
00:24:18,220 --> 00:24:19,733
I was scared to fall over.
402
00:24:21,255 --> 00:24:24,210
(water pouring)
403
00:24:24,210 --> 00:24:26,260
The torchlight is an essential item
404
00:24:26,260 --> 00:24:27,840
in her school bag.
405
00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,520
Jinja Hui lives literally only an arm's length away
406
00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,380
from the railway tracks and the train to school
407
00:24:33,380 --> 00:24:35,500
drives right past her house,
408
00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:38,123
unfortunately, not at the right time.
409
00:24:39,310 --> 00:24:42,950
The soot of the steam train blackens the kitchen walls.
410
00:24:42,950 --> 00:24:46,720
After her long march Jinja Hui gets a bowl of rice first,
411
00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:48,570
and then there's homework to be done.
412
00:24:54,722 --> 00:24:55,689
(speaking in foreign language)
413
00:24:55,689 --> 00:24:57,380
[Female translator] Everyday after school,
414
00:24:57,380 --> 00:25:00,183
I have to do one to two pages of homework.
415
00:25:01,580 --> 00:25:04,510
I think I need about a half an hour for that.
416
00:25:04,510 --> 00:25:08,427
(speaking in foreign language)
417
00:25:10,018 --> 00:25:12,435
(soft music)
418
00:25:24,043 --> 00:25:27,210
A few hundred meters behind Ja Hui's house
419
00:25:27,210 --> 00:25:29,520
an old mine head tower, reminds one
420
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:31,720
of the beginnings of the little train.
421
00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,790
The coal mine of Huangcunjing was closed long ago.
422
00:25:35,790 --> 00:25:38,370
Nevertheless for Mao was great leap forward.
423
00:25:38,370 --> 00:25:40,460
The forced industrialization of the country
424
00:25:40,460 --> 00:25:43,540
at the end of the 1950s, steel and coal
425
00:25:43,540 --> 00:25:45,920
were needed in vast amounts.
426
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,530
Railway tracks were built to transport the coal
427
00:25:48,530 --> 00:25:50,500
irrespective of the terrain.
428
00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:53,563
The little train started out as a coal transporter.
429
00:25:56,217 --> 00:25:57,050
(train horn hooting)
430
00:25:57,050 --> 00:25:58,800
At the other end of the line, in Shixi,
431
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:00,700
coal train still exist today.
432
00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:04,470
Now they run on electricity and serve another mine,
433
00:26:04,470 --> 00:26:07,090
for Lee Cha Chan, it was heavy labor
434
00:26:07,090 --> 00:26:09,490
to build the railway tracks for the steam train.
435
00:26:14,802 --> 00:26:16,370
(speaking in foreign language)
436
00:26:16,370 --> 00:26:19,510
We build all this with pure manpower.
437
00:26:19,510 --> 00:26:22,690
Machines didn't exist with modern machine really
438
00:26:22,690 --> 00:26:26,677
railway tracks could have been built much faster of course.
439
00:26:29,725 --> 00:26:33,850
For every little section, hundreds of workers were needed.
440
00:26:33,850 --> 00:26:37,150
We had to carry the railway sleepers on our shoulders
441
00:26:37,150 --> 00:26:39,275
and screwed them together by hand.
442
00:26:39,275 --> 00:26:43,192
(speaking in foreign language)
443
00:26:44,250 --> 00:26:48,500
We slept on simple beds made of rice straw,
444
00:26:48,500 --> 00:26:52,140
sometimes under roofs made of banana leaves,
445
00:26:52,140 --> 00:26:54,413
sometimes at farmers' houses.
446
00:26:55,660 --> 00:26:57,933
They kept their pigs next to us.
447
00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,230
Many just slept outside in the open air
448
00:27:01,230 --> 00:27:03,143
with only a blanket to cover them.
449
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,002
That's how it used to be back then.
450
00:27:07,002 --> 00:27:10,638
Actually, we were quite content with that.
451
00:27:10,638 --> 00:27:12,980
(speaking in foreign language)
452
00:27:12,980 --> 00:27:15,090
Lee Cha Chan is completely content
453
00:27:15,090 --> 00:27:19,320
with his life, although most of it consisted of heavy labor.
454
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:20,960
When the railway track was finished
455
00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,296
he went underground to mine.
456
00:27:23,296 --> 00:27:24,520
(speaking in foreign language)
457
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:25,960
When we build the tracks,
458
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,890
everyone was given 200 grams of rice each day
459
00:27:28,890 --> 00:27:31,300
and a little something on the side,
460
00:27:31,300 --> 00:27:33,560
mostly cabbage soup with cooked radish
461
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,610
or radish soup with cooked cabbage.
462
00:27:36,610 --> 00:27:38,940
We were really starving sometimes we went
463
00:27:38,940 --> 00:27:42,680
and looked for wild herbs or grasses during our breaks.
464
00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,630
That was very different compared to today,
465
00:27:45,630 --> 00:27:48,070
where no one has to starve anymore.
466
00:27:48,070 --> 00:27:51,240
The railway track is just a stone's throw away,
467
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,260
the track section for which he worked
468
00:27:53,260 --> 00:27:57,140
almost to complete exhaustion lies shortly before Bajiaogou,
469
00:27:57,140 --> 00:27:59,283
only one hour away by steam train.
470
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,210
Maybe it is due to the experience
471
00:28:03,210 --> 00:28:05,650
of life-threatening hunger for years,
472
00:28:05,650 --> 00:28:08,400
although he lives in a modern flat in the city,
473
00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,730
Lee Cha Chan still stocks food
474
00:28:10,730 --> 00:28:13,763
and keeps live chickens in his bedroom.
475
00:28:20,005 --> 00:28:22,670
(speaking in foreign language)
476
00:28:22,670 --> 00:28:26,060
No, I never went back there, not once.
477
00:28:26,060 --> 00:28:27,598
If I think of Bajiaogou,
478
00:28:27,598 --> 00:28:31,620
then I have to think of the very hard work we had to do.
479
00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:34,491
I remember every hill slope and every house.
480
00:28:34,491 --> 00:28:36,703
Well, it's not far from here.
481
00:28:38,703 --> 00:28:40,130
I could just take the little train
482
00:28:40,130 --> 00:28:42,090
but I've gone through too much down there,
483
00:28:42,090 --> 00:28:44,673
no, I don't even want to go there again.
484
00:28:47,930 --> 00:28:49,890
The construction of the railway tracks
485
00:28:49,890 --> 00:28:52,660
happened at the time of Mao's great leap forward.
486
00:28:52,660 --> 00:28:56,410
Industrialization without consideration of possible damage
487
00:28:56,410 --> 00:28:59,623
followed by the longest period of starvation in history.
488
00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:03,210
Building the line with a narrow gauge rail tracks
489
00:29:03,210 --> 00:29:07,270
into the impassable train costs many lives.
490
00:29:07,270 --> 00:29:08,980
Already in 1959,
491
00:29:08,980 --> 00:29:12,071
the first locomotive was sent on its journey.
492
00:29:12,071 --> 00:29:13,080
(speaking in foreign language)
493
00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:15,150
When I dare to do the very first journey
494
00:29:15,150 --> 00:29:16,740
in this newly built route,
495
00:29:16,740 --> 00:29:19,740
it took me three days to complete 20 kilometers,
496
00:29:19,740 --> 00:29:22,860
three days, I slept under a locomotive,
497
00:29:22,860 --> 00:29:26,160
I was simply too scared to drive faster.
498
00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:31,160
The track was awful and too soft, it jolted terribly.
499
00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,877
(speaking in foreign language)
500
00:29:38,009 --> 00:29:40,220
Today, Chan lives down by the river.
501
00:29:40,220 --> 00:29:42,810
He used to drive the coal loads here for shipping,
502
00:29:42,810 --> 00:29:44,550
back then his mother starved to death
503
00:29:44,550 --> 00:29:46,340
right in front of his eyes.
504
00:29:46,340 --> 00:29:48,180
He was only saved by the scraps of food
505
00:29:48,180 --> 00:29:50,210
they got from the mining company.
506
00:29:50,210 --> 00:29:52,900
The local people feel such a strong attachment
507
00:29:52,900 --> 00:29:54,560
to the little train as a result
508
00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,623
of the extremely hard times they endured.
509
00:29:57,604 --> 00:29:59,040
(speaking in foreign language)
510
00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:00,680
My love for the little train
511
00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:02,130
will never die.
512
00:30:02,130 --> 00:30:05,330
It was very hard work and very, very hot.
513
00:30:05,330 --> 00:30:08,470
Some locomotive drivers were discouraged by that,
514
00:30:08,470 --> 00:30:12,620
I wasn't, the little train will always have a special place
515
00:30:12,620 --> 00:30:13,453
in my heart.
516
00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,770
Sometimes I still dream of standing in the locomotive
517
00:30:20,770 --> 00:30:21,983
and driving the train.
518
00:30:23,777 --> 00:30:26,430
I dreamt that only two days ago,
519
00:30:26,430 --> 00:30:29,780
I prepared everything and started the engine.
520
00:30:29,780 --> 00:30:34,180
Today, the students of my students drive the train
521
00:30:34,180 --> 00:30:36,400
and they still know who I am.
522
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,047
When I visit the engine house, they say,
523
00:30:39,047 --> 00:30:42,407
"Master may I have a photo taken with you?"
524
00:30:44,330 --> 00:30:47,060
Today, the dramas of the past are partly taboo
525
00:30:47,060 --> 00:30:48,610
and partly entertainment,
526
00:30:48,610 --> 00:30:51,570
for the slowly growing domestic tourism.
527
00:30:51,570 --> 00:30:55,840
On the weekends Bajiaogou is hardly recognizable anymore,
528
00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:57,780
crowds of visitors.
529
00:30:57,780 --> 00:31:01,760
The red army uniforms are sold to the beat of techno music.
530
00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,100
Bajiaogou is the first town in the valley
531
00:31:04,100 --> 00:31:08,690
to have road access, even if only for special tourist buses.
532
00:31:08,690 --> 00:31:11,720
Mao's slogans are nothing more than a nice backdrop
533
00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:13,983
for food or for modern Chinese people.
534
00:31:14,940 --> 00:31:16,650
Guided groups travel on the same route
535
00:31:16,650 --> 00:31:18,320
as the locals usually do,
536
00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,380
but in much more comfortable carriages
537
00:31:20,380 --> 00:31:23,173
complete with glass windows and air conditioning.
538
00:31:24,714 --> 00:31:29,214
(train attendant speaking over radio)
539
00:31:36,050 --> 00:31:37,400
The tickets for these trains
540
00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,370
are exorbitant for the residents of the Valley.
541
00:31:40,370 --> 00:31:42,250
An urban and wealthy public,
542
00:31:42,250 --> 00:31:45,570
examines traditional rural life with curiosity,
543
00:31:45,570 --> 00:31:47,243
two different worlds meet.
544
00:31:48,454 --> 00:31:52,930
(speaking in foreign language)
545
00:31:52,930 --> 00:31:55,300
Whether for tourist groups or rice farmers,
546
00:31:55,300 --> 00:31:58,420
the route is the same only the stops differ.
547
00:31:58,420 --> 00:32:00,970
The farmers don't need to stop for photos.
548
00:32:00,970 --> 00:32:03,160
Train driver Huáng She-Bin knows,
549
00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,540
without the revenue from the relatively new tourist trains,
550
00:32:06,540 --> 00:32:08,900
the little train would be bankrupt already.
551
00:32:08,900 --> 00:32:13,023
It was seen as uneconomical and was due to be closed down.
552
00:32:16,356 --> 00:32:17,350
(speaking in foreign language)
553
00:32:17,350 --> 00:32:19,640
The train fare was very low
554
00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:21,690
and in the 90's the company suffered
555
00:32:21,690 --> 00:32:23,557
a multi-million Yuan loss.
556
00:32:26,997 --> 00:32:28,860
Phenergan is the president
557
00:32:28,860 --> 00:32:32,530
of the mining company and hence also of the steam train.
558
00:32:32,530 --> 00:32:34,630
Its end was already decided
559
00:32:34,630 --> 00:32:37,380
but the residents of the Valley fought for their train.
560
00:32:38,499 --> 00:32:40,230
(speaking in foreign language)
561
00:32:40,230 --> 00:32:41,880
The company had already planned
562
00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,260
to replace the railway with a road,
563
00:32:44,260 --> 00:32:46,473
so that more public buses could operate.
564
00:32:47,660 --> 00:32:51,220
That would solve the problem of public transportation.
565
00:32:51,220 --> 00:32:56,220
We already had funds for the plan, but it raised conflicts.
566
00:32:58,070 --> 00:33:01,353
Economically, keeping the train running made no sense.
567
00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:04,723
It would make us suffer huge losses.
568
00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:10,250
If a company only performs its social function
569
00:33:10,250 --> 00:33:11,323
it won't survive,
570
00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:14,750
but we found out that we could make a profit,
571
00:33:14,750 --> 00:33:17,420
if we first invest in the train.
572
00:33:17,420 --> 00:33:21,670
(speaking in foreign language)
573
00:33:21,670 --> 00:33:22,700
For the locals,
574
00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:24,560
the train was always more than just
575
00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,223
a means of transportation, it is part of their lives.
576
00:33:33,006 --> 00:33:37,489
(speaking in foreign language)
577
00:33:37,489 --> 00:33:39,170
[Female translator] I grew up with the little train
578
00:33:39,170 --> 00:33:43,290
Bajiaogou, when we heard its whistling as children,
579
00:33:43,290 --> 00:33:46,017
we all run to the big square and yelled,
580
00:33:46,017 --> 00:33:49,233
"The train is here." (laughing) And we were happy.
581
00:33:50,670 --> 00:33:52,720
Chung Lee runs a little hotel,
582
00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:54,460
the first one in the Valley,
583
00:33:54,460 --> 00:33:56,560
with a toilet and internet access,
584
00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:00,400
luxuries that didn't exist in this region a few years ago.
585
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,910
Chung Lee hopes to be able to live off the income
586
00:34:02,910 --> 00:34:05,060
from her guests one day.
587
00:34:05,060 --> 00:34:06,640
The residents of Bajiaogou
588
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,910
like to meet at their Mahjong tables.
589
00:34:08,910 --> 00:34:13,245
Mahjong is played constantly and with great enthusiasm.
590
00:34:13,245 --> 00:34:17,750
(speaking in foreign language)
591
00:34:17,750 --> 00:34:20,620
And such a practical tidy mechanism,
592
00:34:20,620 --> 00:34:23,445
perfect order at the push of a button.
593
00:34:23,445 --> 00:34:27,302
(speaking in foreign language)
594
00:34:27,302 --> 00:34:28,820
[Female translator] The little train was always
595
00:34:28,820 --> 00:34:29,963
like a friend to me.
596
00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:33,900
In my mind it was my companion.
597
00:34:36,081 --> 00:34:39,580
My parents could never afford to buy a lot of toys.
598
00:34:39,580 --> 00:34:44,580
We were always very poor, so the little train was my toy.
599
00:34:45,735 --> 00:34:49,652
(speaking in foreign language)
600
00:34:51,845 --> 00:34:53,850
Chung Lee is extraordinarily happy
601
00:34:53,850 --> 00:34:56,850
about the rain today because tomorrow is Qingming,
602
00:34:56,850 --> 00:34:58,423
the festival for the dead.
603
00:34:59,260 --> 00:35:02,050
This is when the people commemorate their ancestors
604
00:35:02,050 --> 00:35:05,743
and it is a good sign when the sky cries before the start.
605
00:35:08,020 --> 00:35:09,790
All the trinkets that the people need
606
00:35:09,790 --> 00:35:13,720
to commemorate their ancestors are sold on every street.
607
00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:16,340
Primarily money for the other world,
608
00:35:16,340 --> 00:35:20,320
laboriously cut out handmade notes from bamboo fibers
609
00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:22,690
or a common currency in the afterworld
610
00:35:22,690 --> 00:35:26,050
and very important, loud fireworks.
611
00:35:26,050 --> 00:35:28,780
The Chinese dead, love noise
612
00:35:28,780 --> 00:35:32,120
on top of that more paper money with fantastical Psalms
613
00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:33,703
and incense sticks.
614
00:35:36,013 --> 00:35:40,450
(speaking in foreign language)
615
00:35:40,450 --> 00:35:42,670
Chung Lee has got everything she needs.
616
00:35:42,670 --> 00:35:45,200
Tomorrow she wants to visit her father's grave
617
00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:47,163
in the mountains above Bajiaogou.
618
00:35:52,890 --> 00:35:56,060
Wong Qishan, the peasant woman is already there
619
00:35:56,060 --> 00:35:58,292
up in the mountains of Bajiaogou.
620
00:35:58,292 --> 00:36:03,292
(soft music)
(goat bleating)
621
00:36:09,020 --> 00:36:10,460
She is back from the market
622
00:36:10,460 --> 00:36:13,200
and was able to sell all of her vegetables.
623
00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,460
Wong did some shopping herself too.
624
00:36:15,460 --> 00:36:17,090
The most important ingredient
625
00:36:17,090 --> 00:36:21,200
of the notorious Szechwan cuisine, chili seedlings.
626
00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,420
Here in Sichuan, hands full of chili
627
00:36:23,420 --> 00:36:24,870
are thrown into the dishes
628
00:36:24,870 --> 00:36:27,718
and they grow very well in Wong's garden.
629
00:36:27,718 --> 00:36:30,135
(soft music)
630
00:36:45,950 --> 00:36:47,007
(speaking in foreign language)
631
00:36:47,007 --> 00:36:51,230
[Female translator] I can harvest them in about two months
632
00:36:51,230 --> 00:36:52,730
and then I'll sell them again.
633
00:36:53,848 --> 00:36:57,765
(speaking in foreign language)
634
00:37:01,973 --> 00:37:04,210
Wong's husband is heating up the oven
635
00:37:04,210 --> 00:37:05,676
with bamboo wood.
636
00:37:05,676 --> 00:37:08,093
(soft music)
637
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,630
A strange thing hangs above the stove with its huge walks.
638
00:37:13,630 --> 00:37:16,062
It looks like a mummified bird.
639
00:37:16,062 --> 00:37:17,486
(speaking in foreign language)
640
00:37:17,486 --> 00:37:18,870
[Female translator] I need such a big walk
641
00:37:18,870 --> 00:37:21,563
because I also cook the food for the pigs in here.
642
00:37:22,770 --> 00:37:27,563
We used to have more than 10 pigs, today there are only two.
643
00:37:30,210 --> 00:37:32,150
So what do you do with a strange bird,
644
00:37:32,150 --> 00:37:34,077
dangling above the stove?
645
00:37:34,077 --> 00:37:37,818
(utensils clattering)
646
00:37:37,818 --> 00:37:38,697
(speaking in foreign language)
647
00:37:38,697 --> 00:37:39,530
[Female translator] When you eat it,
648
00:37:39,530 --> 00:37:41,559
it used to be that big.
649
00:37:41,559 --> 00:37:44,976
(cooking stick stirring)
650
00:37:48,712 --> 00:37:49,630
(speaking in foreign language)
651
00:37:49,630 --> 00:37:53,443
We salted it and smoked it, that way it keeps longer.
652
00:37:55,950 --> 00:38:00,083
You can either cook it with soy sauce or steam it.
653
00:38:01,110 --> 00:38:04,060
I serve it with some great yellow crasp
654
00:38:04,060 --> 00:38:05,623
and asparagus salad.
655
00:38:08,240 --> 00:38:12,300
Not something to ward off evil just dried meat.
656
00:38:12,300 --> 00:38:14,850
Wong and her husband are self-sufficient with their chickens
657
00:38:14,850 --> 00:38:19,295
and two pigs, some geese, goats and their vegetables.
658
00:38:19,295 --> 00:38:21,712
(soft music)
659
00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:27,760
The ravines of Bajiaogou looked like a prehistoric,
660
00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,400
primordial landscape with Fern trees
661
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,990
where once dinosaurs may have grazed on their leaves.
662
00:38:33,990 --> 00:38:36,300
For generations, the dead had been buried
663
00:38:36,300 --> 00:38:38,030
in this dramatic landscape
664
00:38:38,030 --> 00:38:40,663
in rock raves carved right into the stone.
665
00:38:43,700 --> 00:38:45,610
Chung Lee, the hotel owner,
666
00:38:45,610 --> 00:38:47,600
wants to visit her father's grave.
667
00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:50,730
He died young when she was only a child.
668
00:38:50,730 --> 00:38:54,220
His earn is carved into the rocks high above Bajiaogou.
669
00:38:54,220 --> 00:38:57,563
The ascent takes almost an hour. There are no paths.
670
00:39:07,220 --> 00:39:08,693
(speaking in foreign language)
671
00:39:08,693 --> 00:39:10,050
[Female translator] We all use the paper money
672
00:39:10,050 --> 00:39:13,020
around here.
(speaking in foreign language)
673
00:39:13,020 --> 00:39:15,900
I will hang up these paper flags first though,
674
00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:18,666
as a sign that I visited my ancestors.
675
00:39:18,666 --> 00:39:22,583
(speaking in foreign language)
676
00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:25,730
Sweeping the grave,
677
00:39:25,730 --> 00:39:28,980
is how the Chinese also call this annual ritual.
678
00:39:28,980 --> 00:39:31,030
More important than the cleaning however,
679
00:39:31,030 --> 00:39:34,410
is pleasing the dead with paper money, incense,
680
00:39:34,410 --> 00:39:36,303
noises and prayers.
681
00:39:38,915 --> 00:39:43,477
(speaking in foreign language)
682
00:39:43,477 --> 00:39:45,440
[Female translator] This is how we show our respect
683
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,253
and gratitude to our parents, they raised us after all.
684
00:39:50,377 --> 00:39:52,750
In the past, my brother and sister-in-law
685
00:39:52,750 --> 00:39:54,403
used to take me here every year.
686
00:39:55,250 --> 00:39:57,843
Now I'm grown up and come here on my own.
687
00:40:01,511 --> 00:40:04,473
Well, now I'll send up some money to my father.
688
00:40:07,490 --> 00:40:10,270
The afterworld money made from bamboo fibers
689
00:40:10,270 --> 00:40:13,213
passes into the other world in the form of smoke.
690
00:40:29,780 --> 00:40:32,790
At the end of the ritual, the fireworks.
691
00:40:32,790 --> 00:40:34,610
The special salutes echo through
692
00:40:34,610 --> 00:40:36,973
the Valley often these days.
693
00:40:36,973 --> 00:40:40,140
(fireworks crackling)
694
00:40:49,290 --> 00:40:51,720
The market of Shaxi is closing now
695
00:40:51,720 --> 00:40:54,363
and a certain calm is restored in the little town.
696
00:40:54,363 --> 00:40:58,890
(soft music)
(people chanting)
697
00:40:58,890 --> 00:41:02,370
On every corner, in every teahouse people play Mahjong
698
00:41:02,370 --> 00:41:04,133
or Sichuan poker.
699
00:41:04,133 --> 00:41:09,133
(soft music)
(people chanting)
700
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:13,510
The card game is supposed to be more than 2000 years old,
701
00:41:13,510 --> 00:41:15,690
and the people of Sichuan proudly claim
702
00:41:15,690 --> 00:41:18,790
to be the most enthusiastic Mahjong and card players
703
00:41:18,790 --> 00:41:21,000
in the whole of China.
704
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,417
(soft music)
705
00:41:27,350 --> 00:41:30,460
Also in the healing center at the outskirts of the market,
706
00:41:30,460 --> 00:41:32,740
the people play Sichuan poker.
707
00:41:32,740 --> 00:41:35,510
In the back room, all kinds of pains are healed
708
00:41:35,510 --> 00:41:38,960
according to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine
709
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,443
with acupuncture and fire cupping.
710
00:41:43,301 --> 00:41:47,218
(speaking in foreign language)
711
00:41:57,018 --> 00:41:59,990
If you don't feel well this will help,
712
00:41:59,990 --> 00:42:02,521
with anything also against the cold.
713
00:42:02,521 --> 00:42:06,438
(speaking in foreign language)
714
00:42:07,810 --> 00:42:09,990
Those who work hard for years
715
00:42:09,990 --> 00:42:11,980
feel especially worn out.
716
00:42:11,980 --> 00:42:15,000
No wonder that the locomotive drivers of the little train
717
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,693
trust in the traditional Chinese art of healing.
718
00:42:20,950 --> 00:42:24,110
The train drivers come to me very often.
719
00:42:24,110 --> 00:42:26,733
They come two or three times a month for treatment.
720
00:42:30,430 --> 00:42:31,540
Chen Cheng Lee,
721
00:42:31,540 --> 00:42:33,440
the very first locomotive driver,
722
00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:36,030
very rarely comes into town.
723
00:42:36,030 --> 00:42:39,090
Together with Li Sha Chung, the track worker,
724
00:42:39,090 --> 00:42:42,160
he pays the new tourist train station a visit.
725
00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:44,820
It is amazing for the elderly man to see what has been made
726
00:42:44,820 --> 00:42:46,270
of the little coal train,
727
00:42:46,270 --> 00:42:48,443
that influenced their lives so immensely.
728
00:42:58,780 --> 00:43:01,520
Li Sha Chung is curious to know what the tourists pay
729
00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:03,370
for a trip on this railway tracks,
730
00:43:03,370 --> 00:43:05,800
which he built with his bare hands.
731
00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,120
There are combined tickets for a train ride
732
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:11,195
and an underground mining experience.
733
00:43:11,195 --> 00:43:12,342
[Female translator] These are the tickets we have.
734
00:43:12,342 --> 00:43:13,175
(speaking in foreign language)
735
00:43:13,175 --> 00:43:14,907
How much is a return ticket?
736
00:43:14,907 --> 00:43:17,630
(speaking in foreign language)
737
00:43:17,630 --> 00:43:21,550
150 Yuan, which is about $25.
738
00:43:21,550 --> 00:43:23,480
Lee wouldn't be able to afford that,
739
00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:26,100
but he doesn't wanna go back underground to the mine
740
00:43:26,100 --> 00:43:27,823
where he had to work so hard.
741
00:43:31,330 --> 00:43:34,563
He would much rather have Chun show him a locomotive.
742
00:43:37,846 --> 00:43:39,740
(speaking in foreign language)
743
00:43:39,740 --> 00:43:41,780
I heard his name Master San
744
00:43:41,780 --> 00:43:45,293
all the time, but I never met him until now.
745
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:49,350
He drove the train over ground.
746
00:43:49,350 --> 00:43:53,793
I mined coal underground. So, how could we have met?
747
00:43:54,790 --> 00:43:58,150
Today, with all his passion and enthusiasm
748
00:43:58,150 --> 00:44:00,580
he showed me how to drive the train,
749
00:44:00,580 --> 00:44:04,080
where to put the water and told me about accidents
750
00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:07,410
that occurred, how to operate the train.
751
00:44:07,410 --> 00:44:10,800
I never experienced anything like today.
752
00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:13,700
I had never been inside the cab before.
753
00:44:13,700 --> 00:44:16,810
I had only been on the carriages.
754
00:44:16,810 --> 00:44:18,680
I want to have you as my master,
755
00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:22,360
will you teach me as your train driving student?
756
00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:24,922
I promise to be a diligent pupil.
757
00:44:24,922 --> 00:44:29,922
(both laughing)
(upbeat music)
758
00:44:30,343 --> 00:44:33,130
The last train for today makes its way,
759
00:44:33,130 --> 00:44:37,380
at the depot of Shaxi repairs continue as always.
760
00:44:37,380 --> 00:44:40,690
They are working nonstop on the ramshackle locomotives
761
00:44:40,690 --> 00:44:43,360
which need maintenance after almost every trip,
762
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:46,461
whether it is bolting, welding, or hammering.
763
00:44:46,461 --> 00:44:48,878
(soft music)
764
00:44:59,506 --> 00:45:02,710
Huáng She-Bin has finished two trips with the little train
765
00:45:02,710 --> 00:45:04,940
and needs to do some switching still.
766
00:45:04,940 --> 00:45:07,857
(tools clattering)
767
00:45:11,500 --> 00:45:13,010
If he throws out ashes,
768
00:45:13,010 --> 00:45:15,460
the cool collectors are right at hand
769
00:45:15,460 --> 00:45:16,970
and won't let a single little piece
770
00:45:16,970 --> 00:45:19,253
of usable heating material get lost.
771
00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:22,100
End of shift.
772
00:45:22,100 --> 00:45:25,193
I'm always happy when I'm back safely nothing has happened.
773
00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:28,900
Depending on the shift, I then either drive home
774
00:45:28,900 --> 00:45:30,933
to my family or I sleep here.
775
00:45:32,650 --> 00:45:35,340
Over there is a residential home for the drivers
776
00:45:35,340 --> 00:45:36,340
where I have a room.
777
00:45:41,260 --> 00:45:43,110
The residential home,
778
00:45:43,110 --> 00:45:45,570
simple sleeping accommodation for the train drivers
779
00:45:45,570 --> 00:45:47,640
on three floors.
780
00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:50,760
This dates back to the coal rush period of the little train,
781
00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:53,010
when it was used to transport the coal nuggets here
782
00:45:53,010 --> 00:45:54,730
from Bajiaogou.
783
00:45:54,730 --> 00:45:58,203
Today, the tourist train is supposed to earn the nuggets.
784
00:46:00,510 --> 00:46:02,970
Huáng doesn't have to worry about his workplace,
785
00:46:02,970 --> 00:46:07,000
plans to bring the little train to an end, no longer exist.
786
00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:11,540
In 2008, it was even declared an industrial monument.
787
00:46:11,540 --> 00:46:13,850
Huáng will carry on driving the peasants and butchers
788
00:46:13,850 --> 00:46:16,860
with their pigs through the valleys of Sichuan,
789
00:46:16,860 --> 00:46:19,780
then, he will return exhausted to his little room
790
00:46:19,780 --> 00:46:21,340
at the residential home,
791
00:46:21,340 --> 00:46:24,361
which itself looks like an industrial monument.
792
00:46:24,361 --> 00:46:26,778
(soft music)
793
00:46:31,490 --> 00:46:34,300
There is no comfort after the drudgery and the heat,
794
00:46:34,300 --> 00:46:38,920
not even a shower. Nonetheless, Huáng doesn't complain.
795
00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,360
He is happy in the knowledge that he will soon drive home
796
00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:44,034
to his wife and son by motorbike.
797
00:46:44,034 --> 00:46:46,451
(soft music)
798
00:46:53,710 --> 00:46:55,330
While Huáng is freshening up,
799
00:46:55,330 --> 00:46:58,420
loud speakers are hung up on the squares of the town.
800
00:46:58,420 --> 00:47:01,460
This happens every night, not only around here,
801
00:47:01,460 --> 00:47:03,113
it is a national hobby.
802
00:47:07,730 --> 00:47:09,170
Collective dancing,
803
00:47:09,170 --> 00:47:11,440
something Huáng probably doesn't consider doing
804
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:13,500
after his long day of hard work.
805
00:47:13,500 --> 00:47:15,260
It is mostly women anyway,
806
00:47:15,260 --> 00:47:19,410
who meet every night around sundown for the open air ballet.
807
00:47:19,410 --> 00:47:21,410
Depending on the preference of the group,
808
00:47:21,410 --> 00:47:25,210
the focus can be either on keep fit or on dancing.
809
00:47:25,210 --> 00:47:28,352
The main thing is that everyone is in motion.
810
00:47:28,352 --> 00:47:32,435
(upbeat foreign music continues)
811
00:47:35,150 --> 00:47:37,600
And the little train will continue to provide
812
00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:41,290
the locomotion here in the valleys, in the heart of China.
813
00:47:41,290 --> 00:47:45,380
In the land of the mega cities where growth knows no limits,
814
00:47:45,380 --> 00:47:48,050
a dinosaur of the industrial age
815
00:47:48,050 --> 00:47:51,030
drives over the narrow gauge railway tracks,
816
00:47:51,030 --> 00:47:54,227
powered by steam and ardently loved.
817
00:47:54,227 --> 00:47:59,227
(soft music)
(train engine revving)
64163
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