A growing number of Generation Z-ers, those born in the mid-90s to early '00s, have taken the initiative to contain COVID-19 in the frontier areas of southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Zhou Lan, 22, is a senior student at Yunnan Normal University. She majors in Laotian. Upon learning that Mohan Port on the China-Laos border was recruiting volunteers who could speak Laotian in late March, she and her roommate Li Hongqiong applied without hesitation.
Wearing protective gear from head to toe when the temperature was usually above 30 degrees Celsius during the day, Zhou and Li registered information, checked temperatures and introduced anti-epidemic policies for cross-border Laotian freight drivers.
"We registered one vehicle and its driver every minute during peak hours. Sometimes it was after midnight when our shift ended," Zhou said.
For Li, the arduous work also brought a rare opportunity to practice Laotian. "Sometimes you have to communicate with over 100 Laotian drivers a day. My language ability has been greatly improved and I also learned how to better communicate with others," she said.
"My parents were worried at first and called to check on me a lot. After they saw me wearing protective gear, they began to rest assured," Zhou said.
"It's not an easy job indeed. But compared with other virus fighters, I still think I'm not doing enough. But I do feel proud of myself," she added.
Li Huasi is a sophomore student at Yunnan Technology and Business University. Due to the postponement of the new semester, he has joined a border patrol in his home village near the China-Myanmar border.
He patrolled along the border with other volunteers during the day and guarded an inspection point about 30 minutes' walk from his home at night.
The point had no electricity at first, and he had to ask others to bring his phone back to the village for recharging. As solar power was installed later on, life has become more convenient for him.
"The job was by no means arduous. But the warmer weather has brought more and more mosquitos," he said. Outside his tent, he cooked three meals a day by himself, using the cookware from his home. He also set aside some time each day to study between duties.
"As a university student, it's my responsibility to do something for my hometown and people at such a special time," Li said.
Gao Xingzhi, 25, is a police officer at a border inspection station near Vietnam. His Xindian sub-station in Hekou County normally receives up to 1,000 cross-border travelers a day.
Gao takes a 24-hour shift every other day. Besides a tent, a folding bed and a bonfire, he had to get used to the humidity and fog while on duty.
There has been a lot of rain lately, and the roads became slippery and muddy. It is easy to lose one's footing if not paying attention. "I was covered in mud almost every time I came back from patrolling," he said.
"My parents can't help being worried, but they understand my work very well," he said. He manages to find some time to video chat with them every week.
Gao once posted a picture on his WeChat page, sharing his location as well as that of his classmates all over China's border areas -- Tibet, Xinjiang, Guangxi, Yunnan and so on.
"Whenever I think of my classmates being stationed in the frontiers just like me, I don't feel alone anymore," he said. Enditem
