During holidays, many chose to go on a trip in the Tibetan regions with fascinating and comfortable landscapes. While visitors were enjoying the convenient traffic, watching the unique scenery and tasting delicious food, there is a group of people adhering to their posts silently. Yao Pengchuan, 38 years old and born in Nanchong, Sichuan, is chief of the road-maintaining station of Bogexi in Batang County, working on the post for 21 years. In 1993, Yao Pengchuan took over the broom and the shovel from his father.

At 7:30 am, workers began to get up. Just like Yao Pengchuan, they all inherited their fathers' work and left their hometowns and regarded the work as their obligation and honorable mission. After breakfast, Yao Pengchuan along with other partners began the work of a day with brooms and shovels.

Yao Pengchuan takes charge of a road section located in the mountain-canyon region, both sides of the roads of which are abrupt precipices. So sometimes the rocks will be loose and fall. Mr Zhang, with the best eyesight out of the five people, observes the status of landslides while Yao Pengchuan leads two young men to clean the stones on the surface of the ground.

“The stone-falling happens usually. Every time when I am working, it always occurs. Once the severest event occurring ever was that as we were sweeping the stones, then someone shouted the stones were falling, and we didn't have enough time to escape. As a result, someone was injured on the shoulders and immediately sent to the hospital. So you see, when we are working we always wear a helmet resulting from too many stones falling all the time.” Said Chen Xingzhong.

Little interludes like these happen every day, which has become a common situation. After everything gets calm again, Yang Pengchuan led his mates to get back to the work of cleaning the road instantly as if nothing had happened just now. “Actually, we are the same as many other groups handling emergencies and dangers. If the maintained section meets natural disasters at times, we have to rush to the presence to deal with the situation whether we are on holiday or not.” Said Yap Pengchuan.

Liu Jian, 26, comes from Luding. Tang Xin, 22, is from Suining. The two young men are newly arranged to work here for less than three months. They work really hard. The dangerous high-above work is pretty easy for the young man born in the 90's whose name is Tang Xin, the youngest of the five. He doesn't even have any fear of standing on the protecting net 20 meters above the ground.

When it was close to the midday, the sunshine began to spread out and they concluded the morning work. While having lunch, they could finally have a chance to rest together.

Mr. Chen was sitting alone and appears to have something in his mind, with others talking and laughing. Mr. Chen, 50 this year, is an old road-maintainer with 33 years of experience. After a few more months, he will retire from his work. He is different from the other old workers who will also retire soon. He seemed to be bothered by something in his heart, being unhappy all the time. Over decades, Mr. Chen has been staying on the plateau and has seldom been home. Except sending money home, he had no chance to take care of his family.

“I wasn't at home when my wife gave birth to the first child, and it was the same situation when the second child came. She has been ill for a long time and I feel very sorry for not being with her. As a women, she has to do all the work, light and heavy. I can't help her at all.” Said Chen Xingzhong.

“My father doesn't stay at home for nearly a year, even during the Spring Festival. Occasionally he will return home before the Spring Festival and we don't communicate with each other too much. Thus, we now have many disputes at home and we will be ranged with a few words.” Said Tang Xin, a road maintainer.

“I have been working here for two decades, and my father is a road-maintainer as well. I can be considered as the second generation of road-maintainers. Now, the condition is much improved, with electricity and something else. I am really satisfied with it.” Said Yao Pengchuan, chief of the road-maintaining station.

Zhang Hongwei, a road maintainer, said his kid is four years old and is attending kindergarten. He really wishes to spend more time with her. He also hopes his parents be healthy and live up to one hundred years old.

These words expressed the bitterness behind the silent work of the workers. The sad stories for these workers can only be buried deep into the mountains.