300 porters gather on Mount Tai

A cable, weighing 3.5 tons and about 175 meters long, was transported up Mount Tai by nearly 300 porters on April 17 in Tai'an, Shandong province. The cable is for the Daiding Line 2 project.

Porters carry the cable to the top of Mount Tai on April 17 in Tai'an, Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: qlwbjrts]

In recent years, with an increasing number of tourists visiting Mount Tai, the number of hotels, restaurants and other facilities on the mountain has also increased, causing an electricity shortage. The original 10-kilovolt Daiding Line and 10-kV Taishan Line can no longer meet the power demand.

What's more, a shift in the city and economy's driving development forces requires a sufficient power supply. Hence, the government decided to carry out the Daiding Line 2 project in order to provide adequate electricity for the development of Tai'an and Mount Tai.

Xue Qiming, head of the project, said that to ensure an adequate power supply on the mountaintop, a new 3,500-meter cable would be laid down and a ring main unit would be set up.

Porters, working in pairs, shoulder the cable on carrying poles and pull it up the mountain by hand. They need to stop and rest every ten minutes, after carrying the cable only a short distance up the winding mountain.

Porters, working in pairs, shoulder the cable on carrying poles. [Photo/WeChat account: qlwbjrts]

"I can climb up the mountain road while carrying the cable, but it is more difficult when turning a corner or walking on a platform because the cable seems heavier", a porter said. However, carrying the cable is nothing new for them, as they are generally engaged in physical work.

Along with people responsible for safety and coordination, the group slowly moved from Zhongtian Gate to Nantian Gate. Tourists along the way looked on in admiration, taking photos and videos.

"They are so dedicated," a tourist exclaimed.

The man in the orange vest is responsible for safety and coordination. [Photo/WeChat account: qlwbjrts]

The project, which started on April 8, is expected to begin supplying power by the end of May.