Two soldiers from the art troupe of the PLA Xizang Military Command have their photo taken at a border military post before a performance on Friday. Photo: Shan Jie

On a traditional Chinese festival of family reunion, many soldiers and officers at the border frontline could not reunite with their families. They used their own unique ways to mark the special day by remembering their duty to safeguard the country.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, falls on September 21 this year.

Before the day, a model battalion of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) stationed in Xigaze, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, celebrated the day via various ways.

In the third battalion company, which is stationed at an area of an altitude of over 5,000 meters, soldiers made and ate dumplings together to mark the festival on Sunday evening.

They told the Global Times that even though they miss their homes, staying together with their brothers in arms is also a kind of reunion.

The dumplings they made were of different shapes, because the soldiers are from different regions of the country with different dumpling-making customs. Some newcomers are beginners at make dumplings.

"We steam the dumplings instead of boiling them, as some soldiers are really bad at making dumplings, which could break in the water," Jiang Xingzhou, an officer from the company, told the Global Times.

While their brothers in arms were preparing for dinner, Liang Fufan, 20, and Palbar Langdro, 18, still manned their border watch point 5,300 meters above the sea level. They need to keep vigilant for any possible actions from the snow mountains in front of them.

"We are sacrificing reunions with our family for the greater family," Liang, from the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous prefecture, said. "I wish my parents will take good care of themselves."

After dinner, soldiers and officers relaxed by playing ping pong and Chinese chess, or singing along to karaoke songs.

Wan Bo, a squad leader at the company from Jinggangshan of Jiangxi Province, made a video call to his mother.

"Remember to eat some moon cakes. We dined together tonight and had a lot of dishes," he said. In the 12 years of his military career, Wan has seldom returned home. 

The Mid-Autumn Festival is generally regarded as one of the most important traditional festivals in China and falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

Soldiers from the art troupe of the PLA Xizang Military Command performed at the headquarters and frontline military posts at the plateau-stationed model battalion on Friday.

"Seeing these young soldiers safeguarding the border always touches me," Padma Tsomo, a soldier and dancer from the art troupe, told the Global Times. "I have learned a lot from them while traveling along the border frontline."

The borderline the battalion safeguards is important, because of the heavy task of border defense.

In August 2016, the battalion was awarded the honorary title of "model border battalion on the plateau."

It is stationed in a region with an average altitude of over 4,800 meters. The lowest temperature in the region reaches -40 C, with strong winds for well over 200 days a year.

Soldiers enjoy dumplings to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together on Sunday. Photo: Shan Jie

Soldiers of the third company make dumplings together before the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner on Sunday. Photo: Shan Jie

An art troupe dancer and a border defense soldier salute each other after a performance on Friday. Photo: Shan Jie

Members of the art troupe perform for border defense soldiers of a model battalion of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) stationed in Xigaze, Xizang Autonomous Region on Friday. Photo: Shan Jie

 

Wan Bo, a squad leader at the third company of the model battalion, is on a video call with his mother after dinner with his brothers in arms to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sunday. Photo: Shan Jie