Photo taken on May 2, 2018 shows Xu Zhou (1st L), a project manager of the China Railway No. 2 Group (CREC2), talks with two workers on the China-Laos railway construction site at the suburb of Lao capital Vientiane. (Xinhua/Liu Ailun)

By Zhang Jianhua, Phouthaphone Sirivong

VIENTIANE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- In the central Laos' scorching sunshine in May, 35-year-old Xu Zhou was busy mapping design and inspecting the process of construction in the sixth section of the China-Laos railway construction project.

Xu Zhou was just awarded as one of the ten "Most Handsome Workers" ahead of this year's International Labor Day, selected nationwide by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and All-China Federation of Trade Unions. After attending the honoring ceremony on April 28 in Chinese capital Beijing, Xu Zhou appeared on the construction site at the suburb of Lao capital Vientiane on April 29.

"My daily job is mapping the construction design, drawing up and approve technical scheme, monitoring and managing the field work," Xu Zhou felt not much special of his job as a project manager of the China Railway No. 2 Group (CREC2) when talking to Xinhua on May 2.

"I am quite happy to be awarded as a nationwide Most Handsome Worker, which is a honor, but also a solid responsibility. Sure, I will carry on the responsibility as a fresh impetus, to do a better job, try to be a model, a professional model."

The CREC2 is in charge of the construction of the sixth section of China-Laos railway project, including the construction of Nam Khone super major bridge, the longest bridge in the China-Laos railway project and the longest under-construction bridge in Laos so far, with a length of 7,506 meters.

Photo taken on May 2, 2018 shows the Nam Khone super major bridge under construction by China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CREC2) in Vientiane, capital of Laos. (Xinhua/Liu Ailun)

Xu Zhou's main job in the railway project is to assure a perfect construction work of the Nam Khone Bridge, the key control project of the China-Laos railway.

Just in one year since he came to Laos from the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway construction site in Ethiopia in May, 2017, Xu Zhou has conquered the difficulty of rainy season construction.

In the last rainy season in Laos, Xu Zhou and his team have accomplished many a mission impossible, such as planting the first bridge pile and the first bridge pier of China-Laos railway, building a steel processing factory in 12 days, completing the China-Laos railway exhibition hall and safety demonstration museum in 20 days, building 2.7-kilometer standardized example section in one month, etc.

Now in the railway's sixth section construction site near Vientiane, the railway roadbed is formed, bridge piles and piers are sprouting out of the ground, and especially the Nam Khone Bridge is due to be an example of Chinese standard and Chinese technology.

"Standing fast at the post, fulfilling my duties, is to accomplish my responsibility as a Chinese engineer, is to stay true to a man's very initial goal and beginning mind of achieving long-range ambitions," Xu Zhou said to Xinhua.

"I have just done what I should for the Belt and Road Initiative, but was awarded with a much bright honor, which will inspired me to build a highly-efficient, safe and best-qualitied China-Laos railway, to strive for a new China Railway legend on Belt and Road."

Xu Zhou, himself has become a legend among the workers on the China-Laos railway construction sites.

"Xu Zhou has been working with me since his internship," Gong Pingchang, the Communist Party of China in-field secretary of the CREC2's construction site, might be the one who knows best how Xu Zhou has become the Most Handsome Worker.

"He was quite dedicated and hardworking at that time, and then went to Ethiopia, now in Laos, full of hardship. However, going abroad to experience more difficulties opens the youth's mind wider."

In Gong's eyes, Xu's success lies on his endurance, dedication and great efforts, as well as being good at learning from the experienced colleagues. Gong hopes Xu to make more efforts so as to better complete the railway project, while also hopes more young staff can grow up in the major Belt and Road project.

"To be a handsome worker lies on what the handsome do. Loving the job, quick to learn and assiduously making the job well done may be what a handsome young Chinese engineer should do," Zhou Xiaoxia, the superintendent of the China-Laos railway construction project's sixth section said to Xinhua on Friday.

In the sixth section construction sites, there are not lacking such young figures, such as the in-field party secretary Gong Pingchang fainted twice in the bridge construction site for overworking last year.

What's more, when Xinhua reporters were in the construction site on Wednesday, the survey technician Bai Guisong was seen busy in fieldwork no matter exposing to the burning sun or the heavy rains; in the non-airconditioned factory, technician Luo Jin was teaching workers how to process the reinforcing bars, office staff Liu Shiqi was sorting the document in off hours; Liang Jingyu lost 24 kg weight during his six years work in Ethiopia and Laos, etc.

The China-Laos railway is being promoted by the leaders of the two countries as a project of interconnectivity. Since the commencement of construction in December 2016, the building of tunnels, bridges, roadbeds and other sections has progressed smoothly along the route.

The China-Laos railway has a total length of more than 414 kilometers comprising 60 percent of bridges and tunnels, linking Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and the capital of Vientiane.

The operating speed of trains on the route is designed to be 160 km per hour. The railway is expected to be fully operational in December 2021.