Feb.7,2020 -- In Numa Village of Zhixigang Town, Gar County, Nagri Prefecture, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, there is an arched bridge named Numa Bridge. Pema Urgyen, has guarded it for most of his life.

 

"Follow the command of the Party, honor the mission, perform the duty, and guard the bridge." Mottled words on the outside wall of Pema Urgyen's house witnesses story of the bridge and the guardian.

 

 

Pema Urgyen was born in a serf family at Numa Village of Zhaxigang Town in 1953, when Tibet had just been peacefully liberated, the dark, backward and crucial feudal serfdom had not yet been fully abolished.

 

"One thing impressed me much was that one year when the harvest was bad, my parents couldn't pay the taxes, then the serf-owner beat them with sticks." Pema Urgyen recalls, "In those days, we had neither enough food nor clothes."

 

After the People's Liberation Army (PLA) entering Tibet, they vigorously carried out mass work. The democratic reform emancipated the serfs and set them free. Pema Urgyen says, "I had no clothes to wear at that time, so they gave me theirs, and also flour and solid foods. When it was cold at night, they let me sleep in their arms. The Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army gave me love and warmth."

 

Because of his childhood experience, Pema Urgyen aspired to join the army when he was young, for paying back the kindness of PLA and the Party. In 1972, he went to Yecheng County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for training to be a soldier, but failed to pass physical examination. Therefore, he became a repairman in local PLA convoy later. Pema Urgyen thought that although he didn't join the army, it was also very honored to repair their cars. As a descendant of serfs, he has been willing to follow the Communist Party for his whole life.

 

 

Zhaxigang Town had a special geographical location. Numa Bridge, as an important gateway to the border, was the only way linking Zanda, Purang, and Gar counties of Nagri Prefecture, and was only 38 km away from the border.

 

In 1982, Pema Urgyen returned to his hometown and became a militiaman. In the same year, he and other two militiamen were sent to guard Numa Bridge.

 

A year later, the other two men left because of poor condition and low payment, leaving Pema Urgyen alone to guard the bridge.

 

"In the past, our living conditions were very poor; the government gave me this good job. This bridge was built by the Communist Party, so it's my honor to guard it, and I never thought about leaving." He says.

 

Raising the national flag is the daily routine of this elder, who has guarded the bridge for 38 years.

 

Every morning, Pema Urgyen raises the national flag as he sings the national anthem without accompaniment, and lowers it every evening. Day after day, year after year, the bright five-star red flag has been fluttered in the wind above Numa Bridge all the time. He says that the national flag represents the country, and he looks forward to raising it every morning.

 

Guarding the bridge is not only about protecting it from damage, but also doing routine check to the traffic, suspicious people and smuggled goods. In 1983, Pema Urgyen stopped two suspects and handed them over to the police; in 1993, he cooperated with the public security organ to seize a major smuggling case and was awarded; in 2014, he stopped a suspicious stowaway.

 

Pema Urgyen can't remember how many times he has patrolled on the bridge, but under his cooperation with the public security organ, nearly 100 suspicious people had been seized. With his practical actions, he has protected the safety of the bridge, as well as the security of the border.

 

 

During 38 years of guarding, Pema Urgyen gave up staying with his family. However, he always says that his good life is given by the Communist Party, or else he would still be a serf.

 

Pema Urgyen is always grateful to the kindness of the Party. The Village Party branch invited him to talk about experience of guarding the bridge, he modestly said, "I just did what I should do. The Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army gave me the second chance to live, so guarding the bridge is my obligation."

 

Lately, Pema Urgyen's wife passed away. After dealing with the funeral, he went back to his house and kept guarding the bridge.

 

With 38 years of self-giving persistence and contribution, Pema Urgyen explains the infinite love of an ordinary people to the Party and the motherland. He says, "I will stay here if my body allows. If someone comes to take over the job, I will pass on my working experience."

 

Kelsang Dorje, the first secretary of Numa Village, has a great admiration for Pema Urgyen when speaking of him. "He has been guarding Numa Bridge as his life. He always says that the Communist Party is his savior, and he will follow the Party for his whole life," Kelsang Dorje says.

By: Liu Fang, Tenzin Sydron