In the morning of February 1st, on the Fenghua River of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, Sonam Tashi is aboard the maritime patrol ship “Haixun 07122”, alerting other passing vessels of the Xindian Bridge’s construction status over high frequency radio. His duty is to assure the safe and controlled passage of ship vessels over the bridge’s construction site.

Sonam Tashi is a millennial Tibetan who came to work for the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration of China in 2018. His home is over 4000 kilometers away from Ningbo, at an altitude of 4300 meters. “I’ve only ever seen the ocean on television,” Sonam remarked, “only when I witnessed the bustling scenery of the world’s largest port did I understand the beauty of the waters and strength of our nation.

The sound of waves breaking on the shore is always pleasant to the ears. The container terminal is working in high efficiency, with hundreds of millions of goods being transferred and shipped to all parts of the world. Sonam Tashi loves the city of Ningbo, and he is driven by the passion to keep these waters safe and to contribute to the livelihood of the wharf.

Transportation on the waters is busiest during Lunar New Years. “Staying on duty for the Holidays” is now a widely accepted concept by maritime workers, including Sonam Tashi. “To stay on duty during the holidays so that others may reunite with their families safely is what makes our work meaningful,” Sonam states.