Workers are using mules to help build the trail.
Mule teams, small first-aid kits, mineral water bottles...
Over the six months of constructing the Qianshan Trail in Shunyi, from site scouting to drawing plans and construction, the builders carried materials by hand and shoulder. To complete the trail as soon as possible, on the mountains where machinery couldn't reach, they also formed a special transport team—mule teams made up of over 60 strong mules...
Steep mountain slopes—how to transport materials?
Heading north from Anlilong Village in Longwantun Town into the mountains, the mule teams carrying materials along the winding mountain paths have become a unique sight. On July 2nd, a reporter followed the mule team up the mountain from Anlilong. The first section of the trail had already been built, and the slope was gentle—not too tough. But after crossing a mountain gully, they encountered a steep slope with an incline of 70 degrees.
"We workers call this the 'nine twists and eighteen turns.' Without the mule team, not just now, but even months later, we might not have finished the trail," said Wang Dongsheng.
Wang Dongsheng is the manager of the Longwantun section for Zhongbei Huayu Construction Engineering Company. According to him, although Longwantun is part of the shallow mountain area, some hills are particularly steep. When they first started building the trail, they were troubled by how to transport sand and stone materials up the mountain: vehicles couldn’t go up, and relying on manpower meant that even if 600 people worked nonstop, it wouldn’t meet the material needs. That’s when they came up with the idea of using mules.
"These mules aren’t from Beijing. The mules here in Beijing are too small and skinny, never been on mountain paths, can’t handle this kind of work. So I went to the mountainous areas of Chengde in Hebei to buy them. When buying, I specifically picked out strong and healthy ones—each cost over 10,000 yuan. But when you average that cost over the amount of work one mule does in a day, it’s much cheaper than renting a transport vehicle."
Forming a mule transport team still required training.
At first, because they weren’t used to carrying loads, the mules were very wild and disobedient. Wang Dongsheng said, "We had to divide the mules into six teams, about 10 per team. First, we trained them to walk in line without any load, on the open space around the project office, for over half a month. Then we added baskets to their backs and had them climb toward the mountain construction site, gradually adding weight to the baskets. After nearly 20 days, the mules learned how to work."
"Yee—" Following the shout, a worker pointed to a mule whose basket was tilting.
"Too much weight—the two drawers in there weigh at least 100 kilograms. Over time, it bent the frame." A worker led the mule aside. "The path is rough, too winding and steep. After a while, the mule gets sweaty, and the drawer can’t stay fixed on its back."
At 15:55, the mule with the shortest transport distance completed its task. The worker leading it pulled out two large white buckets from one basket—50 kilograms of water brought up the mountain—and poured sand from the other basket—the raw materials for making mortar.
"Each mule makes three to four trips a day—we can’t let them get too tired," said Wang Dongsheng. Even with care, two or three mules ended up overexerting themselves. "They can’t work anymore, but we’re keeping them—they’re like our retirees." According to the workers, they plan to take care of them in their old age.
600 People Passing Stones Hand to Hand
"Even with the mule team, there are still places even mules can’t reach," said Wang Dongsheng.
Anlilong has one particularly steep hill—when scouting the site, there wasn’t even a path. Wang Dongsheng and his team hacked through thorny bushes with machetes and chainsaws, climbing with their hands and feet.
To protect the greenery, the path they cleared was very narrow—no more than 80 centimeters wide. Squeezing through the thorns to reach the mountaintop, they could then survey the slope’s terrain and adjust the construction plan according to the design drawings.
"We came here over ten times, and revised the plan many times. It’s so difficult for two reasons: one is to make construction easier and ensure safety, and the other is to minimize damage to vegetation," said Wang Dongsheng.
The plan was set, but construction hit another snag. With slopes over 70 degrees, even mules couldn’t get up. So they called in over 600 workers, who stood one after another on the mountain and passed the stones delivered to the foot of the mountain up to the top.
In the summer heat, working for just over 10 minutes would leave you drenched in sweat. To ensure worker safety, everyone had to carry a large bottle of water—weighing three pounds—enough for a whole day before heading up. The site also had five stretchers and several small first-aid kits, which not only contained full medical supplies but also included sugar cubes.
Protecting One Tree Meant Changing the Plan
Trail construction placed great emphasis on protecting greenery, leading to many plan revisions. Usually, design plans were based on photos and video materials. But when arriving on-site for scouting and construction, they often found discrepancies with the images.
"For example, not far from the start of the Anlilong Trail, during scouting, we discovered a apricot tree on the planned route. There was a lot of debate over whether to cut it down or move it," said Wang Dongsheng.
In the end, they decided neither to cut nor move it. Instead, they modified the construction plan. When the trail reached the apricot tree, it split in two to go around it. Later, the workers nicknamed the tree the “Apricot Fortune Tree” and the path the “Apricot Fortune Road.”
Wang Dongsheng said that during the trail construction process, such incidents to protect greenery happened frequently.