Yubeng's annual electricity consumption increased from 70,000 kWh in 2012 to 4,385,500 kWh in 2022 thanks to the construction of a 10-KV power grid. (Xinhua/Cao Mengyao)

Wangden prepares equipment before inspecting power lines in Yubeng Village of Deqen County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 8, 2023.

Wangden, 34, is the associate director of the Yunnan branch of China Southern Power Grid's Yanmen power supply station in Deqen County. In 2015, he was assigned to take charge of maintenance tasks in Yubeng, a local village lying at the foot of snow-capped mountains. As Yubeng's longest-serving power supply worker, the man has witnessed tremendous changes in the village.

In the past, Yubeng was virtually cut off from the outside world, with no electricity or communication signal. According to Wangden, power service personnel had to walk 18 kilometers over a mountain pass at an elevation of 3,700 meters to complete a single mission that would take 10 hours due to poor traffic. In 2018, a road was built, reducing the time it takes to enter Yubeng to 40 minutes, saving a significant amount of time spent on the way.

The harsh natural environment makes maintaining Yubeng's electricity supply extremely difficult. During the 2020 Spring Festival, Wangden led his team into the mountain to repair the electricity supply equipment that had been damaged by continuous wind and snow. Because of the extreme weather, this mission left a lasting impression on him.

Yubeng's annual electricity consumption increased from 70,000 kWh in 2012 to 4,385,500 kWh in 2022 thanks to the construction of a 10-KV power grid. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Wangden (R) inspects power lines for a hotel with his colleague Zhang Jincheng in Yubeng Village of Deqen County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 9, 2023.

Wangden, 34, is the associate director of the Yunnan branch of China Southern Power Grid's Yanmen power supply station in Deqen County. In 2015, he was assigned to take charge of maintenance tasks in Yubeng, a local village lying at the foot of snow-capped mountains. As Yubeng's longest-serving power supply worker, the man has witnessed tremendous changes in the village.