Highway tunnel opens world to Derung ethnic group(2)

Dulongjiang township, which neighbors the Tibet autonomous region to its north, has been home to China's Derung ethnic group for centuries, and about 70 percent of the ethnic group lives there today.

The remote, mountainous area is known for being cut off from the outside world every year between October to late April because of heavy snow, and for the facial tattoos of the Derung women.

The distance from the township to Gongshan county will be shortened to 76 km from the current 96 km, and the traveling time between Dulongjiang and Gongshan will decrease to two hours from the current six hours, said Zhou Yong, manager of the tunnel project.

Zhou said that compared with another long tunnel in Medog county in the Tibet autonomous region, this one was more difficult because of the complicated rock formation and shortages of food, fuel and construction materials.

"Too much water oozed from the extremely unstable rock, making it hard to drill," Zhou said. "In addition, our work must stop for safety reasons when blizzards come. It means we can work for only six months a year."

In 2012, an excavator was crushed by collapsing rock. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, Zhou said.

The remote construction site had no steady electricity, and Zhou had five diesel generators working continuously to fuel the heavy equipment.

"It's tremendously difficult for us when the machinery breaks down. We have trouble finding the right components immediately because the county seat is 50 km away. So we always had two machines of the same model, and replaced parts from one to the other," Zhou said.

Locals look forward to the day the highway opens.

"It will be more convenient going to the county seat and Kunming, and I believe my hometown will become better and better," said Deng Liang-hui, 55. "Meanwhile, the opening of the new highway will attract more visitors and businessmen."

Deng worried about the loss of tradition that could come with easier transportation in and out of the region.

"Right now, the township remains as it has been for hundreds of years. My wish is that the government will do something to prevent the traditions from being too commercially exploited. I hope the traditional culture will remain intact," Deng said.