Hardship and danger

    Construction started in October 1970, but Jin went to Tanzania in July 1968 with the first group of survey experts.

    Without roads and machinery, they had to improvise in the grasslands. "We rolled on the grass to flatten it with our bodies," recalls Jin.

    Water was scarce, so everyone had a bottle. Together with their equipment, each person had to carry five or six kilograms for about 20 kilometers a day.

    Food was shipped from China, but the half-month voyage meant they were confined to eating dehydrated vegetables. Even soy sauce was a luxury. Sometimes, when supplies arrived, the wheat flour had gone moldy.

    Living in tents in the wilderness was dangerous too. They always had to check their shoes for snakes before putting them on in the morning. At night they could hear lions roaring outside. "We used to beat the basins to scare them away."

    However, the most dangerous animal was wild bull, which roamed the tall grass. To ensure their safety, the Tanzanian government provided them with 50 guns.

    Jin remembers a colleague named Wang You, who had fought in the Korean War, firing into the air to scare off a bull blocking their way. But the shots alarmed the bull, which charged Wang. Luckily, Wang managed to escape with only minor injuries.

    Traffic accidents were also a risk for the Chinese who were unaccustomed to driving on the left side and the rugged, narrow dirt roads.

    It was a traffic accident that showed Jin how friendly the local people were. He recalls how a jeep carrying seven people overturned. A passing Tanzanian drove them to a hospital. Thanks to his assistance, five of the injured survived. They tried every means to find the samaritan to thank him, even notices in local newspapers, but they never saw him again.

    Dou Jinghua, 74, went to Zambia as an expert in 1973. After hours in Mpika, the bespectacled engineer liked to grow flowers. "Many African kids came to my garden and now and then I would give them some flowers."

    The kids learned some Chinese. "They shouted 'March forward', just like the soldiers in many Chinese movies," he says, and some could even sing Chinese songs, like Dong fanghong, or the East is Red.

    The kids would pick fruit, such as mangos and bananas, for Chinese workers in exchange for steamed buns.

    "The railway has changed our lives," says Tanzanian counselor Brahim. "Tanzanians and Zambians trade together without the dangers of taking the bus or traffic congestion. Thanks to Chairman Mao." She says the last sentence slowly in Chinese.

    To date, the railway has carried 23 million tons of cargo and 37 million passengers.

    The Chinese government continues sending experts to help with the railway's operation.

    Each Tuesday and Friday trains leave from both countries, reaching their destinations 37 hours later. Enditem