Chinese Daily Photos, 2011 to 2019!

Photo taken on April 7, 2018 shows a passage to the main venue for Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao Town, South China's Hainan province. The Boao Forum for Asia annual conference will last from April 8 to April 11. [Photo/Xinhua]

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Volunteers pose for a photo in the venue for Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao Town, South China's Hainan province, April 7, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

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Workers celebrate the holing-through at the construction site of the Galashan Tunnel in Lhasa, Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, April 7, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

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A China Customs officer shows ivory products hidden in chocolate, found in a passenger's luggage, at the Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou City, South China's Guangdong Province. The passenger admitted smuggling ivory coated in chocolate. About 1,400 grams of ivory products,340 grams of antelope's horns and 3,530 grams of sperm whale's teeth have been seized by China Customs in Guangzhou recently. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Xuanzhi)

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Visitors look at new toy products during the 30th Guangzhou International Toy & Hobby Fair at PWTC Expo in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 8, 2018. Nearly 4,000 exhibitors will showcase their latest toy and hobby products during the three-day event which opened here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

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Tourists riding on camels visit the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic zone in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, April 5, 2018. China saw over 100 million domestic tourist trips during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, up 8.3 percent from last year's holiday, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoliang)

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Wen Suxia concentrates on welding in the workshop. She is armed with a protective jacket, helmet, boots and gloves, with a welding mask in the left hand and a torch in the right. The electric arc produced by welding is harmful to the human body, so protective measures are very important for welders. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

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Wen Suxia displays the mask-type respirator used to prevent inhalation of poison gas. The active carbon in the respirator absorbs poisonous gases and impurities, leaving a layer of dirt on the filter of the mask. "The filter must be replaced frequently to ensure safe welding operation," she said. [Photo by Chen Weisong/China.org.cn]

Armed with a flame-resistant jacket, helmet, boots and gloves, with a welding mask in the left hand and a welding torch in the right, 47-year-old Wen Suxia concentrates on repairing the broken door of a train carriage in her company's workshop.

Wen is a welder in the Shijiazhuang Maintenance Section under China Railway Beijing Group. As the only female welder in this maintenance section, Wen has stuck to her post for nearly 30 years.

Her father was a railway worker, and so is her husband. Upon entering adulthood in 1989, Wen said she was faced with the task of making a significant life choice for the first time.

The terrible working conditions – with flames and sparks of molten metal everywhere and every day – once made the young woman hesitate about her decision, Wen recalled.

However, she insisted that she is not a person who often gives up. Wen said she believed that nothing in this world is difficult for one who sets her mind on it, so she pressed forward with an indomitable will.

Wen's daily work is to repair and consolidate the doors of freight train carriages. She contends that she works hard with great care and responsibility. As the volume of railway freight has continuously increased in recent years, Wen said the job has become more tiring and burdensome for her and her colleagues.

Welding is a special type of work that requires both technique and strength. In addition to learning skills from her teachers and colleagues, Wen said she pays attention to physical training to increase her arm strength. She is now a welding expert quite well known in the trade.

There is usually a lot of urgent work on holidays, particularly during Spring Festival when the company is short-handed. Wen said she always remains cool-headed in times of emergency. She explained that she works longer hours and extra shifts to accomplish her work on schedule.

Yang Xinjian, head of the welding team, spoke highly of Wen. "She works hard and never complains. Once she gets down to work, all thoughts of sleep or food vanish from her mind," Yang said, adding, "At this point, even the men cannot compare well with her."

Since 2011, Wen has been awarded the title of "Woman Pace-Setter" six times in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the company.

According to Wen, she spends most of her time in the workshop and does her best not to be distracted by household chores. Whenever anybody advises her to find an easier or comparatively comfortable job, she said she dismisses the notion with a smile.

"I have gotten used to this job, and I would never trouble others to do it when I could do it by myself," Wen said.

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Henry works on a retro haircut in Shanghai on April 5, 2018. [Photo/IC]
While slicked-back hair is often seen as a vintage style for men, some Shanghai businesses are bringing the look into the modern world.

Unlike typical hair salons, barber shops only work on slicked-back haircuts dating back to the 1950's, when "greaser" hairstyles using products like pomade made men's hair look sleek and shiny as they were combed back.

Henry's Barber Shop is one such place. With a passion for retro haircuts, the owner set up shop with his wife two years ago, targeting customers ages 20-40 who could afford a fixed price of 280 yuan($44.45).

Now, there are four barbers working in the shop and it has become famous, attracting young people, foreigners — even celebrities. During peak season, the BarberShop receives 40 to 50 customers a day, each of whom will spend 40 to 60 minutes getting a haircut.

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French Member of Parliament Buon-Huong Tan (L) attends a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of World War I and also pay tribute to Chinese laborers in the war at the Nolette Chinese Cemetery, Noyelles-sur-Mer, France, April 8, 2018. The cemetery is the largest Chinese cemetery in Europe. Below the cemetery lays the remains of hundreds of Chinese laborers who died in World War I. Participants from China, France and the UK joined overseas Chinese in the ceremony. (Photo: China News Service/Long Jianwu)

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Local Chinese attend an Overseas Worship Ceremony for Yellow Emperor in San Francisco, the United States, on April 8, 2018. Overseas Chinese in western United States staged a grand ceremony Sunday in downtown San Francisco to pay their homage to Yellow Emperor, who is regarded as one of the common ancestors for all Chinese. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

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