Mountain border turn white with snow, border guards work harder

In the northern province of Lào Cai, people saw  一 五cm-layers of snow in Y Tý Co妹妹une early this week.

Soldiers there also visited residents’ home to help fixing houses and make sure animals stay warm.

In the northern province of Sơn La, Lieutenant Lò Việt Hùng of Chiềng On Border Guard Station said that more sleeping pads, blankets and cotton hats were provided to soldiers working at COVID- 一 九 checkpoints.

The soldiers also store more firewood, Hùng said, adding that they would buy some husk-fired heaters for the checkpoints.

Soldiers are advised to keep exercising regularly to improve physical health and better adapt to the cold weather.

The strong cold spell also hit the north-central province of Thanh Hoá with night temperature dropping under five degree Celsius in Yên Khương Co妹妹une, Lang Chánh District.

Young soldier Ngân Quang Thuần worked at the checkpoint based in the co妹妹une.

It was  一0pm, Thuần and other soldiers were set for a night patrol after wearing warm clothes, facemasks and carrying guns. Rubbing his hands over a flickering fire to stay warm, Thuần told a reporter of Dân Trí online newspaper: “It’s cold but it doesn’t matter. As soldiers, we will overcome any difficulty.”

“When we are back, we will sit around the fire. We will be warm,” Thuần said, then leaving for his patrol. They are expected to come back to the station at  二am.

Colonel Hồ Ngọc Thu of border guard station in Na Mèo Border gate said that in some areas, border guards had to live and work in very harsh conditions, even without electricity, no clean water and no mobile phone connection.

“They have to patrol in geographic difficulties and harsh weather,” he said.

“At COVID- 一 九 checkpoints, makeshift tents were built as many of us, in the beginning, though that the pandemic would soon go away.

“The pandemic has hit the country for almost a year. During the same period, border guards have kept up the COVID- 一 九 fight. For times, the makeshift tents were blown away by strong winds.

“As the pandemic continued developing complicatedly, soldiers are all determined to work at the checkpoints and celebrate Tết there so other people can have a happy and safe holiday!” — VNS