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Heroes with glad tidings
August 30, 2010, Monday
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SIXTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD Shao Ligen and his teammates ride motorized tricycles for the handicapped to Qianjiang Bridge, using megaphones to warn people to get away from the lower levee as the powerful and notorious tide is coming in.
In the scorching sun, the sweat streams down his face, but his voice is strong and authoritative and his movements are decisive.
Shao, whose right leg was amputated many years ago, has been "calling the tide" as a volunteer for seven years.
He is joined by 50 to 60 other volunteers, most with major disabilities, who form the special "Tide Caller Team" of Nanxing community.
The Qiantang River is famous for its tidal bore, the world's biggest, with waves as high as 8 meters during the summer flood season. During the peak people come from around the world to see it. Other stretches of the river experience significant high tides that can catch people unawares.
Since 2003, the team started to patrol levee from Qianjiang Bridge to the Fourth Qianjiang Bridge in five-kilometer round trip during the flood season from the seventh to the ninth month on the Chinese lunar calendar (approximately from August to October).
Shao and his men arrive around an hour before the tide comes in to tell people to move to higher ground; they also distribute warning leaflets and tide tables.
At first the incoming tide seems like a white line moving in from Hangzhou Bay, but it quickly gets bigger and taller as it rolls in across the whole river and submerges dikes and levees.
To appreciate the magnificent scene, or simply because the riverside is cool, some people have ignored warnings and fences to go for a swim or wander on the lower levee. They thought they could get away in time.
But in the past during the flood season dozens of careless people used to drown - no one can outrun the tide.
Since Shao and his time started patrolling seven years ago, there have been no casualties in their area.
The team recently was honored as one of Hangzhou's Top 10 Safety Volunteer Teams by the municipal government,
As they live in Nanxing neighborhood next to the Qiantang River, inhabitants, especially old timers, are familiar with the tide.
Shao and his double-amputee pal, 59-year-old Li Genhu, are two veteran tide watchers. Distressed by the tragic and unnecessary deaths, the two decided to "call the tides" for those people looking for thrills. They were the core of the team that started out with 12 members.
The team now has around 60 members, though not everyone patrols on the same day. Shao believes they have saved hundreds of lives; they have distributed more than 100,000 warning leaflets.
Last Thursday, the team held a victory meeting to celebrate 666 days of safe patrols. Afterward Shao told Shanghai Daily about the early days of the "tide callers."
It was the flood season of 2003 when Typhon Rosa was on the way, making the situation frightening. Despite the danger, around a dozen men with disabilities donned red volunteer shirts and caps, climbed aboard their motorized tricycles and roared off.
People gave them strange looks.
"Our members were hesitant at first because we were afraid we would be ignored or called busybodies," recalls Shao. "But gradually the team got braver as we realized that the most important thing was to save lives."
That summer, despite torrential rains and powerful winds, the volunteers blocked access to the gates to the lower levee to stop people from sneaking in for nature's show.
They finally won respect and understanding, even applause by passers-by, which encouraged them to carry on.
One day in the summer of 2006, volunteers on patrol noticed four migrant workers swimming in the river. They rushed to the levee, calling them with megaphones. The four got out of the river reluctantly, grumbling that nothing would happen to them. Just a minute later, a roaring wall of water engulfed the spot where they had been swimming.
Only then did they thank their lucky stars - Shao and his men.
There are similar cases every summer and they have saved hundreds of lives by warning people, mostly visitors unfamiliar with the river.
"We not only saved others' lives, but boosted our own confidence," Shao says.
"Some people say we are not qualified to be volunteers to care for others since we ourselves are vulnerable and need care, but we are mentally healthy," says 28-year-old Li Jun, who lost his left leg in a car accident.
"I used to be depressed and didn't dare contact people," Li says, "but things are getting much better since I joined the team. It's a big family that shares its love with me." He says he has regained his sense of social worth.
This summer, the team is hard at work along the river as usual, but the situation is far different from the early days when they started calling the tides.
Instead of giving them funny looks, locals welcome them and even help persuade reckless tide watchers.
The team has collected tidal day information every day for seven summers.
"Every day we record figures and put them into a computer for analysis," says volunteer Li Genhu. "Before patrol, we predict each day's high tide to ensure we call it correctly."
Nanxing neighbors are so grateful that they have given the team uniforms, medical kits and warning signs.
In the scorching sun, the sweat streams down his face, but his voice is strong and authoritative and his movements are decisive.
Shao, whose right leg was amputated many years ago, has been "calling the tide" as a volunteer for seven years.
He is joined by 50 to 60 other volunteers, most with major disabilities, who form the special "Tide Caller Team" of Nanxing community.
The Qiantang River is famous for its tidal bore, the world's biggest, with waves as high as 8 meters during the summer flood season. During the peak people come from around the world to see it. Other stretches of the river experience significant high tides that can catch people unawares.
Since 2003, the team started to patrol levee from Qianjiang Bridge to the Fourth Qianjiang Bridge in five-kilometer round trip during the flood season from the seventh to the ninth month on the Chinese lunar calendar (approximately from August to October).
Shao and his men arrive around an hour before the tide comes in to tell people to move to higher ground; they also distribute warning leaflets and tide tables.
At first the incoming tide seems like a white line moving in from Hangzhou Bay, but it quickly gets bigger and taller as it rolls in across the whole river and submerges dikes and levees.
To appreciate the magnificent scene, or simply because the riverside is cool, some people have ignored warnings and fences to go for a swim or wander on the lower levee. They thought they could get away in time.
But in the past during the flood season dozens of careless people used to drown - no one can outrun the tide.
Since Shao and his time started patrolling seven years ago, there have been no casualties in their area.
The team recently was honored as one of Hangzhou's Top 10 Safety Volunteer Teams by the municipal government,
As they live in Nanxing neighborhood next to the Qiantang River, inhabitants, especially old timers, are familiar with the tide.
Shao and his double-amputee pal, 59-year-old Li Genhu, are two veteran tide watchers. Distressed by the tragic and unnecessary deaths, the two decided to "call the tides" for those people looking for thrills. They were the core of the team that started out with 12 members.
The team now has around 60 members, though not everyone patrols on the same day. Shao believes they have saved hundreds of lives; they have distributed more than 100,000 warning leaflets.
Last Thursday, the team held a victory meeting to celebrate 666 days of safe patrols. Afterward Shao told Shanghai Daily about the early days of the "tide callers."
It was the flood season of 2003 when Typhon Rosa was on the way, making the situation frightening. Despite the danger, around a dozen men with disabilities donned red volunteer shirts and caps, climbed aboard their motorized tricycles and roared off.
People gave them strange looks.
"Our members were hesitant at first because we were afraid we would be ignored or called busybodies," recalls Shao. "But gradually the team got braver as we realized that the most important thing was to save lives."
That summer, despite torrential rains and powerful winds, the volunteers blocked access to the gates to the lower levee to stop people from sneaking in for nature's show.
They finally won respect and understanding, even applause by passers-by, which encouraged them to carry on.
One day in the summer of 2006, volunteers on patrol noticed four migrant workers swimming in the river. They rushed to the levee, calling them with megaphones. The four got out of the river reluctantly, grumbling that nothing would happen to them. Just a minute later, a roaring wall of water engulfed the spot where they had been swimming.
Only then did they thank their lucky stars - Shao and his men.
There are similar cases every summer and they have saved hundreds of lives by warning people, mostly visitors unfamiliar with the river.
"We not only saved others' lives, but boosted our own confidence," Shao says.
"Some people say we are not qualified to be volunteers to care for others since we ourselves are vulnerable and need care, but we are mentally healthy," says 28-year-old Li Jun, who lost his left leg in a car accident.
"I used to be depressed and didn't dare contact people," Li says, "but things are getting much better since I joined the team. It's a big family that shares its love with me." He says he has regained his sense of social worth.
This summer, the team is hard at work along the river as usual, but the situation is far different from the early days when they started calling the tides.
Instead of giving them funny looks, locals welcome them and even help persuade reckless tide watchers.
The team has collected tidal day information every day for seven summers.
"Every day we record figures and put them into a computer for analysis," says volunteer Li Genhu. "Before patrol, we predict each day's high tide to ensure we call it correctly."
Nanxing neighbors are so grateful that they have given the team uniforms, medical kits and warning signs.
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