Gan Rongguo

　　Late at night, the layered peaks of Yesanguan are pitch black, with only one hilltop brightly lit. In that row of illuminated two-story office buildings, a kind-faced man is writing intently... This man, working day and night, is Gan Rongguo, Party General Branch Secretary of the Second Company of China Railway Tunnel Stock Company.

　　Calm and Optimistic

　　People like to describe Gan Rongguo with words such as cheerful, steadfast, tolerant, serene, dedicated, and calm. He speaks elegantly, carries himself with composure, and is fond of writing; his office is filled mostly with books. Due to the special era, the 43-year-old Gan Rongguo never received a higher education, yet through extraordinary learning ability he rose step by step from an ordinary tunnel worker to Party General Branch Secretary, and also obtained a college diploma from the Central Party School.

　　In daily life Gan Rongguo is very low-key and knows nothing about clothing brands; he always believes such things would hinder his thinking. Yet when distributing benefits to employees, he is very generous. Gan Rongguo is a man of great humor. Whenever the company holds an evening event, people can always hear his resounding singing; at the weekly shift handover meeting, he quotes political theories, and his witty remarks immediately lighten the tense atmosphere of the meeting.

　　Gan Rongguo says he cannot stay idle and is destined to worry. He says his greatest fear is receiving a phone call from the safety inspection office in the middle of the night, which shows his heart is always tied to construction and production.

　　Dedicated to Giving

　　Gan Rongguo's unique experience has given him a strong sense of responsibility and mission, which has also forced him to give up many opportunities to reunite with his family.

　　In 1983, at the age of only 20, Gan Rongguo took part in the construction of the Leigongjian Tunnel on the Hengyang-Guangzhou Railway double-track line, working in tunnel excavation. More than two years of grassroots experience not only made him fall in love with the industry but also helped him understand the hardships of frontline workers, laying a solid foundation for his later Party and mass work. In 1987, due to outstanding performance, he began political work, moving from union officer to union chairman and then to Party General Branch Secretary. After weathering many ups and downs, Gan Rongguo has come to understand that in dealing with people and affairs one should let things take their natural course. He applies this understanding to the Party building and ideological and political work of his unit, and has repeatedly been named an outstanding Party affairs worker by the group Party committee and the company Party committee.

　　Gan Rongguo understands that ideological and political work is a subtle, gradual process, and that haste brings no success. Therefore, in line with relevant documents from the group company and the stock company Party committees, he issued opinion and suggestion solicitation forms, held symposia for Party members and employees, earnestly listened to the opinions of Party members and the masses on Party building and ideological and political work, and, in light of actual production work, proposed a series of improvement measures to advance Party building and ideological and political work, creating conditions for accelerating production progress, improving safety and quality, and building spiritual culture.

　　No pain, no gain. Thanks to these efforts, the Second Company of China Railway Tunnel Stock Company won the title of Advanced Grassroots Party Organization of China Railway Engineering, and Gan Rongguo won the title of Model Outstanding Party Affairs Worker of the Group Company. Facing these honors, Gan Rongguo answered modestly: "It is all thanks to everyone."

　　Holding Up Hope

　　Although Gan Rongguo is meticulous in his work, he shows particular care for employees in daily life. Like thousands of China Railway Tunnel workers, Gan Rongguo has devoted the finest years of his youth to China's railway construction; the China Railway Tunnel spirit of daring to give and daring to strive has been woven into his very blood.

　　In Gan Rongguo, people see a cheerful and open-minded attitude toward life, a state of spiritual abundance. Immersed in a dazzling secular society, modern people live ever more complicated lives: they enjoy much yet are unhappy; they have more conveniences yet are less free. Everyone has the freedom to choose their own way of life, but without pursuing spiritual values as a goal, no matter how outwardly splendid, life is essentially poor and empty. A serene and powerful life will gradually develop toward spiritualization; this serenity broadly refers to the achievements of creation, spiritual wealth, and great love, transcending worldly strife and remaining forever harmonious and peaceful. Is this realm not exactly what Gan Rongguo's actions embody?