Liu Baochao makes a postal run for residents around Panjiakou reservoir in Chengde, Hebei province. [Photo provided to chindaily.com.cn]

Liu Baochao, a postman in Chengde, Hebei province, has delivered letters, newspapers and other mail for more than two decades along a water route that was avoided by others in his field.

Liu, 54, began delivering mail in 1999 to residents living around Panjiakou reservoir in Kuancheng Manchu autonomous county.

Liu Baochao makes a postal run for residents around Panjiakou reservoir in Chengde, Hebei province. [Photo provided to chindaily.com.cn]

The reservoir, with a surface area of around 6,500 hectares, was built in 1985 in the upper reaches of the Luanhe River. Since then, it's been necessary for most residents in the area to take a boat to travel, especially residents of Dushigou town, where about 90 percent of the villages were surrounded by water.

In Dushigou, there are more than 1,000 residents. Liu said their houses are scattered.

Liu Baochao makes a postal run for residents around Panjiakou reservoir in Chengde, Hebei province. [Photo provided to chindaily.com.cn]

"Some of them are located in the mountains, so I must go there half by boat and half by climbing," he said.

The difficulty of making mail deliveries scared off three postmen before Liu took the post, he added.

Liu Baochao makes a postal run for residents around Panjiakou reservoir in Chengde, Hebei province. [Photo provided to chindaily.com.cn]

"My elder brother was then a postman at the office where I work now, and he recommended that I take the job," Liu recalled. "If nobody took the job, the people would be isolated from the outside world. I wanted to help as much as I could."

Liu Baochao makes a postal run for residents around Panjiakou reservoir in Chengde, Hebei province. [Photo provided to chindaily.com.cn]

Liu himself didn't expect he'd be doing the arduous job for more than two decades, about one journey every five days. Each time, he must travel more than 100 kilometers, 80 of which are on water and the rest on mountain roads.

Liu Baochao makes a postal run for residents around Panjiakou reservoir in Chengde, Hebei province. [Photo provided to chindaily.com.cn]

In 2018, the local government and his company bought Liu a speedboat, which has been a joy for him. He increased his delivery run on the reservoir to every second day.

"With the new boat, I can travel very fast and provide efficient postal services for villagers who are surrounded by water and mountains," Liu said.

Source: China Daily
Editor: Lyu Yun