A man is working on the construction site of the Yushu-Qinghai main 330 kv electronic power grid transmission project.

On Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an elevation of 4,000 kilometers and the average temperature below zero Celsius, a group of mules and horses loaded with pylons and cables are plowing through the zigzag mountain roads. The heavy loading made their four limbs trembling.

That happened on the construction site of the Yushu-Qinghai main 330 kv electronic power grid transmission project,the highest power transmission and transformation project in the world.

Born in the 1980s, many young men with swarthy skin and purple lips have been working in the harsh conditions for five months, challenging the limit of life with flesh and blood. The oxygen content there is only half of that in the plains, while the ultraviolet intensity is ten times higher.

Young as they are, they have made many important breakthroughs including the success of starting project on the permafrost zone and efforts made to protect the fragile ecological environment and improve the medical insurance system.

Xu Fushun, vice governor of the northwest China's Qinghai Province, expressed his gratitude to the workers: "We really appreciate your hard work. The project is like a "bright sky road", which will bring light and hope to the 380,000 Yushu people".

"Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture is the last area with no state grid in Qinghai Province. The region has long faced the alarming situation on the shortage of electric power as there are only 13 hydropower stations above 100 kilowatts. What's more, the disastrous earthquake in 2010, which seriously damaged the local network, made the condition even worse. At present, there are a total of over 200,000 people from 31 townships, 265 administrative villages, and 156 natural villages haven't access to electricity. Due to the electricity shortage, it is even impossible to develop basic industry there such as the manufacture of cement and brick," said Wang Yuhu, governor of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

With joint efforts, the Yushu Network Engineering Project with an investment of 2.469 billion yuan, which is one of the national key reconstruction project after the Yushu earthquake, officially started in the Jyegu Township of Yushu County, Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China' Qinghai Province on June 2012.

According to Wang Hongzhi, general manager of the Qinghai Electric Power Company, the Yushu Network Engineering Project involves a total of more than 800 kilometers transmission lines as well as the construction of several transformer substations and switching stations.

He pointed out that the major difficulty is the ecological protection problem, as the construction site goes through many places with a fragile ecological environment which is difficult to restore once destroyed.

"We have conducted many surveys, explorations and samplings on the nature reserves, biodiversities and permafrost zone along the construction site since the beginning of the project. Besides, we also borrowed experiences from the success of the Qinghai-Tibet Network Engineering Project in order to effectively protect the ecological environment of the Sanjiangyuan areas, and ensure that the wild animals and frozen soil environment without being interfered," he added.

Sanjiangyuan, part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is regarded as "China's water tower" since it is the waterhead of the Yangze River, the Yellow River and the Lantsang River.

Explosive blasting construction is strictly forbidden here so as to protect the fragile ecological environment. Therefore the workers have to dig the pits with the most original artificial way, in which it will take them continuously over 40 days to finish an 8 meters tower foundation pit.

According to Wang Hongzhi at present, 96% of the foundation pouring has been finished and the transformer substation program has entered the electrical installation stage, which lays a foundation for the completing of the whole project.