Ever heard of the engineer who conquered mountains with just rails and a dream? Meet Zhan Tianyou, the OG of China's railways! 🚂✨
Back in the early 1900s, Zhan took on the epic challenge of building the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway line—the first railway in the Chinese mainland to be entirely funded, designed, and built by Chinese people. Talk about national pride! 🙌
The toughest part? Navigating the steep slopes around the Badaling section of the Great Wall. Instead of giving up, Zhan came up with the genius idea of a V-shaped switchback. This clever design allowed trains to zigzag up the incline, making steep climbs a piece of cake!
But that's not all. He also introduced the "shaft construction method" for tunneling through mountains. Basically, he was digging tunnels like a Minecraft pro before it was cool! 🕳️⛰️
Zhan Tianyou's innovation and dedication didn't just build a railway—they laid down tracks for future generations of Chinese engineers to follow. His story is a reminder that with a bit of creativity and a lot of determination, you can overcome any obstacle life throws your way! 💪🚄
Reference(s):
The V-shaped switchback, an ingenious design by Zhan Tianyou
cgtn.com
