‘Wang the Welder’ sparks inspiration
Craftswoman proves her mettle in male-dominated job
Beijing: In the 1940s, the United States had “Rosie the Riveter”, and now China has an updated version of its own heroic female worker – Wang the Welder.
Leading a team of 18 welders, most of whom are women, Wang Zhongmei, 36, devotes herself to the sometimes gruelling and hazardous occupation – one she learned from her father, also a skilled welder.
“Inspired by my father since I was a child, I found welding to be amazing work,” she said.
Welding requires brains, brawn and a clear mind that’s able to stay focused on specific tasks.
The job’s physical demands mean women need to try even harder to keep up with colleagues in a typically maledominated job.
After completing her education at a vocational college in Jiangxi province in 2001, she joined China Railway Jiujiang Bridge Engineering Co as an entrylevel welder.
Her first day on the job was memorable – all for the wrong reasons.
“My eyes were all swollen with the heat and light when I finished my first day, and I felt like my face was peeling off,” she recalled.
Wang said that at the time she was scared of the potential risk of disfigurement, and her father even advised her to quit.
But she persisted and eventually became the firm’s chief welder.
“Welding is like the life of a bridge, especially along the welding line – each joint is just as important as any other,” Wang said.
“When I hold the welding torch, it’s more like stitching together fabric, and I try to make it like art.”
And Wang knows a thing or two about bridges.
In 2005, she helped overcome the technical difficulty of connecting parts of one of the world’s highest bridges – the Sidu River Bridge in Hubei province.
Wang created her own unique and innovative welding methods, enabling her to cut through thicker steel plates with one slice.
The newly developed process was even named after her.
“I hope my spirit of craftsmanship will inspire workers to devote more to developing advanced manufacturing,” said Wang. — China Daily/Asia News Network