In the wake of heavy downpours in Anhui province, 22-year-old Tan Kang, a graduate from Huangshan University skipped his college graduate celebrations to rush back to his hometown of Susong county to assist in flood control efforts.
This is not Tan's first time helping with flood control. Four years ago, after the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, he got his exam results, which were higher than expected, while patrolling the dike with his grandfather Tan Lasheng.
Since the Tongma dike of Yangtze River activated Level-III emergency response to flooding in the early morning of June 29, 69 tents have been set up and nearly 1,000 officials and volunteers have been mobilized to patrol the Susong section of Tongma dike round the clock. Tan was one of them.
Wearing oversized rubber boots, Tan used a shovel to turn over knee-high grass on the dike to spot any leakage points. The patrol along the 1-kilometer dike takes 40 minutes and is conducted once every three hours.
"I used to be terrified by snakes, but I have seen so many in the past few days that I'm used to them now," said Tan.
Scorching sun, relentless rain, buzzing mosquitoes, hard bunk beds, all these make dike patrols tough. "One night, a storm blew open the tent's curtains. We were all soaked," said Tan.
"Dike patrolling is hard work. But for me, it's a daily routine, just like helping with farm work during the school holidays," Tan added.
During patrolling, Tan reflects on where his future will bring him. Having studied in computer science, he finds that the world is more than keyboards and screens.
"I see the patrols as my graduation ceremony," said Tan.