After her retirement in 2006, Qu devoted her time taking care of her parents. The only exercise the energetic Qu has time to do now is swimming, by which she hopes to stop her wounded arm from withering.

History record

Zheng Jiazhen, 79, was an early pioneer adventurer in Beidahuang who wrote a comprehensive book about its history, and lived there for 49 years.

Born in Shanghai in 1949, Zheng entered the Chinese Department of the reputed Fudan University at 21. The next winter he joined the army.

In 1958, in response to a call for troops to exploit virgin land in border areas, Zheng began his half-century bond with the great wild land.

Exploring the virgin soil, Zheng did all kinds of work including rock quarrying, road repairing, lumbering and house building. He was wounded badly during an underwater mission and began contributing articles about his life in the wild land to a magazine during his recovery time.

At his most difficult times during his first 20 years in the wild land Zheng was often starving, he recalled. In 1983, he joined a team that was compiling history records of Beidahuang and spent 10 years finishing the country's first comprehensive documentary book on the area's history.

"I can't remember how many people I've interviewed and how many forgotten files I've found and read through," said Zheng.

"Life is much better there now. Now Beidahuang is part of history, a history that we should not forget," he added. Zheng said he has left the most valuable memories there and writing the book is the most important part of his life.

Unfading memory

The 57-year-old Chang Chao pays regular visits to the farm he used to work on, once a year at least, and the memory of his time there is still fresh. In November 1968, at 16, Chang came to Beixing Farm, which was 400 km from his home, in weather so cold that he had difficulty walking.

At that time everybody put the nation before themselves, said Chang, but now college students are unwilling to answer the country's call for young people to go west and make their contributions, an attitude that he does not quite understand.

In 1993, Chang and other co-workers at the farm formed a club for the many Zhiqing.

On May 1, 2007, ten Zhiqing got together to remember the old days on the farm. "We couldn't imagine how we got through those tough days," noted Chang. Now the club has 513 members, many of whom hold important government positions and are the backbone of various industries.

Tang Jian, a co-founder of the club, spent much energy and time in organizing the club. "I think the club means something to the Zhiqing group," Tang noted.

"Without our parents around, in that difficult situation and environment, we had to help each other and the bonds cultivated through mutual support are something too valuable to be forgotten," noted 61-year-old Li Sumei, the person in charge of the club.

"Zhiqing are a special group of people who are still making contributions to our country in the present. There needs to be an organization to pay attention to them and help them," said Li. Most Zhiqing are now approaching old age and have plenty of time to mull over their memories of the past, and the club is a good place for them to do it together, Li added.