Beijing subway: Man behind the scenes

A 48-year-old construction worker, who goes by the name of Ning Dalin, is currently working in underground Wangfujing– a downtown area of Beijing, which features shopping malls, luxury hotels, and large flows of people.

Ning, who currently works on the third-stage of construction on the Beijing Metro Line 8, has been involved in four subway construction projects in the city since 2009. He also holds the head position of leading a standardization operation team at the China Railway 16th Bureau Group.

According to a report by The Beijing News, 8.25 million people used the Beijing metro service each day in 2016. Without the contributions of workers, such as Ning, the underground service would be nowhere near as impressive.

Ning, who spoke to chinadaily.com.cn on April 15, said one of the first steps construction workers make, when digging in the subway, is building "ventilation, water and electricity systems".

"That is what my duty is," he said.

As the project advances, Ning then checks the water pipes, high-pressure air ducts and electrical systems in the subway tunnel. He said the job takes about 40 minutes and, most times, workers do the job alone in the dark.

"I don't feel lonely or frightened," he said.

"I am too busy with finishing my job, checking-off my procedures, or I'm too busy being concerned with any potential problems I could face."