HOHHOT, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Dursle and nine others trekked on the snow-coated Hulun Buir Grasslands in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, heading toward herders in need of help.
They have formed a team for COVID-19 epidemic prevention, which serves some 1,600 herders who live in the Chinese-Russian border township of West Ujur in Old Barag Banner.
It was a line of men on horseback, since days of snow in February thickened the grassland where patrol cars and others delivering supplies from local government agencies were trapped time and time again.
"Heavy snow won't block the coronavirus," Dursle said, noting that most herdsmen living in remote areas were usually ill-informed and lack medical knowledge.
The cavalry, consisting of Party members and herders, took multiple roles as publicists, patrolmen and couriers in the time of epidemic control, using the most primitive human transportation.
They trooped up at 8 a.m. every morning and called it a day at 6 p.m., or later when encountering snowy weather and visiting herders who lived too far away, said Manduul, a team member.
There was not even one day off for the members since the team was founded in late January, leaving not a single household uninformed.
"We went from door to door, showing people how to wash their hands the right way, how to wear protective masks and disinfect their cellphones and other appliances," Manduul said.
Aguul, a herdsman in Saruultara Village, called the team members over to stop for a rest and enjoy homemade hot milk tea, fried snacks and dairy products.
"The long journey on such a cold day is too much for them," Aguul said. His family were worried about the situation in the beginning when they heard the news about the epidemic, but their fears have subsided.
The Mongolian ethnic group has a long-standing passion for horses. In the battle against COVID-19, anti-virus cavalries emerged in many places across Inner Mongolia, travelling deep into prairies with courage, stamina and endurance, which Mongolian horses are usually revered for.
The Altan horse association responded and mobilized quickly as authorities of Tumed Left Banner called on the entire society to participate in epidemic prevention and control, forming a 24-member cavalry that marched toward local villages.
The team was divided into three groups that patrolled alternately at one-hour intervals. There were three or four patrols a day, and each covered about 10 km and usually took about two hours.
"It was quite hard for us to ride on icy roads and some even fell off the horses," said Feng Lixin, the team leader. "But we stuck with it and gradually adapted to the road conditions."
Zhang Yuxia, a 30-something Han lady who rode horses at an early age, signed up for the team, saying that she did not want to miss the fight as so many medical workers and civil servants had been charging ahead.
"We have Mongolian, Han and Hui people joining in," said 70-year-old Mongolian Yun Nalin, president of the association. "All ethnic groups, when facing the epidemic, have been united as one."
