Some say that choosing construction means choosing poetry and distant horizons. In the sands of Urumqi, beside the ports of Beibu Gulf, at the docks of Xiamen Island and on the fertile Jianghan Plain, we pursue the dream of green buildings, wherever the road may lead. Wherever the construction site stands, there is our home.
Beneath swirling snow, steel pipe supports dance in the air. Wind and horns intertwine; snowflakes mingle with welding sparks, playing a heroic symphony. Its leading performers are those eagles of the snowy land, the steel backbone beneath the Tianshan Mountains.
The scorching sun blazes and torrential rain pours. Work continues through day and night; lights illuminate the empty site as every minute counts. Bricks become pillows and steel plates become beds, sustained by an iron resolve to finish on schedule and a steel determination to deliver. Three hundred and ninety-six artists make the march of steel ring out across Guangming Science City.
The detailer uses professional knowledge to tailor prefabricated buildings. The materials specialist watches every steel plate with a discerning eye. The welder's dedication ignites the sparks that join steel. The construction engineer measures every inch of the steel skybridge with steady steps. The quality inspector examines every component with responsibility and sound judgement. The safety officer, meticulous and focused, shoulders the priceless responsibility of protecting lives.
Their hardworking hands bring colour to buildings. Their intelligence nurtures the prosperity of cities. Their physical and mental effort creates history cast in place, silent music, motionless dance and enduring art.
Through twenty-six years of hard beginnings and perseverance, through heat and cold and difficult challenges, landmarks have risen across the country: Jinxi Meishu Mansion, Taizhou Nanyun Jiayuan, Huiyun Center above the metro, Shenzhen Bay One, the international exhibition center welcoming visitors from around the world, Guangzhou's thermal power plant lighting thousands of homes, and Shenzhen Stock Exchange, a stage for finance and capital.
Louder than the wind is the roar of machinery. Quieter than the rain is the promise within. Firmer than the frost is the conviction of steel-structure builders. We renew and improve, strengthen ourselves, cultivate green construction and work towards a zero-carbon future. Having chosen a distant destination, we press on through wind and rain: building with life.
Afterword: Since its founding in 1998, GSIN has travelled through twenty-six years of challenges and progress. This poem honours every GSIN colleague who has devoted themselves to steel-structure construction during those years.
Acknowledgements: Some lines quote or adapt Wang Guozhen's Love of Life, Li Chunyun's Construction Workers Have Strength, and A Poem for Construction Workers by Shaanxi Construction Hangcheng Company. 25 June 2024.