Border guard draws inspiration from folklore

Khutulun was a noblewoman and fearless warrior in ancient Mongolia and was thought to be the basis for the character of Turandot. Back in the 13th century, Khutulun fought on many fronts and it is said that when her father, Kaidu, feuded with her cousin Kublai Khan, she rode by his side throughout campaign.

Khutulun symbolized bravery and determination to nomadic women. Today, though male power is very much alive in the northern steppe, a nomadic woman named Nyam, has the same characteristic as her forebears, and she is a match for any man.

Nyam lives in Engeriwusu Gaqaa, a small village in Alshaa League, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The league shares a 734-kilometer border with Mongolia on its northern side, and Nyam's home is only 11 km from the border.

In 1971, the then 21-year-old started work as a border guard. Nyam would start her daily 40-km trip to the border at 8 pm, and her six-hour patrol would see her check for suspicious activity. In the darkness of night, the biggest challenge for Nyam was not the lack of light but the frigid weather on the steppe.

"Especially in winter, cold blasts from the north made every step I took difficult, so the patrol had to end around 11 pm, otherwise I might not survive," Nyam said. "When I was young you could hear wolves howling and you really needed a brave heart to patrol the border every day."

Nyam's courage derived from her nomadic roots. As a daughter of a herdsman, she had to be strong and brave. Apart from her patrol, Nyam needed to look after her family's herd during the day.

"I grew up in this vast steppe and I am not afraid of the cold or the dark. I have been living the way my ancestors lived, which made me feel proud. I feel nothing but gratitude that I had a chance to protect the property of my family and defend the border of my country," Nyam said.

Nyam continued her solo patrols until the late 1990s. As she got older, she had to pace herself. Her 28-year-old son, Khadbukh, joined her patrol.

"My mother would still patrol the border even after I joined," said Khadbukh. "Sometimes she would ask me to carry her on my back to patrol spots where neither camels nor motorbikes were allowed."

In recent years, Nyam has cut back her patrols but still goes at least once a week.

Technology has helped and patrols can be monitored by the central control station on mobile phones. "It is hard to change one's habit, but she is my heroine whether she will continue to patrol the border or not," Khadbukh said. "I do not know who Khutulun is, but if she is a brave woman like my mother, then I shall respect her."

Through Nyam's constant vigilance, there were no foreign-related incidents reported on the border for almost half a century. Nyam had never fought in battle like Khutulun, but in her own way has proved to be a true hero.