Local police officers brave cold and gusts each winter as icy winds howl across Toli County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, ensuring the safety of travelers on the wind-prone roads.
Toli, sitting at the intersection of several towering mountain ranges, faces fierce winds and severe snowdrift every winter. Only 21,000 square meters in size, the county has three major national highways and numerous country trails and herd corridors, spanning over 2,200 kilometers.
During the harsh winter months, these roads become dangerous wind corridors, challenging even the most experienced drivers with snowdrifts and fierce gales. Each winter, police officers stationed in the country play a crucial role in maintaining smooth traffic flow on these treacherous road sections.
Li Bin, chief of the Toli County Traffic Police Brigade, has served as a traffic officer for over two decades. As the wind forecasts came in, Li and his team sprang into action, implementing strict control measures to prevent vehicles from entering dangerous wind-swept areas. Despite their best efforts, some vehicles still found their way into the storm, bypassing control points through back roads.
In the heart of the storm, police officers spotted several vehicles stranded in snow and rushed to help.
"I have been stuck here for quite a long time, and I don't know what to do, so I called the '110' emergency number. I'm really grateful for their help," said Zhang Hanting, a traveler.
As night fell and the storm intensified, the task of maintaining clear roads became even more critical. Even more worrying for Li and his team, National Highway 335 and the nearby country roads were also blocked by snowdrift, stranding many vehicles.
This route is a crucial transportation artery for the four northern counties of Tacheng Prefecture. If blocked, the movement of people and the supply of goods and necessities would be disrupted.
"If we look back, we can see cars everywhere, vehicles detouring. Now it relies on our professional rescue vehicles to flatten the road, so that private vehicles can pass by," said Li.
While the police directed traffic, they were also busy organizing rescue efforts for the stranded cars. As the snowdrift grew fiercer, quickly forming high ridges of snow on the road, rescue vehicles had to charge forward one after another, flattening the snow and helping trapped vehicles.
Local herder Belatihani Habadulah and his family, hauling a large load of fodder to their winter pasture in the mountains, found themselves unexpectedly blocked by the snowdrift. Due to the heaviness of their vehicle, rescuers had to chain two rescue vehicles together to pull their truck out of the snowdrift, bringing immense relief to the herder.
"We are happy. When the vehicle in front got stuck, I was really scared. But when the traffic police arrived, I felt at ease," said Habadulah.
After twelve grueling hours in the blizzard, Li's team managed to free more than 60 stranded vehicles and nearly 100 travelers. The brigade chief then promptly directed large machinery to clear the snow, preventing further blockages.
When the team returned to a nearby police station along with two rescued herders, it was already past 02:00. The simple meal of instant noodles and naan brought much-needed warmth to the cold winter night.
"The wind was so strong in that place. If we had slept there at night, we would have frozen to death. We are grateful for their help," said Umulebek Kaderbek, a traveler.
"Every winter, the snow and wind are challenges we cannot escape. We rely solely on manpower and shovels, as you just witnessed. However, we now receive continuous support from the higher-level Party committee, which has significantly improved our rescue efforts compared to the past," said Ma Yanchao, head of a local police station.
In the past year alone, Li and his team have carried out over 400 rescue operations, assisting more than 800 vehicles and safely guiding nearly 10,000 people through treacherous conditions, with no casualties.

Xinjiang traffic police brave harsh winters to protect travelers from snowdrift