A local resident patrols the levee at Paizhouwan town, where 19 PLA soldiers died fighting the 1998 flood. [Photo/Chutian Metropolis Daily]

1,200 residents look for cracks in levee

In Jiayu county, thousands of residents patrolled the levee protecting Paizhouwan town. The levee broke in 1998, resulting in a heavy flood that caused great losses.

The levee stretches about 41.5 kilometers. Thirty residents were deployed for every kilometer. More than 1,200 local residents joined the patrols.

The memories are traumatic. The levee was breached on Aug 1, 1998, and the town was washed away. Nineteen PLA soldiers died.

Tong Fangyue, an official at Zhongbao village, said that he helped fight the 1998 flood.

Within the levee lies a cemetery where the 19 PLA soldiers are buried. Every year, villagers visit the grave site to honor the soldiers. "We will never let floods invade their graves－never," Tong said.