Where does “Beijing time” come from? The source is the Time Service Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences located in Pucheng City, Shaanxi Province. The Sixth Squadron of Division No.3 of Shaanxi Armed Police Unit has been garrisoning here over the years in order to guard “Time City” which serves millions of households.

Walking around the four 206-meter (676-feet) high antenna supporting tower, the reporter came to the core of the “Time City” -- the Cesium Atomic Clock Room. The solider on point duty granted clearance after closely examining the reporter’s permit. Duty Officer Ren Bin, pointed to one unprepossessing machine, said: “This is the core of time calculating -- the cesium atomic clock. Its accuracy and stability leads the world.” Walking forward, the reporter saw the control rooms of the short-wave and long wave time service system.

Zheng Aimin, the leader of the squadron, explained: “The time calculated by the cesium atomic clock serves not only the entire country but the rest of Asia. The synchronous accuracy for users can reach a micro-second. It can not only give the correct time but also provide standard time and frequency for the most advanced science and technology projects, including rocket launching and satellite navigation.” It is from here that “Beijing time” has been launched.

In order to guarantee the security of “Time City,” officers and soldiers are always on high alert and ready to act according to the circumstances. One day at 3 am, soldier Sun Weihong, who was guarding the Long-Wave Control Room, suddenly smelt something was burning. He made a quick judgment that the smell came from the basement and sounded the alarm. It turned out that the aging circuits in the basement had caused the fire, and the officers and soldiers of the squadron moved fast to fight it. The fire expanded fast, because the origin of the fire was very deep and many rooms were made of wood. Disregarding their own safety, officers and soldiers pitched into the overwhelming smoke in groups and finally extinguished the fire after an eight-hour battle.

The officers and soldiers of the Sixth Squadron have very deep understanding and affection for “Time City.” The remarks from a soldier written on a blackboard declared: “The history of humankind is the history of seeking the secret of time in some sense. The methods of recording time have developed from astronomy to almanac and now atomic time; the time recording tools have changed from coronagraph, sandglass to clock and watch and now the atomic clock; the time accuracy has developed from seasonal divisions, morning and dusk to minute and second, until the present one millionth of a second. Time never stops. The time service center has a permanent historical mission and our sacred mission is to guard ‘Beijing time!’”

(解放日报[Jiefang Daily], translated by Wang Qian for china.org.cn, August 13, 2002)