# Shao Yuehua

On the Frozen Frontline: How Village Militias Keep Watch on China’s Northern Border

On the Heilongjiang River near Heihe, a village militia post conducts harsh winter patrols to monitor China’s boundary with Russia, blending traditional footwork with upgraded surveillance technology. The post illustrates Beijing’s layered frontier management—local militia, border troops and civilian managers—serving practical, political and symbolic functions.