Storyline: A solemn ceremony to honor 70 Chinese engineers, technicians, and workers who sacrificed their lives during the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, known as the TAZARA railway, was held on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. TAZARA was constructed as a turnkey project between 1970 and 1975 through an interest-free loan from China. The departed Chinese workers now rest beneath Tanzanian soil. Held by the Chinese embassy in Tanzania, the gathering coincided with the Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese occasion for paying tribute to the deceased and remembering ancestors. Staff from the Chinese embassy and Tanzanian officials, including Tanzanian Deputy Minister for Transport David Kihenzile participated in the ceremony, along with members of the Chinese community and local citizens. Charge d'Affaires a.i. of the Chinese embassy in Tanzania Wang Yong said that the fallen experts as heroes and their legacy continues to symbolize China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship. To locals in Tanzania and Zambia, TAZARA is sometimes known as "Uhuru Railway" or "Independent Railway". Commercial operations started in July 1976, covering 1,860 km from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]