Technicians examine the large tunnel excavator named "Longcheng-1"on Oct 28, in order to prepare it for the construction of the metro system in Taiyuan. The machine, which is 6.41 meters in diameter, is jointly made by Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group and China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co. It is the first tunnel boring machine in Shanxi province that is produced by a local company. The machine can be used for upgrading rail transit and manufacturing high-end equipment for underground construction in the province. Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group is a noted heavy machinery manufacturer whose products include items for mining, nuclear power and aerospace industries. [Photo/sxrb.com]