Pan Linhai, 24, is a tower crane driver working on what will soon be Hunan's tallest building. Wharf Changsha International Finance Centre Tower 1 has 95 stories. When the building's crown is complete in 2017 it will stand 452 meters tall, making it the tallest building in Central China's Hunan province.

At present, the tower has topped the first 100 meters. Every day, Pan has to take the elevator to the 19th story, go up the stairs to the 24th story, then climb a steel ladder, arrive at his cab and start work.

Crane drivers are a special breed of heavy equipment operators. In addition to being technically skilled and accurate, they must be content to spend most of their day alone encased in a small closed box. For Pan, except for the voice from the walkie-talkie, he has only the clouds and birds as company.

Pan Linhai works in his cab in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province, Jan 21, 2015.[Photo/IC]