Giving back to others

Since 1997, the May 4th Medal has been given to exceptional individuals and groups. Its aim is to inspire contemporary youths in China “to embrace and preserve the May 4th Movement and encourage them to contribute to the development of the country”, CGTN noted.

This year, China awarded 34 individuals and 20 groups and organizations the May 4th Medal to celebrate their great contributions to the country. Let’s look at some of them.

Liu Xian

Liu Xian is an ordinary entrepreneur who started a catering business in Chengdu. During the pandemic, the 25-year-old woman heard that medical staff on the frontline weren’t able to eat well due to the extended working hours.

Despite the risk of getting infected, Liu headed to Wuhan and cooked for medical staff. Over 40 days, she cooked for medical workers in over 20 hospitals, up to 400 to 600 meals a day. Her meals were of high quality and were nutritious. Her efforts gave the medics the strength and nourishment they badly needed.

As there was a lack of protective clothing, Liu always wore a raincoat when delivering food. People began to affectionately refer to her as “Raincoat Girl”.

Her selfless actions have warmed the hearts of thousands of frontline medical workers as well as residents in the city.

Liu continues in her efforts to help others. “Where there is a need for help, ‘Raincoat Members’ will be there to solve the problems,” she told CGTN.

Border clash troops

For many of us, our daily life is smooth sailing, but others often have to sail against the current. For those who serve as guardians of our country’s border, protecting the nation and ensuring peace is the priority.

Last June, Indian soldiers illegally crossed to the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in the Galwan Valley, set up tents and acted in violation of rules and terms agreed to by both sides.

Qi Fabao, commander of the border defense regiment, led several of his soldiers to negotiate with the Indian side. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered and attacked by Indian forces with steel bars and rocks.

During the battle, Chen Hongjun, Chen Xiangrong and Xiao Siyuan died while fighting. Wang Zhuoran died as he tried to save his comrades who were trapped in a freezing river when they rushed to take part in the conflict.

Like many of us, they had many ambitions in life and loved ones to return to. But they sacrificed their lives for the great cause of our nation’s security.

Jiang Yingcheng

Born in 1996, car painter Jiang Yingcheng is not a traditional “master craftsman”.

His talent in professional techniques helped this young assembly-line worker win the car-painting championship at the 44th World Skills Competition in 2017. In 2018, he joined the club of “super technicians”, becoming the youngest person in Zhejiang province ever to do so.

According to Jiang, 0.01 millimeter – one-sixth of the diameter of a hair – is the margin of error of the paint thickness tested in the car-painting competition. The required precision shows how adept the participants must be at their craft.

“There is no shortcut to success,” Jiang, who also teaches at Zhejiang Technician College, often tells his students. He asks students to adopt a “craftsman spirit”, and work constantly to refine their skills. That’s the drive that has gotten Jiang this far in his career. He has worked hard to excel in his trade ever since he moved away from his remote mountain village at the age of 15.