China's "Inspiring People" of the Year

    The annual activity award 10 people for their great contributions to Chinese society. And the stories of each 'hero' are regarded as examples that are supposed to inspire more people into working hard in the New Year.　

    'Sister Zhen'

    Lin Xiuzhen from the village of Nanchenzan, Hebei Province, was awarded for her care and compassion for the village elderly. Everyone in the village, young and old, male and female, all address her simply as 'Sister Zhen'.

    As just a poor person from the countryside, Sister Zhen only has her love to give and she has been looking after the elderly people of her village for over 68 years, often adopting them into the family.

    In the winter of 1967, Sister Zhen was in her third year of marriage and had a son aged two. That winter she proposed that she and her husband would take care of an old and childless couple, Zhu Shugui and Liu Xiuhuan in the village.

    Zhu and Liu are 78 and 76 years old. Both are feeble and sick and have lived very hard lives. Looking after them means a heavy burden for anyone, even the head of village tried to persuade against attending the couple, explaining to Sister Zhen, "You just entered your thirties. I know the young often make rash decisions. Think it over."

    Sister Zhen however, answered decisively, "Rest assured. I will never regret it.

    This was not an impulsive decision by Sister Zhen, she had thought about it for a long time.

    Zhu Shugui and Liu Xiuhuan's home was very close to Sister Zhen's. The old couple carried a small bucket with three holes in it to fetch water from a well outside of the village everyday. They used to stagger home with the bucket and, by the time they got there, the bucket would be less than half full.

    Zhu would carry a straw basket and Liu would use a bamboo rake to comb the grass by the side of a ditch where other people had raked before to look for firewood.

    When Sister Zhen saw these things her heart hurt, so began helping them carry water and work, sending them food whenever she cooked. She thought that as Zhu was a former member of the Communist Party and had risked his life during the War of Resistance against Japan, now that he was old he should not have to suffer hardships anymore.

    Because of dealing with the things of others, Sister Zhen was not able be at her mother's bedside when she died.

    Sister Zhen's children follow in their mother's footsteps and help care for the elderly, "My daughter and son began to wash the feet of the elderly when they were children," she remarked.

    A host of the CCTV program asked Sister Zhen, "Do you think your children will treat you well when you are old.

    I don't worry about it," she replied, "it's the tradition of our family?

    I learnt from my mother and they learn from me. They certainly show care and compassion for all elderly people.

    Besides her care for the elderly, Sister Zhen has sponsored 14 children through college, but never publicized the fact. When a journalist tried to ask some of the children for comment one time, Sister Zhen told them to leave, stating, "The children are growing up, do not interview them."

    A humble and modest person, Sister Zhen is not willing to let others know of her good deeds and never asks for reward. It was with somewhat reluctance that she accepted the award from CCTV.

    People respect Sister Zhen, one netizen recently left a message on the Xinhua website saying, "Sister Zhen, you are a real hero. China needs millions of people like you. 　

　   A ray of Sunshine

    Huang Ge was born in 1988, with his parents divorcing just a year later.

    At the age of seven, Huang was diagnosed with cancer. According to doctors, he only had 11 years left to live -- but his father never gave up on him.

    In 2003, knowing that his life could end at any moment, Huang started to travel the country with his father in order to give thanks to the people that helped him.

    They have traveled to 82 cities, covering more than 13,000 kilometers, saying thanks in-person to every person who had donated or lent them money. When interviewed, Huang Ge smiled, not taking his illness too seriously,

    "The doctors said I will only live until I am eighteen. I don't hope to live long however, I would be delighted, if I could just live an extra two years to see the 2008 Olympic Games, I would be delighted."

    "I have nothing to regret in my life," he said, "over the past 18 years, I felt the warmth from people and society as a whole -- this is the real love in the world, I keep it in the deep of my heart."

    Huang said that his biggest wish was to pass his love to the people who need warmth, care and help, and this is what keeps him going in the face of adversity.

    Generosity at its best

    Born in 1923 in Guangdong Province, Henry Fok (also known as Huo Yingdong) was a famous Hong Kong business magnate. Fok was also the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and was possibly the most powerful Hongkonger in Chinese politics.

    Fok died in October last year and was awarded by the CCTV program for his philanthropy. In 1984, he founded the Fok Ying Tung Foundation -- now one of the largest charities in Hong Kong.

    He funded a high-technology business park in the southern city of Guangzhou next door to Hong Kong, through the Foundation, pledging 800 million H.K. dollars (100 million U.S. dollars) to support the initiative. Fok's eldest son, Timothy Fok (Huo Zhengting) received the prize on his father's behalf. Timothy Fok stated how his father persisted with the faith of not asking for reward for the kindness he gave throughout his life time.

    Indeed, when asked by a journalist how much money he had donated, Henry Fok could not answer, "My donation is just like a drop of water in the sea," he said, "its function is very little." 

    The 'father' of Chinese atmospheric science

    Ye Duzheng, meteorologist and president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is 91 years-old this year. In 1948, he received a doctorate in America and took up a job paying 4,300 U.S. dollars a year.

    As soon as the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949, Ye returned. Noting the motivation for his return to China, Ye remarked, "I am Chinese and therefore should help China. It's my responsibility."

    Ye is considered as the founder of Chinese atmospheric physics, and was awarded the State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award-- the nation's highest scientific prize -- in 2005 by President Hu Jintao.

    When interviewed after receiving the award in 2005 he commented, "The most exciting time for me is when President Bush said he considered China as America's rival. I was glad when he said that -- it was a real turning point for China," he said, "to be considered as a rival to the world's superpower is a great feat, compared to that, my prize is nothing."

    One-armed hero

    Colonel Ding Xiaobing of the People's Armed Police was the first hero of 2006 to be conferred an award by the CCTV show.

    Aged 41, Colonel Ding joined the army in 1983 and lost his right arm when a grenade exploded on a 'military mission' in an unspecified Chinese border area in 1984.

    The award from CCTV is one of many awards conferred on Colonel Ding over the past few decades. Last year, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao jointly signed an order conferring the title of' heroic loyal guard' on Ding.

    Ding's commendation stated that for more than 20 years, he had devoted himself to national defense and the administration of the armed police. He had always showed concern and care for others, donating more than 50,000 yuan (6,250 U.S. dollars) to help needy personnel.

    During the CCTV show, host Jing Yidan asked Colonel Ding, "When you were called a hero 20 years ago, besides flowers and applause, did you have any conflicting inner thoughts such as doubt and warning?"

    This question reminded Colonel Ding of a letter that he had received many years ago from a student at Nanjing Aerospace College.

    Colonel Ding commented that, in the letter the student said, "As a hero, you only passed the first key point. If I were unfortunate enough to lose my arm like you, I would become a hero too. I do not admire you now. If you do other heroic deeds in the future, maybe I will admire you then."

    After 20 years of hard work and dedication, Colonel Ding Xiaobing has been the recipient of a grand total of 284 medals, almost certainly proving that he is well worth the title of 'hero'.

    Not forgetting to mention?

    Also conferred at the annual ceremony was the late Dr. Hua Yiwei, a famous Chinese surgeon of the General Hospital of Beijing Military Region. Hua received the award primarily due to his dedication to his patients. He once told his wife he'd devote his whole life to one thing -- treat patients well.

    Hua died of stomach cancer on Aug. 12, 1996 at the age of 73. His wife, Zhang Yanrong, accepted the prize on his behalf.

    Bomb disposal expert Wang Baixing with the Henan Province Police Department was also awarded by the CCTV show. Joining the Henan Police Department from the army in 1985, Wang has risked his life dismantling over 15,000 bombs which were left over from varying wars over the past century.

    An award was given to Ji Xianlin, a 95 year-old historian and writer for his lifetime dedication to academia. Ji has taught at Beijing University for a long time, dedicating his time between giving lectures to studying and translating many famous works of European countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany. He still studies and writes today.

    Fifty-two year old Kong Xiangrui has made over 150 inventions over the past 34 years, creating profits more than 84 million yuan (10.5 million U.S. dollars) for his company and receiving the national Blue-collar Expert Award.

    Early in 2004, a mysterious woman under the name 'Fine Dust' donated over 50,000 yuan (6,250 U.S. dollars) towards the SARS epidemic. Since then, she has donated thousands of yuan towards a wide range of good causes including the Kashgar earthquake, the Hunan flood, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and towards leukemia research. The mystery behind 'Fine Dust' is still unsolved, she failed to make it to the award ceremony, her award remains uncollected and her identity still a secret.

    From Sister Zhen with her caring and compassion for the elderly to Henry Fok for his kindness and philanthropy, all 10 recipients of this year's CCTV 'Inspiring People' award were chosen carefully to represent the many ways in which people can help in building what Hu Jintao referred to as, "a harmonious society."
　
     EDITOR'S NOTE: This feature story is provided by China Features, the sole news service on the Chinese mainland offering by-lined feature stories, news analyses and opinion pieces in English, along with photos, about latest major events in China.

2007-03-05