Extraordinary ordinary Chinese

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  Elderly painter captures romance of lifelong love

  Over the past decade, Wang Shuhong has created more than 250 paintings recording simple, romantic moments in her life with her romantic companion — a friend since childhood who is now her husband.

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  'Roof of the world' witnesses new height of education

  Karma Chowang had never seen an elevator or an electronic whiteboard before until he entered high school. Chowang, 14, is an eighth-grader in the Lhasa Jiangsu Experimental High School in Lhasa, capital of Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region.

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  Determination drives academic achievement

  Yi Xiaoyuan has used a wheelchair for 25 years, but he has never considered himself restricted by it, and he has relentlessly pursued academic achievement and a desire to be treated just like nondisabled people.

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  Store gives 3 million steamed buns for free in past decade

  A special steamed bun store reopened on Saturday in Shishi, Southeast Chinas Fujian Province, arousing heated discussions locally. What makes this store special is that it never sold steamed buns during the past 10 years, and only gave them for free to poor and vulnerable groups, including street cleaners and migrant workers.The boss, nicknamed A Feng, comes from Shantou, Southern Chinas Guangdong Province and works in the wholesale frozen meat business. Over the past 10 years, more than three million steamed buns have been donated to millions of people in the store."Ive struggled in life before. Now my life has become much better and I want to help others as much as I can," A Feng said. Though its hard to run the free store with an annual cost of up to 400,000 yuan, he believes the store’s worth it.The stores boss A. Feng (right) makes steamed buns with colleagues on March 4, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua)In November 2021, A Feng temporarily closed the store due to various reasons. The local government took the initiative to give a favor after learning about the situation. They coordinated the location of the store, exempted the store from rent and utilities, and called on local companies to donate start-up funds.The store reopened at a new site with brand-new decorations. "This steamed bun store is great and convenient for us," street cleaner Wang Meiying said. "I feel very comfortable and happy to be able to eat steamed buns here."The reopened store offers steamed buns for street cleaners in the early morning on March 5, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua)In order to achieve long-term operations, the store also changed its business model: Except offering free steamed buns to people in need, it sells to the public at a price of one yuan per bun. All the income and donations will go directly to the bank account of Shishi Charity Federation."Its the most exciting thing for me that the store can reopen," A Feng said with...

• 00:27

  A nurse's solo 'concert' for a patient for 16 years

  Li Chenglin, 66, is a full-time nursing worker in Wuhan, Central Chinas Hubei Province.Over the past 16 years, he has been caring for Cheng Ming, who is 2 years older than him and been in a coma since 2003, according to the Wuhan Evening News.Hired by Chengs family, Li has cared for Cheng and rejected other job offers, even with higher pay."Ive already developed an attachment to him. I cant leave him. Otherwise, he cant make it through," Li told reporters.To help Cheng recover, Li taught himself how to play the erhu, a traditional two-stringed bowed instrument.Li pushed Cheng on his wheelchair to a park near the hospital nearly every day. Singing, dancing, or playing erhu, he insists on performing for Cheng.One time, he saw Cheng smile, which Li considered as a great reward for his efforts.(By Huang Jingjing, Xie Wanrong and Xu Shilin)

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  Isolated children's pictures comfort hard-working medical staff in virus-hit city

  Medical and hotel staff at a hotel in the virus-stricken city of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province have been moved by childrens paintings posted on the doors of quarantine rooms.More than 10 children in isolation at the Dehan Hotel expressed gratitude in their own way to the staff after watching them working every day.The children wrote words of gratitude and drew tigers with best wishes for the upcoming Chinese new year for hard-working staff at the hotel."Every day at the isolation hotel, we medical staff spend long hours sampling nucleic acid tests," said Hu Binwen, deputy chief physician of the department of pediatrics, Guangdong Chinese Medicine Hospital Zhuhai branch. "But after seeing these childrens paintings, we feel that all the hard work was worth it. Their cute pictures took our fatigue away and we feel deeply warmed."(Compiled by Yin Yue, edited by Sun Tianren and Lou Qingqing)

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  Railway station platform witnesses true love

  At around 10 am on Wednesday on Platform 9 of Guilin North Railway Station in China’s Guangxi Province, a man on one knee with a flower bouquet in his hand proposed to a woman who just got off train D2993. The crowd erupted in applause, offering their blessings to the couple.Li Junhong and Liu Yihong (Photo: Peoples Daily)The man who proposed was Li Junhong, a passenger duty officer at Guilin North Railway Station of China Railway Nanning Group, and the woman was Liu Yihong, a conductor at the Nanning Passenger Section of China Railway Nanning Group.The day of the proposal happened to be the first anniversary after they established their romantic relationship. "This is both a proposal and a New Years gift to you," Li said as he held Lius hand tightly."I chose to propose at the station because it was the place where we met," Li said. They first met during the National Day holiday in 2020 when they handled the care of a passenger with a fever on the platform. The two exchanged telephone numbers to follow up on the passengers status in a timely manner.During that time, Liu often asked Li about the passengers condition. It was at those moments that Lius meticulous and responsible character deeply impressed Li.After seeing Lius train slowly leaves the station platform, Li left."We both work in the railway and are bonded by it. In the future, we will serve everyone at work, and also run a small family," Li said.(Compiled by Yin Yue, edited by Dong Feng)

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  Chinese veteran volunteers to help people find lost family

  Gan Biao, a 35-year-old restaurant owner and veteran, has been voluntarily helping people find their lost family for four years, reuniting over ten families.Gan Biao (Right) sitting restaurant. (Photo provided to Peoples Daily)The veteran from Guang’an, southwest China’s Sichuan Province currently running a barbecue restaurant, began his journey of helping others in 2017, when he encountered a homeless elderly man on the roadside.For two years, Gan and his friends took care of the man, providing him with food and a roof over his head. To help the man find his family, Gan posted videos of him on Chinese social media. In early 2019, after posting 426 videos, the man’s family saw the video and reunited.“I’m a veteran, and we all grow old.” “I just want to do something meaningful for others,” said Gan.In the past four years, Gan has posted information for more than 700 people.At the end of 2021, a man named Li Jingwei contacted Gan, asking for help to find his birth parents. After talking with Li, Gan realized that the man could still remember the look of his hometown, so Gan encouraged Li to draw a picture of his hometown to increase his chances of finding his parents. Days later, Lis biological family saw the post, reuniting on New Year’s Day 2022.Whenever someone asks for help, Gan would do his best to take, edit and post their videos online. Many people come to his restaurant hoping that he would help them. “Every day is tiring. But the good thing is that my family and friends support and help me,” Gan said.To Gan, the greatest regret is giving help to people a little too late when their families have already passed before reuniting. He encourages more people to pay attention to lost families and help them reunite.(Compiled by Feng Zhenglin)

• 01:01

  Firefighters learn Mongolian dance for Chinese New Year gala

  What are these Chinese firefighters doing during their leisure time?They are preparing for local Chinese New Year gala. These firefighters in Bazhou, Northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have invested their time and energy into a vigorous traditional dance from the Mongolian ethnic group. Check out their passion.(Produced by Yin Yue and Dong Feng)

• 00:21

  A traffic policeman helps save an ill child

  A police officer sounded his siren and drove his motorcycle quickly through the traffic, followed closely by a white car carrying a sick child. This was not a scene from a movie, but an actual life-or-death situation in Wenzhou, East Chinas Zhejiang Province.Traffic police officer Jia Tingjie escorted the car to the hospital in just three minutes, compared to the 10 minutes it usually takes.At about 11 am on January 14, passengers in a white car flagged down Jia and asked him for help. Their 4-year old child was pale and blue, convulsing in critical condition. Without hesitation, Jia gave a gesture to the driver and said, "Follow me!"Jia sound the siren and drove his motorcycle while signaling for vehicles to yield.Three minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. The parents of the child were so nervous that they failed to find the entrance to the hospitals emergency room, so they stopped their car on the road near the hospital. Immediately, Jia stopped, got off his motorcycle, jumped over the guardrail, grabbed the child from the parent on the other side of the guardrail, and rushed into the emergency room."At that time, the child was weak. During the medical examination, the child convulsed several times," Jia recalled.Due to the timely medical treatment, the child survived. A video clip of Jias rescue went viral on Chinas social media.Many gave their support to Jia."He looks so handsome jumping over the guardrail!""In China, you can always trust the police!""In China, the safety of peoples lives always comes first!"(Compiled by Liang Yuting, edited by Huang Jingjing; Video edited by Xiao Jiabin)

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  Highlighting stories of medical personnel in front line of COVID control

  Medicalstaffworkinginepidemiologicalinvestigation,givingboostershotsandcollectingnucleicacidtestsampleshavehadconsecutiveandintensiveworkingdaysafterShanghai'snewlocalCOVID-19infectionswereconfirmedasthehighlyinfectiousOmicronvariant。

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  Uncanny photo honors doctors in Shenzhen

  Photos: Nanfang DailyA photo of a doctor working late into the night at a nucleic acid testing site has been popular on Sina Weibo since Tuesday. In this photo, a doctor in a white protective suit and a protective mask is holding a mobile phone to report epidemic data, and the light above her head shines down, as if she is wearing an angel’s halo.This resonates with the popular description of doctors during the epidemic as “angels in white.”The photo was taken around 11 pm on January 7.Zeng Donghua, a doctor at the Nankeng Community Health Service Center of the Second Peoples Hospital of Longgang, had taken nucleic acid samples from 400 residents. She was waiting for more residents who would get off work late at night.Due to the lack of light at night, the residential compound’s staff members temporarily borrowed lights. Zeng then sat under the lights. This scene happened to be photographed by a resident named Zhang Wanchun and uploaded to the internet.After receiving an emergency notification, the Nankeng Community Health Service Center immediately took action, and its medical staff quickly arrived at assigned residential housing compounds to carry out large-scale nucleic acid screening.Zhang was on the way to get a nucleic acid test."I intended to take a picture for my family to see that everyone is still working on nucleic acid testing even though it was so late," Zhang recalled."After taking the photo, I noticed that the light and halo above the doctors head are circular. Yes, it seems to be a halo, which happens to honor the doctor as an angel in white,’" said Zhang."The medical staff under the lights are so beautiful! Thank them for their hard work," Zhang added.The Weibo post been viewed more than 599,000 times as of Sunday.Zeng is just one of the thousands of medical staff in Longgang racing against the invisible virus in the streets and alleys of the city.(Compiled by Dong Feng)

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  Cleaner earns online, offline applause for playing piano at arts school party

  A video of a 55-year-old cleaner playing piano in her uniform at a top Beijing arts school’s annual new year party is proving popular on the Chinese internet.Xing Guoqin (Photo: Xinhua)Xing Guoqin, eight years a cleaner at the Tsinghua University Center for Arts Education in Beijing, performed My Chinese Heart, a Chinese patriotic song, at the party."Three days before the gala, quite out of blue, I was notified that I was invited to perform," Xing said. “I was very surprised and nervous. Many of the audience are professionals. I knew that [if] I didnt play well, it might look like teaching a fish how to swim."Xing cannot read music and has no professional training.Despite her “fingers shaking,” Xing’s performance earned rich applause and latterly, online acclaim.Xing’s last formal music lesson was at junior high school in a small town with one organ."Every week someone would bring in the organ and give us a music lesson,” she said. “Sometimes they would let us press it and listen to its sound, and that was my happiest moment."In her spare time, Xing practices on an old out-of-tune piano. She figures out the fingers and chords herself."The epidemic has given me an in-depth realization on the power of our country and people, and I wanted to use this tune to express my gratitude and pride," Xing said.Passion is not limited by age, Xing insists.“While you are young, learn what you want to learn and make sure there are no regrets,” she said.(Compiled by Yin Yue, edited by Dong Feng)

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  'Next time, I'd rush in again'

  Before and after: Officer Liang Tianxiong (Photos: video screenshot)How did a 25-year-old policeman end up looking like a white-haired old geezer?Officer Liang Tianxiong used up 15 extinguishers helping firefighters put out a kitchen blaze in a residential building of Shaoxing, a city in Zhejiang Province on January 4.Before and after photos of Liang, released by the official Zhejiang police account on Thursday, went viral on China’s Twitter-like SinaWeibo this week.Chinese internet users marveled that the old man pictured was actually young and handsome underneath the powder and praised Liang for rushing to the fire.A younger-looking, healthy Liang published a video clip on Friday, thanking residents who helped him gather all usable fire extinguishers.“Thank you for your concern,” Liang says in the video. “It is our duty to be able to rush out at the critical moment and to be brave in the crucial moment. Next time, I’d rush in again. Of course I shall pay attention to safety.”At 8 pm on January 4, Liang’s station in Shaoxing received an emergency call about the fire which broke out in a residential building where the roof was collapsing.Liang grabbed firefighting equipment and rushed to the burning building.In thick smoke, Liang fumbled to turn off the power and gas.Officer Liang Tianxiong is treated at hospital in Shaoxing, a city in Zhejiang Province.After long hours fighting the fire, Liang was covered in dry powder and unable to open his teary eyes. He received treatment at hospital. Nobody was seriously injured.(Compiled by Yin Yue, edited by Lou Qingqing, Dong Feng)

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  Couple cancels honeymoon to fight Henan epidemic

  Left: Xu Pei and Zhang Wenwen go to work on Tuesday. Right: Zhang Wenwen and Xu Pei leave work on Tuesday. (Photo: Xinhua)A couple of newlyweds canceled their honeymoon to go fight the coronavirus epidemic glove-in-glove in Central China’s Henan Province.Yanling Hospital nurses Xu Pei, 23, and Zhang Wenwen, 24, married in September 2021 and planned to honeymoon in January.The first new COVID-19 cases broke in Henan on December 31, 2021."When the day shift ended on January 2, an emergency call reached the hospital, notifying us to support Yuzhou,” said wife Zhang. “I was the first to sign up. When the name list for supporting Yuzhou was announced, I found out that he had signed up, too."The couple took the bus to Yuzhou together on January 8. Yuzhou and Xuchang, their home city, were both locked down on January 9.Instead of a honeymoon, Xu and Zhang now work together seven hours a day in protective clothing on nucleic acid testing in Yuzhou. They eat and live on the bus."It’s an unforgettable experience in our lives," Xu said, smiling.The couple and their colleagues had completed four rounds of tests in their assigned communities as of Tuesday.(Compiled by Yin Yue, edited by Dong Feng)

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  Undergraduate marrow donor in Central China's Hubei

  On December 31, 2021, Chen Bin (pseudonym), a student from Hubei University of Economics, successfully completed stem cell collection, bringing hope to a 5-year-old boy to receive hematopoietic transplantation.He is the 498th donor of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in Central Chinas Hubei Province, also the 12,582th in the country.Chen Bin (pseudonym) successfully completed the hematopoietic stem cell collection.In 2018, Chen provided his blood samples during a voluntary blood donation and became a volunteer HSCs donor.In August 2021, he got a phone call from the staff of the marrow donor program of the Red Cross Society of China Hubei Branch that he could be a matched marrow donor to a 5-year-old boy with blood disease, when he dedicated himself to study preparing for the national postgraduate entrance examinations."Peoples lives are of the utmost importance. I must donate," Chen said without hesitation.Then he cooperated with doctors in the preparatory work for HSCs collection while at the same time study for the exam.Chen Bin (pseudonym) was injected the last mobilization agent.After finishing a preliminary exam on December 27, 2021, Chen went immediately to the hospital in final preparations for HSCs collection. He needed to get "mobilization" injection for four days, a process through which HSCs could be better mobilized and collected for transplantation.Chen was awarded for his kind-hearted donation.Chen never wavered in his determination to donate. He considers himself lucky to be able to save a childs life, and encourages the boy to maintain hope and confidence.The handwritten letter from the patients families."You gave our child a second chance in life, though weve never met. Well be eternally grateful to you," reads a handwritten letter from the patients families to Chen.(Compiled by Lyu Xingke and edited by Huang Jingjing and Xie Wanrong)

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  Man provides free meals to tenants in lockdown

  Ming Tinggui, a landlord in Xian, Northwest Chinas Shaanxi province, serves his tenant a free meal. (Photo provided to Xinhua)XIAN－Ming Tinggui, 41, a landlord in Xian, Shaanxi province, has become famous online because of his acts of kindness during the citys COVID-19 lockdown.Xian imposed a citywide lockdown on Dec 23 in an effort to curb a resurgence of COVID-19.Ming had 81 tenants in Yanta district at that time, about 80 percent of whom were students who had moved to Xian to attend training classes, begin internships or take Chinas postgraduate entrance exam, scheduled from Dec 25 to 27.Most of the students only brought simple belongings that could fit inside a suitcase, with no room for pots or pans to cook with. Under lockdown, they were not allowed to go out, making mealtime a major headache.Having seen his young tenants living on instant noodles and snacks, Ming decided to cook meals for them.He bought as many vegetables as possible in the community and told his tenants via WeChat that he could provide dinner for them each day.His idea was warmly welcomed. The tenants placed their orders in the WeChat group every day, and Ming prepared their meals accordingly.His wife and 65-year-old mother also joined him to wash vegetables and dishes.Although there were food supply problems at the beginning of the lockdown, Ming still managed to buy some meat for his hungry young tenants.Ming received as many as 45 orders a day. Some of the tenants wanted to pay him for the dinner but were refused.Ming said he cooked the meals not for money but to help those in need.With the tenants safety in mind, Ming divided the orders into small groups so that they could fetch their dinner one by one while keeping two meters from each other.Greatly moved, the tenants reported his good deeds to the local media, shooting him to stardom overnight.Hearing of his generosity, many people offered to give Ming money to help feed his young tenants－...

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  Young man saves endangered traditional textile patterns

  Huang collects patterns in southwest China.Huang Qingsui is a 32-year-old graphic designer from Duan Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. After graduate school, he set out on an expedition in 2013, tramping through many ethnic minority villages deep in the mountains to collect classic textile patterns in southwest China including Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou.A collection of classic patterns Huang has sorted (Source: Beijing Youth Daily)Going door to door, Huang sketched traditional folk patterns one by one, copying from textiles and handicrafts such as old-fashioned swaddlings, straps, quilts, and dresses. Many of the patterns were about to vanish because the people who know how to make them are too old.Several Chinese classic patterns included in Huangs online database (Source: Wenzang.art)At present, Huang has found and saved more than 20,000 classic patterns, which he sorted into more than 200 groups and established an online database called "Wenzang." Based on the collection, he published a book on classic patterns.The making technique of the classic pattern (Source: Beijing Youth Daily)In an interview, Huang said that looking for patterns that are on the brink of extinction is like creating a "pattern dictionary." He aspires to integrate classic patterns into fashion, and make millions of young people use them. The best way to keep traditional object from disappearing is to revitalize them for the new era.

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  For friend, 4,700 km free driving across China in 8 days and nights

  Many Chinese netizens are touched by a free driving journey across China, from Korla, Northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Xuzhou, East Chinas Jiangsu Province, spanning 4,700 kilometers in eight days and eight nights.Mansur Patar (right) and Maimat NurdongIn October 2021, Zhao Xulei, a truck driver from Jiangsu, drove to Xinjiang to do the cotton freight business with his wife. They met local truck drivers, Mansur Patar and Maimat Nurdong.On November 17, 2021, an accident occurred when Zhao was loading cargo, causing blindness to his left eye. After hearing the news, Mansur helped Zhao with his hospitalization and offered to help the couple get the truck home.Mansur said later to the reporters, "When my friend had trouble in Xinjiang, I must help. We are family."Mansur Patar (right) and Maimat Nurdong Zhao went to Beijing for further treatment, while Mansur and Maimat drove his truck back to Jiangsu. To ease Zhaos financial burden, before their departure, Mansur and Maimat found goods to be transported to Jiangsu, so that their pay as drivers can cover the travel expenses and toll and Zhao doesnt need to pay anything.On the morning of December 9, 2021, Mansur and Maimat set out on their journey. They took turns to rest on the road and ate when hungry. This way, after eight days and nights, spanning 4,700 kilometers, Mansur and Maimat finally arrived in Zhaos hometown, Peixian county, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, in the early hours of December 17, 2021.Mansur Patar and Maimat Nurdong with Zhao Xulei in XuzhouThey had decided to return Xinjiang after that, but Zhao persuaded them to stay in Jiangsu because he wanted to thank them in person. Two days later, Zhao went home from Beijing and entertained and thanked them. Zhao said, "When I get a little better, I will go to Xinjiang with my wife again to visit my good brothers."Mansur Patar and Maimat Nurdong with Zhao Xulei (middle)Different in ethnic groups, they...

• 00:23

  Chinese teen invents driverless bicycle, bags award

  A high school seniors driverless bicycle has won the S.-T. Yau High School Science Award, an Asian student competition which emphasizes innovation, originality, creativity and persistence in research activities.Shi Mulang, of Hangzhou No. 9 Middle School, attached depth cameras to the bikes handlebars and light detection and ranging devices, or lidars, to the seat. Data is transmitted in real time to a central brain above the back wheel, empowering the bicycle to choose the optimal route while maintaining balance.Shi says he began doodling with devices at about 8 years old. "When I showed my inventions to my friends, they couldnt believe it and thought my parents must have done that for me," Shi said. "But actually I know more about these things than them."(Produced by Sun Tianren and Lou Qingqing)

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  Postman warms hearts on icy plateau

  Warm-hearted mailman Hanong Dorje plies his van across the snowy western plateau of Sichuan Province where temperatures can plunge below -10 C.Over the last 14 years Dorje has not missed a days work, delivering more than 4.5 million pieces of mail without losing a single piece.The "grassland messenger" as Dorje is sometimes dubbed by residents, has traveled more than 400,000 kilometers, or about seven times around the equator."It was my destiny to become a mailman," Dorje says.Mailman Hanong Dorje eats lunch in Zoige county, Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province on June 17, 2021. (Xinhua)Dorjes hero was his father, a postman who traversed mountains by bicycle, armed with a large green bag of envelopes.As a child during the 1980s, Dorje would entreat his father to take him along too. The mail recipients would occasionally hand a candy to the postmans boy of Zoige, a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.It was in 2007, at 23, that Dorje finally got to follow in his fathers footsteps.His route is lonely, but Dorjes world is rich.During crisis snow days, it is the mailman who must deliver vital supplies – food, medicine and oxygen – to residents of a prefecture with a population density of fewer than eight people per square kilometer.As the transport infrastructure improves and e-commerce blooms, Dorjes world is changing. Business parcels are increasingly moving up, down and across the plateau."I hope that through the [postal] network, more products from home will be brought out of the mountains and into thousands of households," he says.(Translated by Liang Yuting, edited by Huang Jingjing; Source: Xinhua)

• 01:05

  The 'creative destruction' of a Gen Z photographer

  To be creative, you have to destroy. Mo Guiling is a part-time photographer from Laibing, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He draws inspiration from daily life and destroys everyday objects, then uses them as tools to create classic movie characters.His entertaining creations are popular, making art more accessible.(Video source: Kuaishou; edited by Xie Runjia)

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  From cornfields to football fields: the self-taught Xinjiang soccer star

  Nurmemet Sherep trains himself at a cornfield in Shufu County of Kashgar Prefecture, northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photos: Xinhua)URUMQI, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- For 21-year-old Nurmemet Sherep, shooting a football into the net without kicking up dust and pieces of grit is still a novel and exhilarating experience.Almost three months ago, the football player raced on a grass-covered pitch of a national-level football match for the first time in his life, instead of the bumpy cropland where he practiced football for most of his childhood."When I scored a goal for our team, I realized that I had finally become a footballer. This is what I dreamed of when I was a kid," said Nurmemet Sherep, a member of the Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard Football Club, the only professional football club in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Born and raised in Shufu County, south Xinjiangs Kashgar Prefecture, Nurmemet Sherep became interested in football in 2010 after joining the football team of Saybagh Township Central Primary School when he was a fourth grader."I thought it would be great if I could join a professional football team one day," he recalled.At that time, his family was deeply in debt and was trying to eke out a living by raising livestock and cultivating crops, and purchasing a football or a jersey was an unthinkable luxury.His parents were thus initially unsupportive of his dream. They hoped that he could study hard at school to get into a university and thereafter land a job such as a teacher or police officer, which would provide him with a stable income.Nurmemet Sherep poses for a photo with his parents at his home in Shufu County of Kashgar Prefecture, northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Nov. 13, 2021.However, this did not stop him from frequenting narrow lanes, sheepfolds and a cornfield next to his house in Yukarki Kapa Village, which all served as makeshift training...

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  Doctoral candidate overcomes her hearing loss

  Zhao Youzhu, 28, a PhD candidate at Xiamen University in Fujian province, is determined to make her mark in a professional career.Zhao Youzhu (Photos provided to chinadaily.com)She was diagnosed with congenital neurological deafness at the age of 4, and learned pinyin, arithmetic and lip-reading before losing her hearing completely.In 2019, Zhao enrolled in college of environment and ecology of Xiamen University. Now, she is majoring in ocean management and planning. She is studying Chinas ocean and coastal zones and applying the concept of land-ocean coordination. Immersed in scientific research and writing, she stays up late every night.Zhao has a threshold of 110 decibels in her left ear and 90 decibels in her right ear and is considered medically deaf."It is like being locked in a dark room," she said. "Only with the aid in my right ear can I poke a small hole in the window and see a faint light. But this light is fragile and uncertain, and can be completely blocked by fate at any moment."Even so, Zhao insists she is just like everyone else. She entered primary school when she was 5 years old, and made her way through middle school and eventually to the university. She has been a voracious reader.As an undergraduate, she won a number of scholarships and honors. She also had the idea of working after graduation. But she made up her mind instead to pursue a postgraduate degree.Striving for a masters degree, she published six journal papers in succession and gradually established her own direction.She doesnt think its at all extraordinary for a hearing-impaired person to be admitted to a top-tier university as a doctoral candidate."Im just an ordinary person, and I dont think I have much to show for my experience," Zhao said. "Everyone has problems, though mine are obvious. But this doesnt necessarily mean that I worked harder than others. The fact is, I really enjoy reading and studying."As...

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  The man who restores the splendor of a historic zone

  Workers renovate the Normandie Apartments during the latest facelift of the iconic building. (Photos: SHINE)The excellent preservation of Shanghais largest historical conservation zone is credited to Gu Zhifeng and his colleagues, who have been repairing old buildings in the downtown for more than two decades.Gu, 45, is the leader of the historic building repair team of the Shanghai Xufang Construction Industry Co.The 28 technicians in the team are responsible for the maintenance and renovation of the Hengfu (Hengshan-Fuxing Road) Historical Conservation Zone in Xuhui District.When repairing a leaking historical building or refurbishing the former residence of a celebrity, the team members impart traditional techniques to construction workers while overseeing the preservation work.Many landmark structures, such as the former residence of Madam Soong Ching Ling, the Xujiahui Cathedral and the Normandie Apartments, have taken on new looks after being renovated by the team."Were not merely whitewashing the walls or fixing the stairs," said Gu. "We learn the history and culture of each building to restore their warmth."Multiple renovation projects led by the team have won top national awards and become models in central governments campaign to protect the nations heritage structures.Gu, dubbed the "guardian" of the Hengfu historical buildings, has been titled the "chief technician of the city."Hengfu is the biggest historical conservation zone in Shanghai. More than half of the downtown region, covering a total of 7.66 square kilometers, is in Xuhui District and covered by Gu and his colleagues.The Xuhui part of the Hengfu area, known as the "birthplace of Shanghais culture and history," has 950 outstanding historical structures, 1,774 preserved historical buildings and 2,259 normal antique structures.They include thousands of historical villas as well as many former residences of men o...

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  Faces of Year 2021: Yang Liu – single bamboo drifting phenom

  05:55YangLiu,a24-year-oldinheritorofsinglebamboodrifting,hasgivenover3,000performancesofthetraditionalsportacrossthecountryinthepast10years.Sheaspirestofamiliarizepeoplewithitnotjustinthecountrybuttheentireworld。

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  Small-Town Stories: Xuwen County, a sea of pineapples

  Looking for pineapples on the Chinese mainland? Head to Guangdong Province in the south, and when you get there hit Xuwen County.

• 5 Photos

  Great changes unfolding in 'high mountain villages'

  Located at the junction of Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, four villages in Lianhua Town, Tong'an District, Fujian Province, Junying, Baijiaoci, Xikeng and Danxi, are the highest and most remote villages in Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province. Local people collectively refer to them as “high mountain villages.” (Photos: Shi Jiamin; compiled by Chen Li)Through more than three decades of ecological restoration and industry revitalization work, the villages have undergone changes in terms of living conditions and natural environment. In 2020, the per capita income of Junying village reached 41,665 yuan ($6,541), and the village’s collective income exceeded 729,000 yuan. Thanks to the tea business, the collective income of Baijiaoci Village that year was 637,600 yuan with a per capita income of 41,280 yuan.In 2020, the per capita income of Junying village reached 41,665 yuan ($6,541), and the village's collective income exceeded 729,000 yuan. Thanks to the tea business, the collective income of Baijiaoci Village that year was 637,600 yuan with a per capita income of 41,280 yuan.“High mountain villages” sit on the mountain slopes of Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province.

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  Schoolgirl gets known by netizens for saving shrimps for her sick mother

  A rural girl became widely known on Chinese social media for leaving braised shrimps while finishing other food on her plate in September. When asked whats that for, she replied with a shy smile, " I want to save these shrimps for my mom."Eight-year-old Zhang Xiaoxiao is a student at Erlangmiao Primary School in Taikang county, central Chinas Henan Province. The school is attended by many rural left-behind children, whose parents had no choice but to seek work elsewhere to support their families. Free, nutritious lunches are provided to students at the school.Zhang XiaoxiaoXiaoxiao is one of those left behind. Her father is a migrant worker, a breadwinner, while her mother suffers from an illness and cannot not handle strenuous labor.Seeing the difficulties in her family, Xiaoxiao often expresses great care to her mother in her own way. Whenever she receives fruits and milk from the school, she would bring the food home for her sick mother instead of enjoying the food herself.Zhang Xiaoxiao finished all vegetables and rice of the school lunch but left four shrimps in her plate. (Photo: CCTV News)"Every time Xiaoxiao brings food home she would explain that the amount is more than she can eat, but I know its because she cares about my health and would like me to get more nutrition," said Xiaoxiaos mother. "As a kid, she is so considerate and I will always save the food for her too."Caring for her mothers health, Xiaoxiao has once said that she would like to become a doctor. To her father, Xiaoxiao is always a source of relief. In their video calls, Xiaoxiao has promised several times that she would take good care of her mother.Xiaoxiao and his mother (Photo: CCTV News)Xiaoxiao has received many donations, including shrimps, new clothes and stationery, from those who have been touched by her story.(Original story by CCTV News)

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  Book restorers bound to saving the past

  For a decade, Xie Jincheng has been immersed in his duties at the National Library of China in Beijing. When asked how old he was, the 37-year-old had to pause for a few seconds to remember.Xie Jincheng works on a document in Tangut, an extinct language from West China that dates back 800 years. (Photo: China Daily)Each working day, he sits at a desk and focuses on handling ragged yet priceless pieces of paper in front of him. As one of 17 restorers of ancient books at the NLC, he shakes off centuries of old dust to renew the works he deals with.Xie does not require a large space to utilize his skills. Using glue, scissors, tweezers, brushes and several other simple implements, he deftly restores the pages in front of him."I can basically handle most situations when fixing books, but you always have to be prepared for new problems," he said.It is estimated that the NLC houses more than 3 million ancient Chinese books. The worlds biggest collection of its kind, it comprises about 10 percent of such books in the nation. In China, the term "ancient books" refers to works predating 1911, the end of the Chinese monarchy.Xie, who majored in chemistry at college, switched to cultural relics conservation at graduate school, realizing that there was a shortage of restorers of ancient books in China. Despite his multidisciplinary educational background, he thought that practicing a traditional craft was the best way to improve his skills.It took Xie more than two years of observing his tutors and honing his talent before he was formally assigned to restore his first page.Everyone working in this industry has to learn a saying from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) book Zhuanghuangzhi: "Restoration (of books) is like seeing a doctor. If the doctor is good, your illness will disappear immediately following treatment. But if not, you may die taking the medicine. So if you cannot see a good craftsman, youd better keep your item as it is."Xie&#39...

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  Documentary turns lens on terminal patients, their final moments

  AletterwrittenbyXuLieying,a35-year-oldwomanfromFujianprovincewhodiedoflivercancer,expressedthedeeplovetohersecond,newly-bornchild。

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  Pulled noodles help Qinghai vitalize economy

  AstudentpracticespullingnoodlesatMaQingyun'sservicecenterinHualong,Qinghaiprovince,lastyear。

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  Guzheng artist strikes a chord in France

  Wearing traditional Chinese clothing and playing a Guzheng, or Chinese zither, on the streets of France, this young Chinese woman makes Chinese traditional rhythm echo across France.Peng Jingxuan, a 26-year-old student studying musicology in France, combines Chinese and western culture, hoping to promote cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.(Video source: Kuaishou; edited by Xie Runjia and Xu Shilin)

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  Sweater designer colors winter with wool

  A sweater designer nicknamed Pan with 30 years of experience knits unique and beautiful sweaters through clever design and weaving techniques, outfitting people and the winter season with wool.(Video source: Kuaishou; edited by Feng Zhenglin and Xu Shilin)

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  Chinese clay art brings back good-old days

  A young pottery artist named Huang Jiansong from Anshun city, Southwest China’s Guizhou Province creates traditional clay dwellings with handmade pottery to preserve and remind people of the old times.The artist often shuttles among the traditional houses and lanes in the countryside for inspiration. He wanted to inherit the pottery craft and traditional Chinese architectural culture so that more people could learn about the traditional clay houses.(Video source: Kuaishou; edited by Feng Zhenglin and Xu Shilin)

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  Donors of rare blood saluted in Wuhan

  AgroupofpeoplewithararebloodtypegatheredonSaturdayinWuhan,Hubeiprovince,toberecognizedbytheWuhanBloodCenterfortheirvoluntaryblooddonationsovertheyears.[Photoprovidedtochinadaily.com。

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  Overcoming odds, Jilin honoree becomes national inspiration

  ZhangChaofanposesinfrontoftheGreatHallofthePeoplewhilereceivingtheNationalEthicalRoleModelawardinBeijingonNov5.CHINADAILYInthepastsixyears,ZhangChaofanhaspersonallydonated1.35millionyuan($211,000)andraisedafurther5。

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  Couple reunited with abducted son after 14 years

  Long-lost son Sun Zhuo talks with his mother, Peng Siying, and his father, Sun Haiyang, in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Monday after being reunited. The 2014 Chinese movie Dearest was based on the case of Sun Zhuo, who was abducted at the age of 4 in 2007. DNA tests confirmed that the young man, who was found in Shandong province in October, was Sun Zhuo. (Photo: China Daily)After searching for their abducted son for 14 years, Sun Haiyang and his wife, Peng Siying, were reunited with the now 18-year-old in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Monday.After hugging his son excitedly, Sun immediately called his mother to share the good news. "I am so happy that I finally found my son. Ive been to so many places looking for him over the past 14 years. I couldnt sleep well and was always worried about him. Before the reunion ceremony, I could only remember him as a 4-year-old," he said after the ceremony.Sun thanked public security officers for helping find Sun Zhuo and said he hoped his son could stay with the family.Sun Haiyang comes from Jianli, Hubei province, and his son was born in 2003. In 2007, the family moved to Shenzhen to run a steamed bun shop in the hope of giving the boy a healthy environment.However, on Oct 9 that year, Sun Zhuo was abducted by a man while playing in front of the family home at dusk.Sun Haiyang and his wife remained in Shenzhen and kept the shop open, but constantly searched for their son, including offering a 200,000 yuan ($31,360) reward for finding the boy.Sun Haiyang also helped other parents search for their missing children, working with police and media. "Over the past 14 years, I checked every clue anyone gave me," he said. "Sometimes, I would be disappointed if I didnt get a phone call for a few days. I was happy even when liars called me, saying they would exchange clues for the reward. At least, that gave me a glimmer of hope."Sun Haiyangs quest to find his son was the basis of ...

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  A 'curtain appointment' with empty nesters

  A group of volunteers go to several communities in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, every morning, rain or shine.Their mission is to check whether the curtains of homes are drawn. This allows them to know if elders living alone are doing well. When the curtains are not open, they will visit that home to see if help is needed.(Produced by Li Bowen and Xu Shilin)

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  China's elderly have a new obsession: video games

  Old Man Yang can barely contain his excitement as he tries out the racing video game Gran Turismo Sport.The 86-year-old has hooked up a steering wheel and set of pedals to his PlayStation 5, and is now fighting to keep a Volkswagen sedan from swerving off the track. As the car lurches toward the barriers, his entire body sways from side to side.“This feels so real, look!” he shouts. “Take it easy, you almost hit the table,” his wife responds with a smile. The former engineer, whose full name is Yang Binglin, spent his career working on hydrocarbon exploration for Chinese oil companies. But since retiring, he has found an unexpected second vocation as a gaming influencer. Several times a month, Yang uploads videos and livestreams of himself playing his favorite games to the Chinese video platform Bilibili. His channel, which he has named “Hardcore Gamer_Old Man Yang,” has become a cult hit on the site and now has over 230,000 subscribers.To his young fans, Old Man Yang is something of a novelty figure. They love the fact that the octogenarian shares their passion for shooter games like Sniper and Far Cry, and enjoy watching him exchange banter with his grandson as they play together.“Grandpa, you are my idol,” one user commented under a recent video. “I hope I’m like you in 50 years’ time,” another wrote.But in reality, the retiree is no longer such a rarity. The pandemic has triggered an explosion in the number of silver-haired gamers in China, and the country’s massive 278 billion yuan ($44 billion) video game industry is starting to take notice.With China introducing strict new limits on minors’ access to video games in late August, the over-60s market has emerged as one of the industry’s biggest growth drivers. There are now 45-57 million seniors who play video games in China, and this figure has roughly doubled since mid-2020, according to a July report by the Baidu Institute of Marketing (BIM). The country’s total number of gamers grew by only 10% during this p...