In 2018 during an inspection of Fushun, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, President Xi Jinping visited Lei Feng's memorial and laid a flower basket at his tomb. Commemorating the Chinese icon of altruism, Xi stressed the need to pass the Lei Feng spirit on from generation to generation.

People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldier Lei Feng (1940-1962) was hailed as a model citizen and the masses were encouraged to emulate his selflessness, modesty and devotion.

"If you were a water drop, would you like to provide moisture to the fields? If you were a ray of sunshine, would you like to light up a portion of the dark? If you were a grain of rice, would you like to feed a life?" reads Lei's diary.

In 1962, Lei died in an accident when he helped a fellow soldier direct a truck.