Everyday heroes arrive in a snap to keep holidays rolling

"As we distributed the supplies, including instant noodles and hot water, we also helped push vehicles so they could move or give way to others," said Liu, who was responsible for serving a distance covering 5 km.

"The elderly, women and children received supplies first," said Liu, who distributed items to more than 300 people during the night.

On Sunday, the workers found a car in an emergency lane with two children inside. "They (the children) said their parents had left to seek treatment for another child who had a fever," said Liu. Her colleague drove the car to a safe place and contacted the parents.

As the traffic jam continued, more supplies were needed. Liu surprisingly found that many local villagers had brought food from their homes for the stranded travelers.

"Some villagers took boiled eggs. They told me they had saved the eggs laid by their hens as a treat for their relatives returning home for Spring Festival," said Liu.

On Monday, when traffic began moving again, Liu noticed she and her colleagues and rescue workers were receiving overwhelming praise online.

"Thanks to the popularity of smartphones, social media and especially video platforms, the people we helped shot videos and posted them online to let more people know how we served the travelers in difficulty," said Liu.

"More importantly, people kept joining us to give a helping hand," she added.

Zhu Youfang contributed to this story.