Changsha keeps Lei Feng spirit alive

Artist Wang Deshui introduces his paintings of Lei Feng to visitors.

Meng Fanying (left) and other volunteers present books to children of migrant workers in Changsha.

Hometown of national role model carries on his tradition through volunteering

"Learning from Lei Feng", China's longest-running moral campaign, has been in place since this model soldier died in 1962.

However, in recent years, amid rapid social and economic changes, Lei's spirit has begun to be ignored by many.

But in his hometown of Changsha, which is also the capital of Central China's Hunan province, Lei Feng is a figure the locals can always take pride in, and many still follow his example by doing good deeds.

A member of the People's Liberation Army, Lei became known for his selflessness, dedication, and his moral values across the country after Chairman Mao Zedong initiated a nationwide campaign to follow the soldier's example in 1963, one year after his death at the age of 22.

"Lei Feng is the pride of Changsha," said Zhang Xiangtao, head of the city government's publicity department.

"We are exploring new ways to promote the campaign so as to help enhance the ethics of the public," he added.

In mid-May, a forum on the spirit of Lei Feng was held in Changsha as part of a program to commemorate the forthcoming 50th anniversary of his death.

Lei's spirit should advance with the times, said Huang Zhongping, deputy editor-in-chief of Qiushi magazine, the Party's flagship journal, in his speech to the forum.

"In order to better practice the spirit of Lei Feng, we should choose ways and forms that suit our era," Huang said.

Experts at the forum also reached the consensus that Lei's spirit will not become outdated.

Changsha is planning to hold the second forum in March 2013.

Based on its close bond with the soldier, the city recently launched a Lei Feng-themed website.

With the goal of becoming China's most authoritative website on the role model and his values, it has undergone many revisions since trial operations started in late March.

The website includes records of his life and deeds, studies on his spirit and the latest news on the campaign to learn from him.

These moves have won recognition from experts across the country.

"Changsha has blazed a trail in pushing forward the Lei Feng campaign," said Wang Weiguang, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Its experience shall be studied and promoted," Wang added.

Starting in 2012, Changsha also introduced different methods to promote Lei's spirit.

In early March, Changsha-based Hunan Satellite TV held a special event in honor of Lei Feng, in which 20-year-old college student Bi Mingzhe was interviewed.

Bi, who studies in Changsha, was recognized in 2011 as a Lei-style role model by the provincial government for carrying his classmate Wang Li, a myasthenia sufferer, on his back to school and home for eight straight years. If all the trips were added up, Wang carried his classmate nearly 5,000 kilometers.

The program also revealed some rarely known stories of Lei's life, enabling the audience, especially the young, to gain a deeper understanding of the selfless soldier.

On April 24, an exhibition of paintings featuring Lei Feng kicked off in Lei's memorial in Changsha.

Composed of more than 50 pieces by Wang Deshui, a Chinese painter living in Japan, the exhibition presents images of Lei Feng in different periods of time, helping bring him to life.

"Despite hardships in his early days, Lei Feng had a noble yet homely spirit. This is a good example for the people," Wang said.

In fact, local residents have long been practicing the spirit by doing volunteer works.

Meng Fanying, a 54-year-old anti-drug activist, has offered help to more than 1,000 young people since 2008, when she established the city's first non-government anti-drug education center for juveniles.

As a veteran volunteer, she has also given nearly 100 lectures and presented books to many who are struggling to end their drug addiction, winning herself the nickname Anti-Drug Mom.

Lu Xialing is another well-known volunteer in the city.

A 77-year-old retired senior engineer, he has extended care to more than 6,000 children living in neighboring communities since 2008. Lu also offers young parents tips on childhood education.

"The happiest thing for me is to stay with these kids every day," Lu said.

Meng and Lu are among 120,000 members registered in the city's 46 volunteer organizations named after Lei Feng.

They have extended a helping hand to more than 30,000 people since the first such organization was established in August 2010.

The organizations serve as bridges connecting those wishing to help and those who are in need, said Ye Miao, deputy chief of the city's Youth League.

By the end of 2015, the city's volunteers are expected to account for 8 percent of the total population in Changsha, said a city government official in charge of civil affairs.

fengzhiwei@chinadaily.com.cn

Zhang Xiangtao delivers a speech on how to further promote Lei Feng's spirit at the forum.

While Changsha is rapidly growing into a prosperous, modern city, local officials and residents still want to preserve the traditional values represented by Lei Feng to maintain the people's spiritual well-being.

(China Daily 06/20/2012 page7)