Military service kind to residents
Updated: 2012-03-06 07:37
By Shi Yingying (China Daily)
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Lines of senior citizens waited in the rain over the past two mornings on Shanghai's Nanjing Road for the army to arrive and provide a range of free services.
It's a routine that has been happening twice a month for the past 63 years, but this month was special, marking Learn From Lei Feng Day on Monday.
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Soldiers give a couple of older residents a free haircut on Nanjing Road in Shanghai on Sunday as part of a traditional twice-monthly service. [Yong Kai / for China Daily] |
Shortly after 8 am, the young soldiers set up their station and started taking blood pressure readings, grinding scissors, hairdressing and sewing.
The 8th Company of 3rd Battalion from the Shanghai Garrison Command, Nanjing Military Region, People's Liberation Army, has been providing the public service since the first day it was stationed on Nanjing Road in 1949.
Last week, Huang Biluo, 70, heard the news that "those lovely soldiers would come again on the 4th and 5th" and hurried to Nanjing Road on Sunday on her bicycle.
"They usually come every 10th and 20th of the month but I heard this is special for Learn From Lei Feng Day," said Huang, who had joined the long line for blood pressure readings after dropping off her rusty scissors at the grinding booth.
"They've been serving local communities for years, so we trust them," said Huang. "I'm going to have my hair done after getting my blood pressure taken."
Wu Qiangqiang, a 19-year-old soldier from Ji'an, Jiangxi province, picked up Huang's scissors and put them on the grindstone.
"You would never expect to pick up skills like this in the army," joked Wu, who started his service last year.
His comrade Xu Jia'nan's skills are more demanding - operating a sewing machine.
"I don't feel embarrassed at all because I'm helping people," said Xu, 19, from Hubei. "But neither my father nor mother would believe I could operate a sewing machine as I'm the type of guy who won't do any housework at home."
According to Zhu Huijuan, head of East Nanjing Road's Yunfeng community, the soldiers now have to rise at 4 am in order to provide the free service since they were relocated to the city's Baoshan district, about 20 km from Nanjing Road.
"But they still come here every month and they're never late despite the relocation," said Zhu. "It's not hard for people to do a good deed, but the thing is they've been doing this for decades, so it's really touching to simply see them here."
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