A volunteer event is held on Nanjing Road to honor Lei Feng, a late soldier renowned for his generosity and altruistic deeds on Sunday, March 5 in Shanghai. Photo: Chen Xia/Global Times

A volunteer event was held on Nanjing Road to honor Lei Feng, a late soldier renowned for his generosity and altruistic deeds on Sunday, March 5 in Shanghai. Groups of volunteers including soldiers and students provided services for residents for free including hairdressing, repairing umbrellas, legal consultation and medical science education.

March 5 marks "Lei Feng Day" in China. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the call to learn from Lei Feng by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong and other older generation revolutionaries. The spirit of Lei Feng, a household name in China, has nurtured Chinese people's minds from generation to generation.

Early on Sunday morning, soldiers from a People's Armed Police Force unit in Shanghai set up a service site for residents. More and more residents came to the site to seek services such as shoe repair and hairdressing.

Zhang Weijian and Li Fuyun are both from the "Lei Feng squad" of the unit. They both were busy repairing shoes for a local resident at the site. "Residents here are quite enthusiastic. This is the third time I have attended the event this year," Zhang told the Global Times on Sunday. "As a soldier from 'Lei Feng squad,' we serve people and would like to carry forward Lei Feng spirit," Zhang said.

Li told the Global Times on Sunday that he was excited to attend such event as it's his first time and he would like to learn more from other soldiers. Since 1982, the "Lei Feng squad" from the unit has been providing services for people on Nanjing Road on the 20th day of every month.

Wang Yan, an officer from the unit is introducing the history of "Good Eighth Company on Nanjing Road" to a group of primary students at the site. Wang said along with services toward senior residents, they would like to provide more services toward teenagers.

The unit took over the duties of the "Good Eighth Company on Nanjing Road" in 1982, which is known for its fine traditions of resisting erosion and serving the people wholeheartedly. Since stationed in Shanghai in 1949, the soldiers of the Eighth Company have always maintained appropriate conduct, serving people wholeheartedly. Soldiers began to perform patrol duty on Nanjing Road in Shanghai in 1949.

An elderly woman surnamed Zhu who lives alone was moved by the soldiers during one of volunteer events held on Friday in Jing'an district of Shanghai. "I just want to take a try to repair my umbrella. They received me with warm enthusiasm, and they also gave me contact information and would like to provide help to me which was really heartwarming," Zhu told the Global Times.