International students in China embrace Lei Feng's legacy through acts of service, cultural exchanges, and shared values of kindness and dedication.
Editor's note: Liaoning is where Lei Feng (1940-1962), a soldier and national icon, lived and served. The province has preserved his spirit through memorials, educational sites, and annual "Learning from Lei Feng" activities at universities on March 5, Lei Feng Day, to honor his legacy. This special report explores how young people continue to uphold and share his ideals across cultures.
In the week leading up to Lei Feng Day, Liaodong College in Dandong, Liaoning, was quieter than usual, as more than 3,000 students had set out to volunteer in communities, schools, and public spaces, offering their help in various ways.
In the library, dozens of volunteers were hard at work — some sorting through recently returned books, while others wiped dust from the shelves.
"These books are covered in dust and some pages are even stuck together," said Li Ziming, a freshman. "When I think about the students who will read them in the future, I feel like I'm passing on a baton of knowledge."
Meanwhile, a group of students carrying toolboxes went door to door in the community, fixing appliances for residents. Liu Lei, the group leader and a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, explained that their professional courses focused on large machinery, so they had to teach themselves how to repair small household appliances. But for them, the effort was well worth it.
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"Seeing the smiles on residents' faces when they get their 'revived' appliances back is more satisfying than winning a scholarship," he said.
Students majoring in humanities and education visited Dandong Chunying School, an elementary school, where they played games with the children and shared stories about Lei Feng.
When one child asked why Lei Feng gave his food to others, Wang Tianbo, an education major, explained, "Lei Feng had a loving heart — he wanted everyone to be happy."
Medical students volunteered at Dongyao community, measuring blood pressure and offering health advice to residents.
"Many elderly people didn't know how to use smartphones to make doctor's appointments, so we taught them step by step," said Chen Jian, a junior.
"One grandmother was so excited after learning how to do it that she said, 'Finally, I don't have to queue at the hospital at 4 am anymore.' That moment gave me a real sense of accomplishment," she added.
As night fell and most volunteers returned to campus after their day of service, students from the School of Arts were just beginning their work. At the campus radio station, they were recording a special program, Revisiting Lei Feng's Diary.
"Today, I helped an old woman push her cart," read Lin Wenyang, a broadcasting major, presenting Lei Feng's words to a modern audience.
"Learning from Lei Feng isn't just a tradition for March — it should be part of our daily lives," said Zhou Yuyang, a sophomore biotechnology major.
After finishing her community work, Zhou immediately signed up for the school's E-Civilization Guardians project to become an online civility monitor.
"If Lei Feng were alive today, he'd definitely be dedicated to promoting civility in cyberspace," she said. "Being an 'online Lei Feng' is pretty cool too."
Snowy service
Liaoning experienced an unusually heavy snowfall on March 4, the day before Lei Feng Day.
At 6:30 am, while most students at Liaoning University in Shenyang were still tucked warmly in bed, more than 10 international students had already gathered on the main campus paths, shovels and brooms in hand, working alongside Chinese students to clear the snow.
One of them was Slavka Pocahontas Menke, a student from Nauru.
"The snow is so beautiful, but the paths are really slippery," said Menke, who had stepped out of her dormitory excited to see snow for the first time in her life.
Initially planning to take photos for social media, she noticed a group of students clearing the snow and didn't hesitate to offer her help. "Need any assistance?" she asked.
And just like that, the young woman from a Pacific island nation near the equator joined the university's volunteer snow-removal team.
"For the first few minutes, my hands were frozen stiff, I could barely hold the shovel," Menke recalled.
"But seeing more and more students walking on the paths we had cleared — it's an indescribable feeling of accomplishment," she added.
For Assane Djiba, a master's student from Senegal majoring in finance, it was also his first experience with snow.
"In my country, the temperature never drops to freezing," he said. "Clearing the snow was tiring, but I think that was the true spirit of Lei Feng — helping others without expecting anything in return."
Two hours of labor left these students from tropical countries sweating despite the cold. "In Nauru, we struggle daily with rising sea levels," Menke said. "This small act of clearing snow reminds me that if everyone does a little bit more for the environment, the world would be a better place."
As a journalism and mass communication major, Menke took photos of the cleared paths and the tired but smiling faces of the students and posted them on social media with the caption: "Today I personally experienced China's Lei Feng spirit — it's — 10 C outside but feels like 40 C warmth inside."
The post received hundreds of likes within hours and was even reposted by the Nauru Embassy in China.
"If it snows again tomorrow, I'll definitely be back," Djiba said.
Timeless legacy
Nearly 300 Lei Feng-themed collectibles were displayed at Shenyang Institute of Engineering just before this year's Lei Feng Day.
These items, many of which had never been publicly displayed before, included stamps, postcards, lianhuanhua (palm-sized comic books), and replicas of objects used by Lei Feng.
The most eye-catching piece in the collection was a replica of a mirror once owned by Lei Feng.
"Legend has it that Lei Feng would look in the mirror every morning and ask himself, 'What will you do for the people today?'" said Wang Qiang, a mechanical engineering major. "What a great habit. I plan to adopt it myself to stay motivated."
The exhibition also featured Lei Fengthemed creative products from different eras, spanning over half a century. From vintage commemorative pins to modern, anime-style phone cases, the collection offered a glimpse of the many ways Lei Feng's image has evolved over time.
"I never thought Lei Feng could be so trendy," said freshman Liu Xiaolu, taking several photos of the products and posting them to social media.
Zhou Tao, a graduate student in computer science, agreed. "Our generation's understanding of Lei Feng mostly comes from textbooks and the internet, which is very fragmented," he said. "Seeing so many physical materials today does make Lei Feng feel closer to us — no longer just a distant symbol from history books."
Zhang Xiaoyu, an electrical engineering major, mentioned a set of 1980s lianhuanhua depicting Lei Feng washing clothes for his comrades, saving every penny to help those in need, and working tirelessly despite harsh conditions.
"The style is really retro, but the message is still relevant today," he said.
In one of the old photos, Lei Feng was shown not in his usual military uniform, but in a stylish leather jacket, with a bright smile that made him look just like any contemporary young person.
"I thought Lei Feng was a stereotypical role model, but I never expected his image to be so multifaceted," Zhang added.
After the visit, students wrote their thoughts on a message board.
"Lei Feng wasn't a god, but he taught us how to become better people," wrote Zhao Peng, a civil engineering major.
Universal spirit
"When the scene in the movie showed Lei Feng delivering clothes to his comrades in a thunderstorm, I was deeply moved. This selfless dedication is a virtue that transcends national boundaries," said Phitchapha Prakopjinda, a Thai student at Shenyang University of Chemical Technology.
On March 4, around 40 international students from more than 20 countries, including Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Russia, and Mongolia, gathered in a classroom to watch a film about this well-known Chinese role model.
Mahammud Shire Sudi, a doctoral student from Kenya, was particularly moved when he saw Lei Feng helping an elderly woman push her cart.
"At first, I thought Lei Feng was a Chinese war hero, but I was surprised to learn that he was known for doing ordinary things," he said. "In Kenya, we have the 'Harambee' spirit, which means 'pulling together', where people collectively solve community problems. But Lei Feng's story showed me the power of individual persistence."
Sudi also reflected on the term "screw" that Lei Feng used to describe himself. "This metaphor is so precise — a small screw may seem ordinary, but it keeps the entire machine running smoothly," he said. "I want to bring this spirit back to Kenya and practice it in our daily lives. It is invaluable for promoting social development."
Onuchina Anna, a Russian student studying international economics and trade, was especially impressed by Lei Feng's frugality. "He used every penny where it was needed. This kind of optimal resource allocation is also very important in economics," she said.
Prakopjinda explained that in Thailand, people also value the spirit of helping others.
"We call it 'Namjai', meaning 'generous heart'. Lei Feng's story truly illustrates this spirit," she said. "After watching the movie, I messaged my parents in Thailand to tell them about this inspiring figure."
At the end of the activity, Carlos Rodriguez, a Mexican student, made an unexpected suggestion: "Could we form an 'International Lei Feng Team' to do volunteer work on campus regularly?"
The proposal was met with immediate enthusiasm.
"This is exactly the purpose of our activity — to let the Lei Feng spirit take root among young people from different cultural backgrounds," said Professor Wang Zhong from the School of International Education.
After the event, the students didn't rush to leave. Instead, they gathered in small groups to continue discussing Lei Feng's story and the tradition of Chinese volunteer service.
Aida Bakanova, an environmental engineering student from Kyrgyzstan, resonated with Lei Feng's actions in saving food and cherishing resources.
"This aligns perfectly with modern environmental protection concepts," she said. "Whether in China or Central Asia, protecting the environment requires everyone to start with small actions, just like Lei Feng."
Anna agreed. "Lei Feng is like a bridge connecting young people from different countries," she said. "He shows us that, regardless of our nationality, we can all make the world warmer through our actions."
Liu Shicheng contributed to this story.
