Beijing opens interim post office to promote Lei Feng spirit

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The counter of a post office in downtown Beijing has been very busy these past few days, serving buyers of Lei Feng-themed stamp products featuring commemorative postmarks. This post office branch was designated as an interim station to sell the themed philatelic items in honor of the Chinese hero this month.

This year marks the 60th year since revolutionaries of the older generation, including Mao Zedong, wrote inscriptions for comrade Lei Feng, a late ordinary soldier and a role model in China celebrated for selflessly helping others.

The outlet of China Post at Baiwanzhuang Street is the designated station to sell the Lei Feng-themed philatelic items from March 1 to 31. This is the second time the company has set up an interim station to sell the themed stamps of the hero. Back in 2013 this was also done to "carry the public's commemorative feelings towards Lei Feng."

Lei Feng, an ordinary young Chinese soldier in the 1960s, has become a household name in China, and his deeds of selfless service to the needy still resonate with the public.

Geng Zheng, head of the Baiwanzhuang post office, told Xinhua that buyers' enthusiasm for the themed philatelic items exceeded expectations on the first day. Most buyers are stamp collectors.

Hou Yuechuan is not a stamp collector, but the 20-year-old student of the Beijing Union University came to buy 50 sets of the commemorative stamp products as prizes to encourage students to "learn from comrade Lei Feng."

"I saw students from two classes in our school go to a nearby park to pick up garbage. My class plans to design and draft posters to promote the Lei Feng spirit on campus," he said.

"As a major in normal education, my understanding of learning the Lei Feng spirit is to borrow his 'perseverance' and 'nail' myself to the podium of the classroom, which is the position where teachers pass on knowledge to the children," he said.

An old woman surnamed Yin, who is in her 70s, became aware of the Lei Feng campaign during a shopping trip, and decided to visit the post office to buy a set of the products for her grandchildren, aged 6 and 15, respectively.

"They both learned about Lei Feng from school activities and from their parents. I am sure they would love the gifts," she said.

In her view, continued education in the country highlighting the Lei Feng spirit is an effective way to sustain awareness of this role model for generations. Both her grandchildren are keen to help others, such as voluntarily escorting the elderly to cross the road.

"I bought the gifts to encourage them so that they will continue to learn from Lei Feng," she said.