A song calling for people to learn from the selfless spirit of Lei Feng — an ordinary soldier who became a national icon of earnest service — is remembered in households across the country. The song has been sung for six decades:

"Learn from Lei Feng — be loyal to the revolution and the Party ..."

It all started in Fushun, Liaoning province, touted as the birthplace of "Lei Feng spirit".

"I grew up listening to this song," said Li Delu, 50, who works at a subsidiary of China National Petroleum in Fushun. "The idea of learning from Lei Feng to do good deeds has been deeply implanted in my heart."

Li joined the Fushun Jusha Social Work Service Center as its director and has volunteered for many public welfare activities. Since 2020, he has donated more than 400 hours of voluntary service, mainly assisting 13 senior people who live alone through their daily difficulties — helping them bathe, for example.

"Learning from Lei Feng means to help others and serve the people — to fill the world with love," Li said.

One of the people that Li and his fellow volunteers visit frequently is 82-year-old Qiao Anshan, one of Lei Feng's former colleagues.

Qiao and the legendary soldier joined the People's Liberation Army together and were assigned to the same squad. They became partners driving the same truck.

"I remember once we were driving up a steep slope," Qiao said in an interview with People's Daily. "Lei, who was our squad leader, offered to help someone push a cart up the slope first, while I was just thinking of driving our own truck. He told me to start with small things to help others, then I would be able to see more things to help with. I miss him so much."

Li said Qiao often tells stories about Lei Feng, encouraging people to learn from him and better serve the people.

Lei was born to a farmer's family in Changsha, Hunan province, in 1940. Fushun was his second hometown, where he lived and worked. He died in an accident on Aug 15, 1962, at age 22.

Being a farmer, a worker and a soldier, Lei devoted his whole heart and soul to being "a screw that never rusts" and performed extraordinary deeds in ordinary posts.

On March 5, 1963, People's Daily published an article by Chairman Mao Zedong — "Learn from Comrade Lei Feng". Since that tribute, March 5 has flourished as Lei Feng Day. For the past 60 years, it has been marked by countless voluntary acts of service to others.

Fushun alone has cultivated a large number of Lei Feng enthusiasts. More than 40,000 citizen groups volunteering to learn from his spirit have emerged.

Lei Feng's diary, deeds and image have accompanied the life and growth of several generations of Chinese people. People often refer to those who love doing good deeds as "living Lei Feng".

Recently, President Xi Jinping called for carrying forward the Lei Feng spirit, which embodies the pursuit of lofty ideals and high moral standards, to enable it to "shine more brightly" in the new era.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark during instructions on further carrying out activities to learn from Lei Feng.

Xi said that for six decades the Lei Feng spirit has been nurturing the outlook of generations of Chinese people. It has been proved that whatever changes take place as time goes by, the Lei Feng spirit will never be outdated.

The concept of Lei Feng spirit is advancing with the times. Its connotations have been constantly enriched and developed, said Xiao Yu, former deputy director of the Lei Feng Academy in Fushun.

"Lei Feng spirit has become a symbol of China," Xiao said. "Ordinary people may not be able to tell what the specific connotation of that spirit is, but they know it's about being good people and doing good things.

"This is a spiritual value of universal significance and should become the common spiritual wealth to serve the people of the world."

Pakistani student Amjad Nawaz from Liaoning University said he became really inspired by the Lei Feng spirit after learning about his stories.

"I also want to follow Lei Feng spirit for great humanity. Helping others makes me a more kind, humble, diligent human being, and I feel more loyal and passionate about the human community," he said.