Ex-military official dedicated to the people
Wang Jingwen served as political instructor of the Good Eighth Company of Nanjing Road of the People's Liberation Army when it won the honorary title from the Ministry of National Defense in 1963.
After retirement in 1987, he became a volunteer to give lectures to local students, young cadres and new soldiers about the company's traditional virtues of frugality and discipline.
Wang Jingwen shows a certificate of honor he received in 2016, the 95th anniversary of CPC, for his contribution to promoting Party history and traditions.
At the age of 93, Wang is still promoting the stories and traditions of the company online, gathering over 1.5 million viewers.
"No matter where and how old I am, it is always my duty to promote the spirits of the company and serve the people," said Wang, who joined the Communist Party of China in 1954 and now honorary leader of a retirees' lecture team for young people in Changning District. He has given over 500 lectures to some 83,000 people, mainly young people.
He was recently awarded a commemorative medal given to CPC members for at least five decades.
Soldiers from the company were honored for their conduct while patrolling the bright lights of Shanghai's Nanjing Road. The company's soldiers were asked to save every cent of money, every grain of rice, every kilowatt of electricity, every inch of cloth and every pound of coal.
The soldiers have been providing voluntary services such as haircuts and shoe repairs on the landmark commercial street for nearly four decades.
Their virtues were celebrated in a popular film "Guards Under Neon Lights" in 1964. Chairman Mao Zedong wrote a poem in 1963 in praise of the company and asked all PLA soldiers to learn from them. Former leader Deng Xiaoping also wrote an inscription for the company.
Wang witnessed all these honors during his five-year service at the company. He was received by leaders such as Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou Enlai and Marshal Zhu De.
The experiences have become the lifelong encouragement to make himself deserve the great honor and serve the people forever, Wang said.
Wang Jingwen reviews the honors and medals he has won before and after retirement.
Wang Jingwen (right) helps an Eighth Company soldier with sewing.
Wang was born into a farmer's family in Anhui Province in 1928. His parents worked for a landlord and had limited earnings until the liberation of the country in 1949.
Wang was recruited as a militiaman and became a soldier with the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in 1951 after the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-1953).
Instead of fighting on the front line on the Korean Peninsula, his company was assigned to dredge the Huaihe River in Anhui. Wang was told that flood prevention was equally important in the fight against the American intruders as it would benefit people living along the river.
"The seed of 'to serve the people' has been buried in my mind since then," said Wang.
He applied to be a pilot with the PLA Air Force in Shanghai, but was rejected due to trachoma. He was then assigned to the Shanghai Garrison.
Wang's hard work and multiple military exploits earned him rapid promotion. He became political instructor of the Eighth Company in 1960.
Wang still remembers how he rode a public bus to Huaihai and Gao'an roads, the then base of the company, in the autumn of the year.
He often visited the soldiers and told the stories of the company. He asked each soldier to prepare a sewing kit to mend old uniforms. He also led the soldiers to walk to the city's outskirts to plant vegetables.
Wang Jingwen shares military stories on his blog.
Wang's strict training and education made the company win the honorary title, the first PLA troop to win an honorary title for hard work and frugality.
"It was a great honor and also pressure for me," said Wang. "I ask myself to always inherit and promote the spirits of the company."
He retired as deputy political instructor of the logistics department of the Shanghai Garrison in 1983. Instead of enjoying retirement as a military official, he began considering how to involve himself in society and serve the people.
He initially gave lectures at primary schools in Jiangsu Road Subdistrict where he lives. In one of the lessons, he displayed a sewing kit and a pair of grass shoes he wore in the Eighth Company to call on the children to keep to traditional virtues. His vivid stories made Wang popular among the young students.
"Time has changed but the spirits shall never expire," Wang said.
After he felt too old to give regular lectures, Wang studied computers and opened a blog account on a popular website when he was 80 years old.
He wrote at least one story on the blog every day, mainly about the classic military stories of the Eighth Company. Each story had over 2,000 views.
"I'd like to contribute all my remaining strength to the country and the people," said Wang.
