'I want to beautify this city with my hands'

Chen Xiaoli
Shen leaves home at 4am every day while most people are still fast asleep, and doesn't finish her daily work until 7pm.
Chen Xiaoli
'I want to beautify this city with my hands'

Shen Huizhen, 64, has worked as a sanitation worker in her hometown of Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, for 12 years, people.cn reported.

She leaves home at 4am every day while most people are still fast asleep, and doesn't finish her daily work until 7pm.

'I want to beautify this city with my hands'

Her four children are all married, so Shen doesn't actually need to continue working such a tough job in order to support anyone.

But she persists, and the reason is touching: "I want to beautify Zhangzhou, and make this city more beautiful with my hands," she said.

Shen worked in Xiamen, also in Fujian, in her early years. The clean and beautiful environment there impressed her a lot, inspiring her to make her own hometown more attractive as well.

She returned to Zhangzhou in 2006 and joined the sanitation workers' team. "The environment is not only the external image of the city, but also the guarantee of citizens' healthy lives," she said.

'I want to beautify this city with my hands'

Apart from cleaning the streets, she often lends a helping hand to others.

The work is tough and tiresome, especially during bad weather and holidays, but Shen has learnt to have fun with it — she's found that singing songs while working helps her relieve fatigue and pressure. "It makes me feel that life is full of joy," she added.

Shen's serious and responsible attitude to work has also infected the surrounding residents, who now no longer throw garbage and actively help maintain the urban environment.

'I want to beautify this city with my hands'

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