BEIJING -- Lauded for his generosity and altruistic deeds, Lei Feng, an ordinary Chinese soldier with an extraordinary soul, has been a cultural icon symbolizing altruism. And across China, many foreign volunteers have warmed the hearts of Chinese people with their selfless dedication to social welfare, and are amiably called "Yang Lei Feng," or foreign Lei Feng by locals.
In addition to his primary role as an English teacher at a vocational school in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, Peter Stanleigh, a Canadian, is also a Santa to orphans, a guide, and an environmentalist. He has selflessly served various roles while leading a foreign volunteer team.
Having settled in Wuxi since 2001, Stanleigh is much better known by his Chinese name -- Tang Lei. As the first foreign volunteer registered in Wuxi, he poured the majority of his spare time and energy into social welfare.
"Lei Feng is a hero of volunteerism. So I aspire and hope to pass on to other people the spirit of volunteering. I have been honored with the name Yang Lei Feng, something I carry nobly," said Stanleigh.
Over the past two decades, Stanleigh has continuously expanded his public welfare efforts.
In addition to volunteering in the English corner every week, he and his wife also make appearances at nursing and welfare homes, a congested intersection and scenic spots -- just like Lei Feng, who likened himself to a small yet indispensable "screw" inside a machine and vowed to "never rust" while wholeheartedly serving the people.
Stanleigh's accumulated volunteer service time registered in Wuxi has now exceeded 5,000 hours.
"I think that a person is judged not by what he does but by what he does for others. My life is better because someone else's life is better," he said.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the call to learn from Lei Feng by Mao Zedong and other older generation revolutionaries. The Lei Feng spirit, a lofty moral strength transcending geographic constraints, is perfectly manifested in the deeds of countless foreign volunteers like Stanleigh throughout China.
Prior to pursuing a doctorate of international trade at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Bangladesh student Mohammad Saiyedul Islam was already actively involved in volunteering.
When he brought up the idea of establishing a volunteer club at the university, a teacher proposed to name it after Lei Feng.
"After looking into Lei Feng's story, I found that he represents exactly the kind of values I want to pursue," Islam said. So on Lei Feng Day (March 5) in 2021, he formed the "Lei Feng International Volunteer Association."
Members of the association have actively engaged in various events including the anti-epidemic fight, environmental protection activities and attending special education bases.
The association now has attracted over 100 members from a dozen countries, including Morocco and Cambodia.
Islam sees Lei Feng as a symbol of selflessness, humility and dedication. The young soldier, who died in an accident in the 1960s, was driven by a desire to help others, and Islam firmly believes that doing so will make the world a better place.
"Those behaviors that are far from earthshaking are the perfect interpretation of 'serving the people' by an ordinary person with extraordinary efforts, bringing warmth and hope to the people," he added.
