Awards pay tribute to charitable efforts by individuals, companies

Members of a volunteer group in a charity program to help the disabled. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Shanxi province celebrated the eighth Charity Day of China on Sept 5 by honoring a number of local individuals and social and business entities with awards for their contributions.

Charity Day was launched in September 2016 to coincide with the establishment of the Charity Law of China, and local officials said Shanxi has made great efforts to promote charity undertakings in the ensuing years. In 2022 the standing committee of the Shanxi Provincial People's Congress, the local legislative body, issued a specific regulation to promote development of charitable undertakings, protect the legal interest of all social stakeholders and spark enthusiasm among residents.

Shanxi's charity efforts have played a crucial in such areas as poverty alleviation, assistance for the elderly, rural vitalization, disease prevention and control, and education.

During this year's celebration in the provincial capital of Taiyuan, the first winners of the Shanxi Charity Awards were announced, with prizes given to 30 role models, 20 charity projects, 25 outstanding business entities and 20 outstanding individuals. The winners were selected from a list of 218 candidates who were nominated for their laudable practices over the past five years, according to local officials.

Employees of Shanxi-based Zhendong Health Industry Group line up to donate cash. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Among the role model award winners, the Shanxi Tianlong Rescue Team has attracted a high public profile. The team of volunteers was founded in 2010 and now has more than 3,300 members. In rescue situations, either in Shanxi or elsewhere in the country, the Tianlong team members, noted for their courage, enthusiasm and professionalism, are always among the first to respond.

One much cited example was the team's engagement in the rescue of residents of Yixian county, Hebei province, who were stranded in a heavy flood in early August. Tianlong's innovative and skillful use of technology greatly assisted the rescue of residents from a flood-besieged village – including using drones to deliver communications equipment to local officials and to drop ropes to establish a makeshift ferry crossing on a torrential river.

Other role models earning Shanxi Charity Awards included Jia Liujin, an expert in traditional Chinese medicine who made great contributions to the fight against COVID-19, and Zhang Ancai, a rural official from Lyuliang city who has assembled a 1,000-member team of volunteers to help students from impoverished families complete their schooling.

The list of corporate award winners included Xinghuacun Fenjiu Group in Fenyang city, which since 2018 has donated more than 100 million yuan ($13.7 million) to various charity undertakings, and Liaoning province-based Fangda Group, which donated 100 million yuan in cash and supplies to underprivileged families in Shanxi in 2021.

Gao Jianhua contributed to this story.