You Wenhuang, 53, Party secretary at a community in Xiamen

You has fostered 256 children, only one of which is his own. He has pinched and scraped to help 255 orphaned children finish school over the past two decades.

The ex-serviceman began his philanthropy in 1996, when he subsidized the studies of an underprivileged pupil. She is now a teacher.

20 years later, You's beneficiaries come from all over Fujian. Apart from the financial aid, he also writes to them and invites them to his home in Xiamen for dinners for festivals.

Chen Yuhong, 57, teacher

Three years away from retirement, Chen still shines at his post at a primary school in Shanhu township. He has teaching here for 38 years.

The geographically-disadvantaged school is always short-staffed, which means teachers like Chen has a full schedule giving classes, making study and life arrangements for students and improving the school's facilities. He was infected with tuberculosis more than 10 years ago.

Chen set up an education fund in 2008, which has raised more than 330,000 yuan to subsidize the studies of more than 200 college students.

Sun Shengjun, 41, migrant worker

Sun, from Chongqing in Southwest China, was a migrant worker in Fuzhou. He was declared braindead after an accident on June 4. Knowing that there was no chance of recovery, Sun's family donated his entire body to medicine, a decision that would bring hope to a patient with liver failure, two with kidney failure and at least four with eye diseases.

Sun was always ready to help others when he was alive. He would have approved of the donation if he had known his organs could bring new life to others, said Sun's father.