CHINA-ICON OF ALTRUISM-LEI FENG-COLLECTIONS

SHANGHAI, March 1, 2012 (Xinhua) -- Fang Guanlong orders his collections, souvenir pins related to Lei Feng, at home in east China's Shanghai Municipality, March 1, 2012.

Fang Guanlong began to visit the antique markets in his spare time collecting the Lei Feng-related souvenirs, such as pins, posters, stamps amd match box designs since 1990. Now he has 3,169 pieces of Lei Feng-related collections. He always offer his collections to schools and community exhibition rooms so that other people can appriciate the altruistic spirit of Lei Feng.

Born in late 1940 in central China's Hunan Province, Lei Feng was orphaned at the age of seven. He started working in a steel mill in 1958, and became an army recruit in 1960. Known for devoting almost all of his spare time and money to selflessly helping the needy, Lei died from injuries sustained from being hit on the head by a pole while helping a fellow soldier direct a truck on Aug. 15, 1962. A year later, late Chairman Mao Zedong called on the entire nation to follow Lei's example, and March 5 of every year is designated "Lei Feng's Day."

(Xinhua/Pei Xin)