Hotel employee wins national young worker award

Excitement appears on Bai Yun's face when she is asked about the national "outstanding young worker" award that she recently won.

"It is definitely an incentive for me to keep learning and improving," she says.

The 35-year-old Beijing resident received the honor from the Communist Youth League and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in July. The award was given to about 800 young people from different walks of life for their "integrity, expertise and contribution in their fields".

Bai stumbled upon the hotel industry after graduating from Beijing International Studies University. She has been at the reception of the Beijing Friendship Hotel for the past 14 years. Her major responsibilities include checking guests in and out, offering consultation and guidance when needed.

"I meet new guests and challenges on the job daily, and therefore, I'm full of expectations," she says.

Many experiences have been unforgettable and rewarding for Bai. For example, in 2006, she found an elderly man in her hotel looking for a guest but at the wrong address. It later turned out that she had helped the man find his brother whom he had not met for decades.