Remembering two of country's fallen heroes

On July 10, a mortar shell struck a street in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The explosion ripped through an armored vehicle guarding a refugee camp near a United Nations compound. Two Chinese peacekeepers, Li Lei, 22, and Yang Shupeng, 33, were killed, and five others were injured.

Two months later, it is still hard for some to let go.

One evening during roll call in the regiment where Li was trained, the commander called Li Lei's name and nearly 110 soldiers responded.

"Here!" they shouted in unison, their cries fading on the wind as the memory of their fallen comrades echoed in their hearts.

"Li is among us. He is our brother in arms forever," said Dong Xiaobing, the regimental commander.

After his father died in 2007, Li became more introverted, writing his innermost thoughts in his diary.

"When I am gone, please don't miss me, I have no regrets walking the path I chose," he wrote.

In one entry, he posted a photo of UN peacekeepers helping people in South Sudan, with a handwritten caption underneath: "UN peacekeeper, my dream."

Yang,meanwhile,was one of the most experienced soldiers in the regiment. He had completed 15 years of service, and is remembered as a sharpshooter, big brother and a caring chef. One of the best gunners in the company, Yang had excelled in more than 20 major military exercises, but never rubbed his achievements in anyone's face, upholding the motto "Veterans can't have egos".

During one team examination, Yang was suffering from severe back pain, and his squad tried to talk him out of taking part, but he refused, saying, "If I don't participate, it will be bad for morale".

Yang showed his love for his comrades off the battlefield as well. In 2009, a squad returned from a frosty night, and Yang offered to make fried rice with extra eggs.

"He was like our big brother," said Zhang Rui, the squadron leader.

Last year, the company commander asked for volunteers for the South Sudan peacekeeping mission. Li and Yang were the first ones to sign up.

When asked how he could leave his wife and child behind, Yang replied with a smile: "You rookies are too young. It is better to leave these missions to seasoned veterans."

On Dec 2, Li and Yang were deployed alongside hundreds of other soldiers to South Sudan. They knew it could be their last mission, but their family didn't.

Yang's wife, Zou Lina, was devastated by his death, but her strong resolve pulled her through.

"Now I need to be strong and take care of our son and parents," she said.

On July 20, both soldiers' remains were returned home. The following day, a funeral was held in Xuchang, Henan province, where their regiment is based.More than 200,000 people turned out to pay respect.

Zhang Zhihao contributed to this story.