The Kazaks family that helped Li Yizu in 1975. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

Li Yizu says he has many similar stories. He says he believes human beings are shaped by the land around them. The blue sky, white cloud, high mountains and wide horizons, such boundless glamour of nature influencing the lives there. Therefore people from different ethnic groups in Xinjiang are unpretentious, passionate, bold and unconstrained.

Those characteristics deeply impressed Li Yizu, and made him one of the locals. He became an educator after retirement. He went to 56 counties and regions in Xinjiang, and gave some 800 lectures to almost 400-thousnad teenagers.

The knowledgeable man with a rich life experience always tries his best to share with children what he has gained in his life.

"American philosopher Maslow once said human beings need endless inspirations of aesthetic function. In order to tell them every day is a new beginning, I went to the Hongshan Mountain to take photos of sunrises and stay whole day to take photos of the sunset. I show them those pictures and tell them the familiar scenes at the corner of your eyes may have different aspects of beauty - once you keep a fresh eye to look at them."

Li says compared with the knowledge that can be learned in textbooks, he believes the lessons from life is more important.

"I always tell them how to live their life with meaning. There are various ways leading to a successful life. A meaningful life means you can do something useful for our nation, and realize your own value and have a sense of achievement."