Commandos and comrades who cared and shared

Xing Yanzi, 68, and Hou Jun, 65, smile as they remember the sweet days of their youth. It was a time of ideals, dreams and passion. It was a time when a young person could make a difference.

Both women were role models of the zhiqing generation and became celebrities because they voluntarily moved to the countryside and achieved extraordinary feats to help improve the quality of life of rural people.

"I didn't move to a farm in the countryside as the result of propaganda," Xing says with a smile. "But when I saw the poor village and the hungry children, I decided to do something for them."