While most people heading home for reunion with families were nagged by the heavy snows in southern China which wreaked havoc during the busy 2008 Lunar New Year, 13 farmers from Hebei Tangshan rushed to the icy Binzhou in Hunan province to participate in the disaster rescue with such primitive tools as hammers, steel chisels, and hands.

With simple and honest motive, they returned to their hometown after 16-day-long relief work, which touched many Binzhou citizens to see them off voluntarily and the government to grant them the title of “Honorable Citizen”.

Just on the afternoon of May 12, 2008, when a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province, they started off for Beichuan, the most seriously damaged major town in the earthquake. Together with PLA, they rescued 25 survivors and excavated nearly 60 bodies.

Wang Zhenyao, director in charge of disaster relief with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, set their quiet but forceful behavior as a milestone in the history of civilian voluntary relief services. Indeed, the 13 most common farmers, aged 19 to 62, have made marvelous achievements with their honest, kind and indomitable spirits. That was why they were awarded “Touching China Figure 2008".

They are Song Zhiyong, Yang Guoming, Yang Dong, Wang Jiaxiang, Wang Deliang, Song Zhixian, Wang Baoguo, Wang Baozhong, Cao Xiujun, Yin Fu, Song Jiufu, Yang Guoping and Wang Jinlong.