A senior volunteer in every way

Editor's note: Spring Festival is the most important event in the Chinese calendar. It is a time for family reunions, when tens of millions travel home, with some covering vast distances to be with their loved ones. The 40-day travel rush, known as Chunyun, which straddles Lunar New Year, is the world's largest annual human migration. However, some people put the comfort of others before their own enjoyment by volunteering during the festive period. Below, we profile one such individual.

When most seniors are enjoying the company of their families at home and making preparations for the upcoming Spring Festival, Gong Changshui visits Zhengzhou Railway Station, Henan province, almost every day. As a station volunteer, he helps the passengers, making it easier for them to get home.

The 87-year-old has been helping others at the station since he retired 27 years ago.

"Nearly 30 years ago, just before Lunar New Year, I saw a migrant worker at the station whose wallet had been stolen. He was crying very hard. I felt very sorry for him and really wanted to give him a hand," Gong said.

He bought the man a train ticket, and then decided to join the station's volunteer team to help people in need.

Since then, Gong has visited the station every afternoon. He spends three hours guiding passengers, helping them obtain change, providing them with boiling water and showing them how to charge their phones for free.

He takes a notebook full of bus routes with him every day, because many passengers turn to the volunteers for help finding their way around. To ensure that every route is accurate, Gong has ridden every bus and written down every stop.

"Being volunteers means we don't get paid, but that does not mean we should do things carelessly. I want people to consider our work a great help," he said.

Last year, a senior from Shandong province arrived in Zhengzhou to visit his son, who was working in the city.

However, the man had lost his mobile phone on the train and was unable to remember his son's phone number. Though he knew his son's address, he could not work out how to get there, so he was extremely agitated.

Years of experience as a volunteer meant Gong immediately realized something was wrong. He took the man to the bus station and accompanied him to his destination, waiting until the son returned.

"My phone was powered off, and though my wife called me many times, she was unable to reach me. It was after 10 pm when I got home, and my wife was so anxious about me that she asked me to quit volunteering," Gong said.

Despite being the longest-serving volunteer at the station, he has no plans to retire.

"I am happy with my life. As long as I can talk and walk, I will always be there to help the passengers," he said.