Guest: Wang Hualun, a driver with the Chongqing Quancheng Taxi Co., Ltd., team leader of the Chongqing “Lei Feng Taxi” Passenger Service Volunteer Team, and Role Model of Chongqing City in Fighting the COVID-19 Epidemic

 

Interviewer: Yang Yang, chinahumanrights.org 

 

Date: March 2021 

 

Wang Hualun is a driver with the Chongqing Quancheng Taxi Co., Ltd., and the team leader of Chongqing’s “Lei Feng Taxi” Passenger Service Volunteer Team. Wang Hualun was awarded the honorary title of “Role Modelof Chongqing City in Fighting the COVID-19 Epidemic” in September 2020.

 

Host: The 1.4 billion Chinese united as one and forged ahead together when faced with the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 epidemic, helping each other to weather the storm and demonstrating true patriotism of the Chinese nation. The heroes, who did not hesitate to go to the front lines of epidemic control, have built up a Great Wall of steel, which represents the power of the people. Among these heroes are medical workers, community workers, and policemen. They are ordinary peopleof the city but also anti-virus heroes. Today, we’ve invited a grass-roots taxi driver to share with us his experiences as a volunteer to fight the epidemic as well as some moving stories that happened during that period.

 

Host: Hi, Mr. Wang.

 

Wang Hualun: Hi.

 

Host: First of all, could you please introduce yourself to the audience briefly?

 

Wang Hualun: Yes. My name is Wang Hualun. I am 54. I work as a taxi driver. I am a member of the five-star “Lei Feng Taxi” Team and also a “three no” taxi driver.

 

Host: Why do people call you a “three no” taxi driver?

 

Wang Hualun: I have no records of violations, accidents, and complaints ever since I started to drive a taxi in 1993. That’s why many of my fellow colleagues call me a “three no” taxi driver.

 

 

Host: As we know, the “Lei Feng Taxi” Passenger Service Volunteer Team of which you are a member has set up an anti-epidemic commando squad. Could you please give us a general idea of how this squad came into existence?

 

Wang Hualun: Well, afterthe news of recruiting anti-epidemic commando members was sent to our WeChat group, more than 600 people signed up in less than two hours. The Volunteer Team then picked 207 people out of them and set up three commando squads. We’ve also established three interim Party branches with 92 Party members. Over 30 Party members submitted applications for anti-epidemic battle assignments, and 55 team members submitted their Party membership applications. That’s how the battle fortress of our “Lei Feng Taxi”took shape.

 

Host:What has the commando squad done during the epidemic?

 

Wang Hualun: The volunteer team members, including me, have been dispensing free disinfectants to all vehicles (passing by) at the disinfection sites at the Longba gas station and the Xintianwan gas station during the epidemic.

 

At the beginning, masks were still in short supply. With the help of friends and groups who care about public welfare, I managed to collect more than 1,700 masks, which were given free of charge to taxi drivers and people in need. I still remember a middle-aged woman who came from another city. Since she was not wearing a mask, she took out ten yuan to buy one from me. I just said, “Madam, this is a ‘Lei Feng Taxi.’ I will give you 10 masks for free.” She gave me a thumbs-up and said, “This ‘Lei Feng Taxi’ of Chongqing is so nice!”

 

We also picked up the frontline medical staff and their families. One of our team members, who is an applicant for Party membership, has been picking up Ms. Zhan, a family member of heroes aiding Hubei, for over 40 days in a row. And Xi Daijun has been picking up Ms. Tian, who’s several months pregnant, every day. The children of both of them were fighting on the front lines. There was also an11-member group led by Fu Haijun, which shuttled the family of Jiang Qianqian, a nurse aiding Hubei, to and from work, with an aggregated mileage of more than 2,100 kilometers.

 

Host: You just told us that, during the epidemic, your volunteer service team provided free disinfection services for vehicles, and you shuttled medical workers and their family members to and from work, all free of charge. Could you please give us a detailed description of the work?

 

Wang Hualun: I was also so busy during that period that I had instant noodles every day because I had no time to go home for meals, and those (restaurants) were still closed. I used to work for more than ten hours a day and just took a nap in the car when I was tired, and I would go back to work as soon as I woke up.

 

The skin on my hands was damaged because of frequent exposure to corrosive disinfectants and a very longtime of wearing gloves. It’s painful to touch hot water.

 

Nurse Yang from the Chongqing Emergency Center was among the first batch of medical workers aiding Hubei. I took the initiative to pick up her father, who had difficulty commuting to and from work.

 

My “Lei Feng Taxi” offers free ride services to the elderly over 70 years old and also to people with disabilities. Just in case, I gave my phone number to eight seniors living alone who had ridden my taxi in the past. Those seniors had great trouble in their lives during that time, so I bought them daily supplies in the supermarket at my own expense and delivered them to their houses.

 

 

Host: Now that we’ve gradually come to a period of regularized epidemic prevention and control, are there any corresponding adjustments to the work of the service team?

 

Wang Hualun: The epidemic has basically been under control since last April though sporadic infections recurred in the last two months.Hence, we’ve resumed the (vehicle) disinfection service.

 

We also have some annual volunteering activities, which were postponed last year, including picking up white rubbish on the riverside to protect our mother river, promoting the Help-the-Disabled Day in May, and offering free-ride services specifically for university entrance exam candidates.

 

There are also three schools to which our “Lei Feng Taxi” Passenger Service Volunteer Team has been providing assistance and support, namely Changxi Village Primary School, Chahua Village Primary School, and Qixin Village Primary School. Since there were many left-behind children the year before last, ten of our team members provided one-on-one assistance and support to ten of those children living in extreme poverty. They were in grade two that year, and we’ll continue to help (these kids) until they graduate from college.

 

Host: Has your volunteer team experienced any changes compared with the time before the epidemic? If yes, what are the changes?

 

Wang Hualun: Our volunteer activities have won the recognition of many people during the epidemic. Take the Passenger Volunteer Team for example. A great number of the team members are entrepreneurs, celebrities, actors, and reporters. People realized that volunteers have played an important role during the epidemic, charging ahead at the critical moments. Meanwhile, many of our team members, the ordinary people, now have a better understanding of the Communist Party of China, and more and more members wish to join it.

 

Host: So you’ve got many years of experience providing volunteer services. What’s the faith that has been supporting you to carry on all along?

 

Wang Hualun: Actually, I’ve been doing this since2010 without letting other people know. And when I became a Party member in 2011, I felt a sense of responsibility and a sense of honor to keep doing it well. General Secretary Xi once said, “Everyone can learn from Lei Feng’s spirit, and a helping hand is welcome everywhere. Small good deeds add up to great kindness.” Therefore, I am so proud to be a volunteer. And I will continue to be one in the future.

 

Host:Thank you for sharing, Mr. Wang.

 

Wang Hualun: Thank you, Yang Yang.

 

Host:From Mr. Wang’s stories, we can see that he has devoted himself to the fight against the epidemic. He becomes a role model in epidemic fight, driven by his strict self-discipline and selfless dedication. He has won recognition of the society through his contribution. And here, please allow us to pay tribute to all the volunteers who have stepped forward to shoulder more responsibilities at the difficult moment, just as Mr. Wang has done. Thanks to them for giving without any expectation of return. They have filled the world with love.

 

And thank you for your time. See you next time.