Earlier this year, a bowl of noodles became a part of an unforgettable moment for Jia Yacan, a delivery rider in Beijing. During a short break between the morning and afternoon rush hours, Jia was having brunch at a community canteen for seniors in Xicheng district when President Xi Jinping walked in.
Jia recalled that he was the first to notice Xi, who was visiting the canteen during an inspection tour ahead of Spring Festival, and quickly rose to greet him. “I was stunned. I never thought I would see the president while having a meal,” Jia said.
Xi’s questions were simple and warm. He asked what kind of noodles Jia had ordered and how much they cost. Jia replied that it was 14.4 yuan ($2.11) for a bowl, after the discount for workers in new forms of employment, like himself, compared with the regular price of 18 yuan.
Xi’s concern went far beyond one meal. He asked two other delivery workers resting at the canteen how long they had been on the job, whether the work was tiring, how much they earned, and whether they would return home for Spring Festival.
“You’ve worked hard to meet the needs of countless households, and the city couldn’t function without workers like you. I hope you all can lead good lives and work well,” Xi told them, while urging Party committees and governments at all levels to care for workers in new forms of employment and provide quality services for their work, daily life and study.
Jia said that Xi’s remarks deeply encouraged him. “Now I feel even more motivated than before,” he added.
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The heartwarming exchange at the Xicheng canteen offers a vivid example of Xi’s long-standing concern for the working people. Since the 18th Communist Party of China National Congress in 2012, he has repeatedly emphasized that labor is the fundamental force driving human progress, and called for fostering a social atmosphere in which honest labor and diligent work are widely respected.
More than a decade ago, on April 28, 2013, Xi met with 65 model workers from across the country and from different periods in New China’s history ahead of the International Workers’ Day that year.
Among them were Yuan Longping, who is known as the “father of hybrid rice”; Liang Jun, China’s first female tractor driver; and Guo Mingyi, a veteran frontline mining worker. After listening to their stories, Xi said that all beautiful dreams could be realized through hard work and that the whole society should respect hard work.
Since the first group of national model workers and advanced workers was selected in 1950, generations of exemplary workers have emerged across different sectors over the decades.
Zhang Deyi, a rural postal worker in Jiayin county, Heilongjiang province, received the National May 1 Labor Medal in 2002. From 1991, Zhang spent more than two decades serving over 500 households across five villages — all while riding an old, rickety bicycle.
In addition to delivering newspapers, letters and parcels, Zhang helped villagers with postal remittance paperwork, ran errands for them, and even offered his own money and labor when they ran into difficulties.
“Labor is the most glorious thing. You must do your job well and always be down-to-earth,” Zhang said.
Zhang Zhenchao, son of Zhang Deyi, recalled that when his father returned from Beijing with the medal, many villagers came to see the family. In their eyes, the honor belonged to Zhang Deyi’s years of dedication, which they had witnessed firsthand.
Speaking at a high-level meeting to honor national model workers and exemplary workers in 2015, Xi said that no matter how times may change, the nation must always honor hard work, respect workers, and continue to value the leading role of the working class. He attended the quinquennial gatherings in 2020 and 2025.
Over the years, Xi’s concern has extended far beyond conference halls and award ceremonies. Ahead of Spring Festival in 2019, he visited an express delivery station in Beijing, where he met delivery workers and praised their hard work, saying that they were “busy as bees” to bring convenience to people’s lives.
During an inspection tour in Shanghai in November 2023, Xi visited a residential community dedicated to providing affordable rental housing for new urban dwellers, young people and frontline workers.
Xi said he was pleased to see city builders from all over the country living and working there with joy and contentment. Migrant workers who come to make contributions in Shanghai also belong to the city, he said.
For the five-day May Day holiday, which started on Friday, Jia, the delivery rider, said he plans to visit his hometown in Hebei province along with his wife, who works at a convenience store. It will be the second time in seven years that Jia will visit home during the holiday.
“My job keeps me busy, so I usually don’t get much time to visit my hometown,” he said. “I want to take advantage of the May Day break this year to spend more time with my parents and children.”
