Lei Feng, a solider of the People's Liberation Army, died in an accident at the age of 22 in 1962. He became a national icon after Chairman Mao Zedong called on the whole nation to learn from his passion for helping others and his devotion to his work.
In a song popular in the 1960s and 1970s, "Learning from the Good Example of Lei Feng," the essence of Lei Feng's merits was summarized as "being loyal to the (Communist) Party, serving the people heart and soul, living in a plain way and working hard, and ready to serve as a screw that never rusts for the revolution."
As times have changed, however, these values have been challenged even at Lei Feng Primary School when pragmatism began to prevail in the 1980s and the moral icon was considered outdated.
In 1987, the Xicheng district education bureau decided to transfer two classes at a neighboring school to Lei Feng Primary School, but some parents refused to send their children there as they were afraid that "Learn from Lei Feng" activities would take up too much of the children's time and energy, distracting them from their studies.
Some parents even demonstrated in front of the municipal government, according to a brief school introduction on its website.