BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- China's central authority for the promotion of ethics has called on the public to learn from three heroic figures who recently risked their lives saving civilians and state property.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, the three figures include middle school teacher Zhang Lili, who lost her legs in the act of saving two students from an onrushing bus on May 8.
The authority urged all departments to promulgate their heroic acts via various channels including broadcast, television and newspaper and social media, in a bid to motivate people's awareness of "selfless dedication," which is widely seen as a lofty integrity in China.
The authority believes that promoting heroic acts will help to create a social atmosphere of altruism and contribute to building a harmonious society.
Zhang is joined by fellow altruism icons Wu Bin and Gao Tiecheng in being cited by the authority.
Late bus driver Wu received accolades after saving 24 passengers on May 29. He unbelievably managed to bring his bus to a controlled stop and direct an evacuation of the vehicle after a metal fragment pierced its windshield and hit Wu in the chest. A short time after, he collapsed and died from his injuries.
Gao, a young sergeant in Beijing, rushed into a restaurant fire to shut a leaking gas valve and helped save dozens of customers, suffering severe burns in the process.