Welcome to Heartbeat, the show that gets to the centre of China's ever-changing lifestyle, yet still manages to discover the country's rich cultural heritage. I'm your host Man Ling.

Today we'll introduce you to four people who are working in different fields but contributing to society in their own ways.

First up we'll hear the story of a retired female worker who has committed herself to the task of cleaning up Tian'anmen Square for the past seventeen years without compensation. Then we'll meet a young man who specializes in IT technology but chose to give up his reliable income and career prospects to become a farmer.

Later we'll meet a photographer who hopes to show people the true spirit of China and Chinese people through his photographs. And last but not least, we'll meet an expatriate living here in Beijing who, inspired by her life in China, continues to make exciting works of art.

All these interesting personalities and more, coming up soon. So stay with us.

For the past seventeen years, a retired 75-year-old worker has voluntarily helped to clean Tian'anmen Square, the landmark plaza in the heart of Beijing.

The woman recently became a member of the 'Beijing Charity Volunteer Association', so she could further help people in need. In the meantime, her story has received attention from many scholars who believe people engaging in charity work should be paid. They argue that without a retirement pension, people with kind hearts may find it hard to make ends meet themselves.

Xu Fei has more.

Reporter:
Since 1994, 75-year-old Liu Yuzhen has volunteered to pick up cigarette butts, wash away traces of spittle and generally keep Tian'anmen Square clean. Sometimes she offers smokers a tissue if they have nowhere to discard their cigarette butts and then places them in a plastic bag she prepared in advance. For the police officers, sanitation workers and vendors who work on the square, Liu is an old acquaintance. At an age at which she should be enjoying life after retirement, Liu has chosen to help keep Tian'anmen Square clean out of a deep love for her country.

"Tian'anmen Square, located in the capital city, Beijing, is our face. We'll feel ashamed if our face gets tarnished. So I consider it strictly necessary to maintain our clean and good image."

Liu also says the efforts of other people to keep Tian'anmen Square clean have been a source of encouragement for her to continue her volunteer work.

"Once, as I collected hulls of melon seeds in front of Chairman Mao Zedong's memorial hall on Tian'anmen Square, I met a woman in her 40s or 50s. She also bent down to gather hulls, and her action touched me greatly. I asked her why she had done that. She told me she thought she should do something contributive during her visit to Tian'anmen Square."

Liu used to work in a local factory that produced lighters. After she retired, she received a pension of 2,000 yuan a month. She says she sometimes used the money to help those in need.

"I have around 2,000 yuan in retirement pension every month. I've earned nothing from the sanitation work I did on Tian'anmen Square over the last 17 years. Once, a group of children who came from poverty-stricken areas were visiting Tian'anmen Square where they were eager to take pictures. But because the film cost more than 10 yuan, most of them could not afford it. I soon bought them some."

Liu recently joined the Beijing Charity Volunteer Association to help people in need. Along with her rising reputation, Liu's story was cast into the media spotlight and came to the attention of scholars who study charity work.

Wang Zhenyao, dean of Beijing Normal University's One Foundation Philanthropy Research Institute, believes Liu's story reflects the high moral standards that many Chinese citizens possess. Yet, he believes her volunteer endeavors cannot be duplicated by other retirees who only have a fixed pension to live on. He also says young people are unwilling to do volunteer work because they know they will earn nothing from it.

"Without any funds allocated for charity work, such volunteer social services could only be achieved within a very small scope or in the case that someone would like to offer a donation to cover the necessary expenses for a particular activity. Take Liu Yuzhen for example. She has a retirement pension that has supported her life and her charity contributions for more than a decade."

Wang says charity work in essence is a social service that demands a high level of professionalism among those who do it. But in today's society, people mistakenly believe charity work simply entails donating money to a cause and are indifferent about whether professionals in charge of charity work should be paid. Wang says charity organizations should pay their volunteer employees at least an average income to encourage them to do more and better work on behalf of society.

For CRI, I'm Xu Fei.

Back anchor:
The spirit of volunteering is the core of charity, and charity is not just a matter of making donations. IT IS to reach out to the needy with whatever means and ways one possesses. Liu has been doing her bit and hopefully by joining a charity organization it will not just gain her recognition but bring her more opportunities to do what she aspires to do.

You are listening to Heartbeat.

When talking about people working in the IT industry, many people may imagine a shirt and tie, and perhaps a smart computer carry-bag. In fact, this is exactly the type of white collar job that is desired by many people across China.

However in Haining, in East China's Zhejiang Province, a young man, who used to work in the IT industry, gave up this type of job in order to start farming fruits and vegetables. Why?

Let's follow He Fei to find out.

Reporter:
Pang Deshan is a young man in his early 30s. Ten years ago, he graduated from Zhong Zhou University in the central part of China. He majored in computer science and got an ideal job after graduation. Only four years later he opened his own company dealing with computer fittings and accessories.

With a high salary and a prospering business, Pang still felt that happiness continued to elude him.

"After those years working in the computer business, I felt it was hard for me to make a breakthrough. Our country now is paying a lot of attention to agriculture, plus I am from a farmer's family. I feel I have some talents in farming. So at that time, I was thinking about changing my job to be a farmer. Maybe in this way I can have more innovation and do better."

China has been focusing more on agriculture since 1990. After the year 2000, it took on many policies to improve agricultural development.

In early 2010, Pang Deshan spent about 200,000 yuan planting watermelons. However, when the harvest season came, there hardly had one watermelon that could be sold in the market. After thinking over this problem, Pang Deshang realized that he had made some mistakes.

"Finally I found out three reasons for my failure. First, I did not have any standardized infrastructure. Second, at that time I was new to farming; my skills were not that mature. Third, I should have taken more time to start; everything seemed to begin in a hurry."

Pang also found out that if he really wanted to make a good harvest in agriculture, he needed innovation and advanced skills. After completing some research, he made up his mind grow fruits.

"In order to get better skills, I must keep learning. I tell myself that since I have made the decision that I would like to work in agriculture, I have to try my best."

He used all of the I.T. money that he had earned in his new business. Using his credit with banks, altogether Pang spent about 2 million yuan or 300 thousand US dollars to buy high-tech farming facilities. Finally he built up his own green fruit farm base.

Pang thinks that to improve his crop he not only needs advanced facilities but also high quality seeds. He bought three kinds of Japanese watermelon seeds and invited some farming experts to help direct his farm.

Because of Pang Deshan's careful work, his agricultural venture became well known in Zhejiang. During this spring festival, the fruits from his green-fruit base have got the permission to be sold in the markets in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province. Pang Deshan is really happy with this result and is getting busier than before.

"Sometimes I can sell about 10,000 kilograms of fruit in one day. Some of them are sold in Hangzhou, while some of them are sold in Jiaxing, another city in Zhejiang Province. Altogether we have 8 people working here; we pick up the fruit in the morning and pack them in the afternoon. Fruit can not be kept for a long time so we must sell the freshest ones to the customers."

Pang Deshan's fruit business now is getting better and better. As for him, he says he has an even bigger dream to pursue.

"I hope some day I can build a family farm where all the vegetables and the fruit are green and unpolluted. People who have to work in the city during the weekdays can enjoy their weekends on my farm."

Pang says he will never regret giving up his job as an IT person. He is happily on the way to be a better farmer with his agriculture dreams.

For CRI, I'm He Fei.

Back Anchor:
In developed nations people often see farming as a life style choice, while in developing nations, like China, farmers have no choice but to make a living in the fields. I am glad that this young man has become one of the few here whose choice it is to become a farmer and is using his expertise to build a new image of a modern farmer in China.

You are listening to Heartbeat, the show that gets to the centre of China's ever-changing lifestyle, yet still manages to discover the country's rich cultural heritage.

Zhu Xianmin is the director of the Chinese Photographers Society. But after having worked as a photographer for almost half century in China, he says his heart has never left his hometown.

He uses photography to show the beautiful scenery and the people of his hometown. He hopes those who see his photos will discover the real China and feel the true spirit of the country.

Li Ningjing has his story.

Reporter:
Zhu Xianmin was born in Henan Province along the Yellow River in central China. He says his hometown is the most beautiful place in the world and has given him the most unforgettable and precious memories. That's the main reason why he has focused his work on photographing the people and scenes of his hometown.

Zhu recalls that when he was a boy, he and other villagers approached each summer with much trepidation.

"In my memory at that time, every August and September the people who lived nearby would worry about floods. Sometimes, we even became worried by only hearing the sound of the river."

Zhu says when he was young, the residents of his hometown seldom felt safe. At that time, technology was not advanced enough to fight floods. Zhu and other villagers were easily troubled by the floods. And because of hidden danger of the Yellow River, the place where Zhu grew up remained very poor and undeveloped.

"The very first time I left my hometown, I didn't even know what an electric light was. And I first ate an apple when I was in my 20s. The first time I had an apple I could not believe there was such a delicious fruit in the world!"

Zhu left his hometown when he was 17 years old to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional cameraman. He says he will never forget the words his mother told him: "Never do the wrong thing; never do harm to others."

For Zhu, no matter how old he became or how far he traveled, his heart always remained rooted in his hometown. The first time he started shooting, he took a picture of a typical resident along the Yellow River, who wore a white headscarf and a white vest and was looking at the river. At that time, Zhu realized that shooting the people and places he knew best would be his life mission.

"Because I have deep feelings for my hometown, during the entire course of taking photos, I always asked myself in what way could I better present my hometown and in what way could I make other people understand the beauty of my hometown."

Zhu says he has always felt that the residents of his hometown have been very kind, simple and honest. He says many people in his hometown have never had their picture taken. This is why he wanted to record the changes and developments taking place there.

Looking at Zhu's photos is like reading a history book chronicling the passage of time. Pictures of important moments and the unforgettable expressions on people's faces describe how the place has changed over time.

Zhu says in the past, farmers who lived near the Yellow River used to be afraid of the unfavorable climate. But now they never worry about it because they can use technology to help them harvest their crops.

At that time, it was difficult to see green fields. Instead, all the farmers could see was a barren bank. But now things are very different.

"Recently, I took a photo showing workers taken discarded bicycles to factories to turn them in to cars. Everything is changing. Ten years ago, no one could imagine that bridges would be built over the Yellow River. I'm happy about these changes, and I want to be the one who records them over time."

Zhu Xianmin becomes excited when he talks about the huge changes that have taken place in his hometown during the last 30 years. In many people's eyes, he is not only a great photographer, but also a smart observer of society. He is the recorder of years past and will remain a recorder, using his camera to show the beauty of the place he loves and the people he cares about most.

For CRI, I'm Li Ningjing.

Back anchor:
A quick mind and sharp eyes are behind all the pictures Zhu Xianmin has taken and each and every one of them reflects the real life and landscape of his people and country and the changes that are taking place in this great nation.

You are listening to Heartbeat.

Helen Couchman is an artist who first arrived in China via the trans-Mongolian train from Moscow in February 2006.

Since that time she has exhibited widely in China and other countries and published two books.

Helen is based in Beijing and is continuously influenced by what she sees around her.

Jules Page sat down with Helen Couchman for the following conversation.

You are listening to Heartbeat. Time now to sit back, relax and listen to a song.

"When One Is Drifting in the World" by Xiao Shenyang

Xiao Shenyang is a famous Chinese comedian, who became famous immediately in China after his performance at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2009.

The song "When One Is Drifting in the World" is the theme song of "Tales of Ouyang De," a Kongfu TV series, in which Xiao Shenyang acted together with his wife Shen Chunyang for the first time.