Every early morning, Liu Guoxin leaves his home in downtown Hunchun, Jilin province, and heads for Dahuangshan village, around 15 kilometers away.

Liu, 67, has served as a volunteer guard at a martyrs' cemetery in the village for more than 40 years and told their stories to more than 200,000 visitors.

Liu was born in the village and returned there after retiring from the army in 1977.

"I heard many stories about the martyrs when I was young," he said. "During the years in the army, I had a chance to participate in the rescue action after the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 in Tangshan, Hebei province, and the Haicheng earthquake in 1975 in Haicheng, Liaoning province. These experiences gave me a new perspective on life and sacrifice."

Arriving home, he promptly visited the martyrs' cemetery to express his respect.