Besides its barbeque culture, Zibo, a city in East China's Shandong province, is also well-known in China for its volunteerism – nearly a quarter of the city's population of 4.7 million people are registered volunteers who have played a key role in ensuring the smooth running of the city.
Every day, volunteers donning red vests can be seen at almost in every street, providing guidance to the public and helping direct traffic.
During the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, about 116,000 volunteers in the city helped with tasks like temperature measurement, disinfection and health code inspections.
Most recently, volunteers have again been out in full force as hordes of tourists have been flocking to Zibo to dine at its barbeque joints after they went viral on Chinese social media. The recent incident has even earned Zibo the nickname "China's outdoor barbecue capital".
A volunteer guides traffic in Zibo, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/zbnews.net]
To promote the spirit of volunteerism, the city has taken special measures, such as launching incentives and identification mechanisms for volunteers, to support volunteer organizations. Local authorities are also looking to set up a volunteer organization management system by 2025.
