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A Beijing taxi driver and his lifelong dream

By Gong Yingchun: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, March 6, 2013

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Photos He Jianliang takes with his passengers. [Photo by Gong Yingchun/China.org.cn]

When He obtained his driver's license, he became a truck driver, transporting goods from Beijing to other regions or provinces. During those long journeys, music was his only companion. Thus many beautiful songs and lyrics remain embedded in He's mind.

"Singing to my passengers is my best skill", He excitedly exclaimed. He always feels ashamed of his bad school results, saying that he "has no brain" so that he could never remember a thing the teacher said. However, He is quite good at remembering lyrics and he can always sort out the right song for specific passengers, no matter if they are old or young, female or male, Chinese or foreign.

"Music has no borders", He said.

"I never hesitate to take the passenger that other drivers don't want to. Perhaps I'm deemed stupid by others, but I don't think so because refusal is a bad record in my life as a driver," He explained. He has taken a migrant worker -- migrant workers in major Chinese cities used to be discriminated against due to their low education level and dirty appearance -- who was carrying some huge bags and could not even explain where he wanted to go. From one place to another, He patiently drove this migrant worker to several places before finding out his destination. This worker had not graduated from primary school but he wrote some best words he believed could express his gratitude, "You are a good man of China."

Words of gratitude passengers write down for He Jianliang. [Photo by Gong Yingchun/China.org.cn]

Actually, being a taxi driver is dangerous, and many of He's colleagues have moved on to other jobs, but He himself has never considered giving up. "I will never quit and will [always] try my best to help the people in need," He said.

He is one of only two "five-star" drivers ("five-star" is the highest honor in the taxi driver evaluation system) in his company, which has roughly 500 taxis. "I have driven for 800,000 kilometers without accidents," He said proudly.

"One can achieve extraordinary things from an ordinary position," read a message left by one of his passengers. The message perfectly encompassed He's fourteen-year-long career. However, He didn't understand the meaning of his job until a passenger from Hong Kong greeted him with "How do you do?" before she got in the taxi. A greeting, which is quite normal to others, makes He realize that a taxi driver is also honorable and respectable. He can still remember the whole sentence his Hong Kong passenger left him, reading "You are the best taxi driver I've ever met since I came to Beijing six months ago." A sentence has kept him going and will keep doing so for years and years to come.

He always has a smile on his face when talking about his wife. "My wife pasted this [on here] for me," said He, opening one of his notebooks. An eye-catching family photo catches the eye on the first page. "This is one of the most beautiful photos of my family." In the photo, a pair of twin brothers, He's sons, stand beside He and his wife, smiling contentedly.

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