BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Nine Chinese individuals and a group of villagers received 2025 grassroots role model awards at a ceremony held by Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday.

The awardees were honored for their unremitting efforts in their work, or for their commitment to helping others in need. They were selected from all walks of life, according to the event organizer.

Among them is Li Dongkui, a forest guard who works on a mountain in northeast China which is part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the world's largest afforestation project. For decades, Li has patrolled the mountain for 13 hours a day, and no forest fires have occurred for 39 consecutive years.

Another awardee, Wang Ju, is a village doctor from Yichang City in central China's Hubei Province. Wang, standing at 1.28 meters tall, has been trekking across a village in a mountainous region to offer medical services for 38 years.

The role models were selected by netizens and a panel of experts. The awards were first launched in 2010, and this year's were the 15th edition. ■