China mum, inspired by son’s heroic death, has handcrafted shoe pads for soldiers for 20 years

Inspired by her son’s death at 19 while rescuing a comrade in 2005, a Chinese mother has hand-sewn over 1,000 shoe pads for soldiers for 20 years.

Photo: SCMP composite/QQ.com A Chinese mother has handcrafted more than 1,000 pairs of shoe pads for new army recruits in memory of her soldier son who died rescuing his comrade two decades ago.

Zhang Xinghui, from southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, is affectionately nicknamed “shoe pad mum”.

In 2005, her son, 19-year-old Gu Nu, died while patrolling a mountain in Tibet and rescuing his teammate from a landslide.

Zhang Xinghui hard at work on a shoe pad.

She says as long as she can use a needle she will continue her mission.

Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com Gu became a frontier guard in 2003 and was promoted as his squad’s deputy leader.

When Zhang learned the news, she had hand-sewn 20 pairs of shoe pads and was preparing to visit her son for the first time after he joined the army.

When devastated, Zhang saw her son’s grave in Tibet, she met other soldiers from Gu’s squad who lined up to call her mum.

Zhang saw the narrow mountain roads her son and his comrades walked every day on their patrol missions and learned the hardship they had been through.

A smiling Zhang pictured as she shows off a pair of her home-made shoe pads to a group of soldiers.

Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com She handed the shoe pads to Gu’s comrades.

At that moment, she decided to become their de facto mother.

The colourful shoe pads she made became a medium for her to continue her link with her son and the career he died for. “The long thread I use to sew the shoe pads is my deep longing,” she said.

For the past two decades, Zhang had visited Tibet seven times to deliver shoe pads and other specialities from her hometown to the troop Gu used to belong to.

She also prepared shoe pads for new soldiers who were about to embark on their journeys.

A selection of Zhang’s colourful shoe pads on display.

Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com When she gifted them the pads, she also told them to “be safe”.

She has delivered a total of more than 1,000 pairs of shoe pads to soldiers.

Zhang’s family were worried about her, now in her 70s, and persuaded her to stop. “As long as I can still use the needle, as long as there are new soldiers, I will keep making shoe pads for them,” said Zhang.

Gu’s comrades had long retired from the military service but kept in touch with Zhang.

They continued calling her mum, checking on her from time to time.

She also

原文链接: 南华早报