“There are many Guangzhou locals like me and we’ve never been attempting to make a name for ourselves. Just like a netizen who fought against the 150 million yuan lighting project in the city a month ago. I do not think of myself as special.”

— Chen Yihua

Wang Yuanyuan

JUST a few weeks ago, Chen Yihua was an ordinary 16-year-old in Guangzhou, living a life like any other high school student in the busy city. But now he is one of the most popular students in the country for protecting his beloved city and its heritage.

May 14 was a rainy Saturday and Chen left home for the subway station as usual, but this time he did not take the Metro for travel. What he did was just stand outside the Lieshilingyuan Station quietly with a sign, on which was written “Let us protest the face-lifting project on Metro Line 1 to preserve our culture and save money.”

The young boy and his action quickly drew national attention with the power of netizens and Chen, a Senior 1 student from Guangzhou No. 16 Middle School, has become a role model who stood up to fight for protecting traditional culture and say “No” to the government without fear.

Because of him, the 67 million-yuan (US$10 million) project has now been suspended by the local government and he was also invited to liaise with top officials of the Metro management to discuss the new plan for upgrading the stations.

Although his name was reported by nearly all of China’s major media sources, he said he was just a normal “Guangzhounese” from a normal Guangzhou family and what he did had been done by many locals because it was their way of life.

A Metro fan

Built in the 1990s, Guangzhou Metro has already become part of Chen’s life.

Chen liked taking the Metro, enjoying the breeze on the face when the train reaches the station. “Watching the train pass underground and listening to its sound feels so good and romantic,” he said.

He always spent a lot of time on the Metro, sometimes without a destination. “I really like the Metro. It is convenient and simple. Many human stories have taken place here,” he said.

“He is a true Metro loyalist. He likes spending time on the online forum for Guangzhou Metro. The background of his microblog page is made up of pictures of it and even his ring tone is the sound of the Metro,” said Wu Liufang, Chen’s friend.

As a big fan, Chen also made his own contribution to the object of his worship. During several summer holidays, he served as a volunteer at Metro stations, giving directions to travelers and helping the needy.

He also collected many suggestions to improve Metro facilities and services and sent them to the Metro management. “Most of the suggestions were not taken, but I will never give up because suggestions will make our lives better,” he said.

Because of his hard work and great contribution, he was recognized as one of the Top 10 Metro Volunteers during the Guangzhou Asian Games last year.

A ‘Guangzhounese’

Although Chen was a young, trendy student in Guangzhou, he was proud of his cultural heritage and called himself a true “Guangzhou local.”

“I have a very strong and special feeling about Cantonese culture. I’ve collected many things such as books and souvenirs related to the old city and its history,” he said.

As a Guangzhou resident born-and-raised, Chen always thought his Cantonese was not good enough and taught himself proper pronunciation. “Many classmates thought I was crazy because of that, but it’s just my way of showing that I’m proud to be a local,” he said.

He liked the traditional Guangzhou building. “You can feel the history when stepping onto the wooden stairs and I will rent one to live in when I grow up,” he said.

“Actually many Guangzhou locals have the same feelings about the city as I do and we are all very proud and think that we are the masters of the place. That’s why we will speak up and protect the city when our opinions differ with the government,” he said.

A civic protector

In Chen’s opinion, Guangzhou is a very liberal city where everybody can express their feelings freely.

“I watch them speak out to protect the city all the time in TV and newspapers and am strongly influenced by them and their courage, so I also feel it is my duty to protect my hometown and its culture,” he said.

Chen does not like all the attention. “There are many Guangzhou locals like me and we’ve never been attempting to make a name for ourselves. Just like a netizen who fought against the 150 million yuan lighting project in the city a month ago. I do not think of myself as special,” he said.

Chen thought every citizen should feel like being a part of Guangzhou and want to make it a better place to live in. “Although some of these things are a little difficult to achieve, we at least have to try,” he said.

In the information age, there should not be much fear in protecting a city when there is good reason. “Many people will stand beside you and give you the courage to keep doing it. For example, I’ve got support from schools, teachers, parents, netizens and even experts. I think more people in more cities should stand up and be true citizens,” he said.