Volunteers serve during the Shenzhen Marathon 2024 on Dec. 1. Thursday marked the 39th International Volunteer Day. Known as a city of volunteers, Shenzhen launched its first volunteer organization in 1989. It is now home to over 4 million registered volunteers, representing more than 22% of its permanent population. Within this group, 78.3% of the volunteers are under 45 years old, and there are nearly 17,000 volunteers from overseas.Liu Xudong