Liu Guoxin sweeps in the cemetery. [Photo/Xinhua]

Liu Guoqing, a retired soldier in his 60s, has voluntarily guarded a martyrs' cemetery in Ying'an Town, Hunchun City of Jilin province, on Tomb-Sweeping Days in the past 40 years and has been a guide interpreter at the Party's History Education Base in the village.

Liu is the deputy secretary of the CPC party branch in Dahuanggou Village, Hunchun City of Jilin province. He retired from the army and returned to his hometown in 1977, and since then he started his work as a gravekeeper and a history interpreter.

He said, "I learned many stories from solders when I was young and had the chance to participate in rescue actions after the Tangshan Earthquake, which happened in 1976 in Tangshan, Hebei province, and the Haicheng Earthquake, which happened in 1975 in Haicheng, Liaoning province, from which I had a new perspective of life and sacrifice."

"These martyrs lying in this cemetery sacrificed themselves for other people's lives, and should receive much respect from generation to generation," Liu added.

The village is the birthplace of the Hunchun CPC Committee and in which more than ten revolution relics are protected for people to learn about the history. It was turned into a Party history education base in 2004, and since then Liu has been a guide interpreter, introducing the stories about Chinese Communists and the soldiers who sacrificed themselves in wars.

Other villagers said Liu always wears a suit of working clothes and carries another suit for doing the interpretation mission.

"He would change his clothes immediately upon receiving a phone call for the interpreting session and would rush to site," a villager added.

Cui Aifeng, Liu's wife said "For Liu, interpreting at the cemetery yards and educational base is just like sleeping, having meals, and farming. It is a part of his life."

Hunchun City is to build a new Party history museum and Liu said with excitement, "I need to be well-prepared for the new museum."