Chinese authorities have awarded the country's highest youth honor to 29 individuals and 30 organizations for exemplary service.

The Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the All-China Youth Federation announced the recipients of the 2026 China Youth May Fourth Medal at a ceremony on Monday in Beijing.

Jin Chenglong, a 26-year-old student from Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was awarded the honor posthumously.

On a bitterly cold day in January in Shenyang, Liaoning province, Jin heard cries for help from a frozen river.

Without hesitation, he grabbed a wooden stick and rushed onto the ice, which cracked beneath him. In water colder than minus 20 C, he managed to save a 7-year-old boy, but not the boy's father. Jin died in the rescue.

His dedication to acts of service did not begin that day. Growing up in Fushun, the second hometown of Lei Feng, a soldier known for selfless service, Jin admired the ideal of serving the people. He enrolled in medical school, determined to save lives.

Among his belongings were three items that reflected that commitment. One was a red first-aid kit he carried regularly, a habit formed after he once failed to save an elderly man who suffered a heart attack. The other was a voluntary organ donation registration card he signed as a freshman. Few knew he had donated blood 13 times over six years, totaling 4,000 milliliters, with his last donation just two days prior to his death. The third was a worn notebook in which he wrote: "Do earthshaking deeds while remaining unknown".

His parents, Ning Xiaoguang and Jin Hai, accepted the award on his behalf.

"Chenglong loved Beijing. He bought a train ticket for Feb 8 to visit again during winter break, but died on Jan 23. Now we have come to Beijing in his place, and I miss him deeply," his mother said.

Jin Hai said his son feared nothing. "As his father, I am proud and grateful to the country for bestowing such a high honor upon him," he said.

Wang Qinjin was also among the recipients. His dream of flying began in rural Jiangxi province, where as a child he ran in pursuit of planes soaring through the skies. After graduating from university in 2009, Wang joined SF Express as a warehouse clerk, handling parcels daily.

"Even at the most grassroots post, I told myself to do every small thing to perfection," he said.

In 2010, the company launched an internal recruitment drive for pilots. Wang applied immediately. The challenge was steep as he had barely passed the College English Test Band 4 after five attempts, yet needed to study and communicate in English at flight school overseas. "There was no retreat, only a fight to the end," he said.

For three months, he immersed himself in his studies, memorizing vocabulary and technical terms, and eventually passed the interview.

Abroad, he faced additional hurdles. As a non-aviation major, he was initially not allowed to operate an aircraft, and some doubted his ability. While others spent free time on leisure activities, he focused on theory and training. He completed assessments ahead of schedule and earned praise from his instructor.

In 2019, Wang became a captain. He has since inspired dozens of logistics workers to pursue aviation careers. "The power that lifts a 60-ton cargo plane into the sky is silent and invisible, but it is the power of our era and the power within us that lift me up so I can continue to realize my dream in the sky," he said.