"Just a drop in the bucket though, it showcased Changsha people's attitude and hospitality to the tourists," said reporter Hai Rui. In the past May Day holiday, he was moved by and joined a volunteer pick-up service for tourists initiated by Lei Xiangbo, a Changsha native.

Hai Rui, and other volunteers, provided free pick-up service for tourists from out of Changsha at railway stations and airport. They acted as drivers and guides, introducing Changsha's must-see places and must-eat delicacies and providing the tourists with free drinking water and frozen treats.

Lei manages a car rental company. Inspired by the thorough preparations that Changsha had made to greet the out-of-town tourists ahead of the holiday, he decided to do something meaningful to improve the Changsha image and impress the tourists on their Changsha tours.

On April 27, Lei initiated a volunteer activity on social media platforms that offered free pick-up service for tourists from out of Changsha during the May Day holiday. He received responses soon, with many private car owners willing to participate. 

With united logos of "Changsha Volunteer" and "Changsha, more hospitable than hot peppers" pasted on their cars, these warm-hearted drivers were busy at airport, railway stations, streets and lanes, picking up tourists and sending them to their destinations.
 
The first batch of volunteers began to work on the afternoon of April 29, joined by six cars of Lei and his colleagues dozens of other volunteers' cars. 

As the activity progressed, more and more volunteers joined. Late every night, the participants discussed the arrangement for the next day to improve their service.

Mr Ma, a 36-year-old businessman from Shanxi Province, has worked in Changsha for eight years. He was the first participant in this volunteer team. His first passengers were a couple from Wuhan, Hubei Province.

"I feel so lucky!" "Changsha people's hospitality is unforgettable!" Visitors from Beijing, Tianjin, Shenyang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Hubei, Hebei, Shandong and other places have expressed their praise. 

Su Wenxuan (Chinese name), an Albanian working in Changsha, participated in the activity with his car as soon as he learnt about the message online.

"The activity has mobilized a group of volunteers, influenced a wide range of people, served an array of tourists, and warmed a city," a volunteer driver said.

As of May 3 evening, more than 120 volunteers had participated in this activity, offering hundreds of free rides for five consecutive days and presented countless drinking water, frozen treats, and other supplies free of charge.  
 
This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan