Hundreds of old soldiers soon came to visit the "family". They sing the songs they used to encourage themselves in the battlefield. They share stories that captured their youth. They recall their lost companions with whom they used to fight side by side.
They told Zhang that they were happy to have a "family" after the war.
"Having a chance to recall the past experiences and to value the current good and peaceful life is the best comfort for us and our dead companions," they said.
"If they were still alive, they can see the good life and see our comfortable rooms with bright lamps."
Since the foundation was established, the organization has been visited by former soldiers more than 3,000 times and by relatives more than 3,300 times.
The soldiers who visit the family tell Zhang that they still share a common wish to visit the tombs of their former comrades-in-arms.
In 2010, Zhang led the first delegation of former CPV soldiers and family members to the DPRK to sweep the tombs of those Chinese soldiers who were killed in the Korean War.
So far, she has led five such delegations to the DPRK. An experience on one of those trips underscored their significance to her.
A former CPV soldier who received a security check at the China-DPRK border made the security machine beep again and again, even after he removed all his metal belongings.
While the security staff racked their brains trying to determine the cause, Zhang suddenly realized the cause must have been the metal shrapnel that was still inside the soldier’s body.
"I was so touched at that moment. That is what the war left for us. People should learn lessons from the war and value the peace now. For me, to help those old soldiers is my way to show my understanding of the war," she said.
Migrant children’s dream of stage
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