Man in NE China’s Jilin province continues 27-year tradition of giving free haircuts to senior citizens

Liu Jianjun, a 51-year-old man who lives in Changchun, capital of northeast China’s Jilin province, has been offering free haircuts to senior citizens at his barber shop one hour before business hours in the city ever since 1994.

Liu Jianjun gives a free haircut to a senior citizen. (Photo/Tan Weiqi)

Liu has also provided haircut services for elderly people with mobility difficulties and empty nesters at their homes, as well as to migrant workers and sanitation workers.

“What left the deepest impression on me was when I gave a haircut to an elderly man who was facing death,” Liu recalled.

This happened in 1995 when Liu’s neighbor, an elderly lady surnamed Zhang, visited his shop and asked him to cut her dying husband’s hair. Liu promptly picked up his barber kit and went to the man’s home to give him an impromptu haircut.

Liu is also passionate about volunteer services. With the support of the Communist Party of China branch in his community, he established an elderly care volunteer alliance in early 2017 and renamed it as the Liu Jianjun Elderly Care Volunteer Association in 2020. The association now has more than 3,000 volunteers ranging in age from 6 to 87.

Liu’s passion for volunteer services comes from his childhood experience. Liu lost his mother when he was very young and went to live with his grandmother. During that time, neighbors often lent them a helping hand, which deeply moved him.

“Since then, I promised myself that I would help others when I grew up,” Liu added.

This year, Liu was honored as an outstanding Party member in Jilin. “As a Party member, I should try my best to do everything well,” he said.