HUAINAN, Anhui: Zhang Peng was the 11th torchbearer during Thursday's leg of the Olympic torch relay in Huainan, the second Anhui Province city to host the hallowed tradition.
As he took the torch from the previous runner, he waved it to throngs of spectators, who immediately responded with loud and resonant cheers of "Hang on, Sichuan!"
Those lining both sides of Zhang's 120-m run were mostly fellow coal miners from Huainan Coal Mining Corporation.
They came especially to cheer Zhang, their representative, and to show their support for Sichuan's quake victims.
"This is the support from us, coal miners," said Zhang.
As one of the 300,000 coal miners in Huainan, one of China's major coalfields, Zhang has worked at least 300 meters below ground for the past 28 years.
In 2002, he was recognized as a national model worker.
Zhang admitted that during his career, in different times of crisis he had been both trapped underground and part of rescue teams.
"I know how they feel, either the victims or the rescuers," Zhang said.
"In fact, each of us coal miners knows it well. That's why soon after we heard of the earthquake, most of my workmates lined up in front of our company's administration office asking when we would be collecting donations."
Moreover, Zhang added, over the past two weeks, most of his workmates had volunteered to work overtime to produce as much coal as possible and, in turn, energy supplies for quake-hit areas.
"In times of such a disaster, there is no better way for us to help but to work hard and safely," Zhang said.
