Lu Lianguo (left), a Chinese-American, helps a passenger carry luggage at Ningbo Railway Station on Jan 27. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

This is the sixth year that Lu Lianguo, a Chinese-American, has worked as a volunteer in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province during the Spring Festival travel rush.

Lu, in his sixties, is currently working at Ningbo Railway Station, offering services for passengers and communicating with different people in Mandarin, English and the Ningbo dialect.

Lu used to run a company in the United States, but he turned it over to his son and returned to Ningbo, his hometown, in 2012. He has been living in the city ever since.

Lu began doing volunteer work years ago after he met a number of volunteers in public service activities. He has participated in volunteer work at the railway station every year during the Spring Festival travel rush since 2017.

Lu has a busy schedule filled with volunteer work. Every Thursday and Saturday, he works at Ningbo Railway Station for about five hours, serving around 100 travelers each time, while every Monday and Wednesday, he works as a volunteer at a local hospital.

Lu has seen people's lives improve during his time at the railway station.

"Things that travelers take to their families are different from in the early years. They used to take food, but now they usually take electrical appliances such as mobiles phones, massage devices, and smart footbaths," Lu told Ningbo Evening News on Jan 27.

"The equipment and services at the railway station have been upgraded as well," Lu added, "For example, those who forget to bring their IDs will no longer have to return home to retrieve them. Instead, they can print a temporary ID at a service site in the station.”