Netizens praise city cleaner for downpour efforts

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Netizens have praised one of the city’s cleaners after Beijing’s heaviest downpour in six decades. They’ve taken to Sina Weibo to show how Li Chengyou unblocked drains during Saturday’s rainfall.

Eight consecutive photos show Li Chengyou, taking away the iron grating, jumping into the water and fishing out the rubbish blocking the drains. Then he gets out, soaking from head to toe.

After the pictures were shown on Weibo, many netizens described him as the city’s best, and most conscientious cleaner. The website tracked him down, and he told us what happened.

Netizens have praised one of the city’s cleaners after Beijing’s  heaviest downpour in six decades. They’ve taken to Sina Weibo to show how Li Chengyou unblocked drains during Saturday’s rainfall.

Li Chengyou said, "It had been raining since twelve o’clock. Keeping this area clean is my responsibility. When I arrived at two o’clock in the afternoon, I found the rainwater could not flow down from the drains, so I began to lift the iron grating to clear them."

The 47 year old has been a cleaner for 10 years. Many people consider this work quite lowly, but Li thinks highly of it.

Li Chengyou said, "This is my section of road and my responsibility, I don’t want to trouble any other members of my team."

Li Chengyou works outdoors more than six hours everyday. He can fill four carts with rubbish in just eight walks along the two-kilometer stretch, even without the extra work caused by the rain.