On April 18, 2011, a farewell ceremony for Xing Dan was held in Shenzhen. Reporter Gaotao Ge took the photographs.
A portrait of Xing Dan. Photo by reporter Gaotao Ge.
Relatives and friends were in tears, but Xing Xiaocongfei (the little girl in white) remained solemn. Photo by reporter Gaotao Ge.
Xing Dan's funeral was attended by a thousand people. Her five-year-old daughter, Xing Xiaocongfei, only learned about her mother’s passing two days before.
Yesterday, the farewell ceremony for Xing Dan, the widow of Cong Fei, was held in Shenzhen. Attending were Cong Fei and Xing Dan's child, both sets of parents, and nearly a thousand citizens. Numerous netizens posted online and on Weibo to commemorate this woman who moved China, expressing deep sorrow over her passing.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, Guizhou Provincial Department of Education, and other organizations sent wreaths and condolences. Cai Dongshi, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Overseas Chinese Affairs and former Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stated that good deeds should be rewarded with good outcomes. Now that both Cong Fei and Xing Dan have passed away, it is important not only to care for impoverished children but also to pay attention to their offspring. Shenzhen Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee Education Working Committee, Chen Xiande, introduced Xing Dan's life during the ceremony, his body trembling due to the heavy mood.
While society expressed deep sorrow over Xing Dan's death, relevant experts also raised concerns about juvenile delinquency, urging society to focus on the social issues behind the events, strengthen supervision of juveniles and minors, and explore the education of these groups.
**At the Farewell Ceremony**
The Child Was Told That Mom Went to Be With Dad
At 10:00 AM yesterday, at the Jitian Cemetery in Shenzhen, Cong Fei's tombstone still showed him smiling at the city. A few bouquets of flowers were placed in front of the grave. Xing Dan's ashes would be interred together with Cong Fei, fulfilling their vow to be together in life and death. Nearly a thousand citizens from all walks of life in Shenzhen attended Xing Dan's farewell ceremony. When Xing Dan's mother, Xiao Sukun, saw her daughter's portrait, she could not control her emotions, collapsed in grief, and had to be given an IV by doctors who were on standby.
Cong Fei and Xing Dan's child, Xiaocongfei, who was an infant five years ago, has grown significantly since then. It wasn't until two days ago that Xiaocongfei was informed of her mother's departure. Her grandmother held her and said, "Mommy went to be with Daddy." Xiaocongfei, tears streaming down her face, said, "I will miss Mommy."
In the midst of weeping relatives and friends, Xiaocongfei remained composed. Although her aunt and teacher told her that when she saw her mom, she could cry or say whatever she wanted, when she actually reached the memorial hall, Xiaocongfei silently wiped away her tears. In the end, upon seeing Xing Dan's remains, Xiaocongfei did not utter a word, but her tears streamed again.
Xing Dan's friend Zhang Yi said that Xiaocongfei didn't understand when her father left, only knowing that he went far away, even harboring resentment, saying, "Daddy never comes back to see me; I don't want Daddy anymore." Yesterday, Xiaocongfei's behavior made her feel both heartbroken and that the child had become stronger.
Students Send Thousand Paper Cranes as Tokens of Love
A hundred students from Shenzhen Zhanhua Experimental School stood at the forefront of the farewell ceremony. Since 2005, this school has established the Cong Fei Scholarship, helping more than a thousand financially disadvantaged students complete their studies, with a total funding amount reaching over one million yuan. After Cong Fei's passing, Xing Dan carried on his legacy, continuing to use her salary as a scholarship. The sudden news of Xing Dan's passing prompted the teachers and students to spontaneously hold a remembrance meeting, posting photos of Xing Dan in the classrooms. They also brought paper cranes they folded themselves, hoping that "Aunt Xing Dan may rest in peace."
Zhu Yuan, a girl from Guizhou, received support from the couple Cong Fei and Xing Dan starting from high school. In her memory, Cong Fei and Xing Dan walked long mountain paths to reach the Guizhou mountains to visit them. All the children in the mountains called Xing Dan "Mommy." "The mountain roads were so difficult to walk, and by the time they arrived, her feet were full of blood blisters."
**Friends' Recollections**
Wedding Photographer:
"She Was a Beautiful Flower"
Long Ren, a well-known photographer in Shenzhen, was the photographer for Cong Fei and Xing Dan's wedding photos. He had always taken care of Cong Fei during his final days. Long Ren described Xing Dan as "a beautiful flower," and after her passing, he and his friends vowed to do everything possible to take care of their child. "Both Xing Dan and Cong Fei were kind-hearted people. Now that they have both passed away, living our lives well might be their greatest wish."
Shenzhen Volunteer: She Was the "Shenzhen Rose"
Nearly a thousand people attended Xing Dan's farewell ceremony, many of whom had never met her but were deeply moved by her story. This scene mirrored the farewell for Cong Fei five years ago. Mr. Li, a long-term volunteer in Shenzhen, had met Xing Dan once and praised her as an outstanding woman. At the farewell ceremony, he held up a sign he wrote himself, "Shenzhen Rose," to express his respect for Xing Dan.
**Superior Evaluation**
She Continued Cong Fei's Charitable Cause in Her Own Way
Deputy Secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee Education Working Committee, Chen Xiande, introduced Xing Dan's life, stating that Xing Dan met the "Love Ambassador" Cong Fei in 2001 and became his capable assistant in charitable donations and educational assistance. After Cong Fei's passing, she took over his volunteer number and continued his charitable cause in her own way. Since the launch of Shenzhen's "Civilized Travel" volunteer campaign, she participated every time in the civil servant "Blue Jacket" volunteer actions. For the Universiade volunteer work, she worked hard. Just a few days before her passing, she was still discussing with the Shenzhen Volunteers Association how to form a team of volunteers skilled in foreign languages to serve the Universiade.
Chen Xiande mentioned that Xing Dan organized activities celebrating the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return and warmly greeted and supported ten Shenzhen teachers who went to teach in Togo, Africa. She was often invited by schools to participate in various charitable activities. Chen Xiande expressed that Xing Dan's sudden passing was a significant loss to Shenzhen's educational cause, the Communist Youth League, and the volunteer movement.
Troublemaking Youth: Poverty Leading to Dropout Warrants Attention
According to police reports, all three suspects dropped out of elementary school and were unemployed. Based on their ages, they should have graduated around 2004-2008, a period when compulsory education had been promoted for many years. Yet, some children were still not completing elementary school?
From materials seen yesterday, in 2000, Huizhou's Huadong County still had over 40,000 illiterate individuals. The phenomenon of dropping out of school and becoming new illiterates among eligible children cannot be ignored. The main reasons for children dropping out of school include: some rural families having financial difficulties and being unable to afford schooling costs for multiple children; some parents misunderstanding the new graduate employment system and being influenced by the new "uselessness of studying" ideology, not valuing their children's compulsory education, and even letting their children drop out to work; some schools charging fees illegally, increasing the economic burden on parents, affecting the enrollment rate of eligible children; insufficient enforcement of the Compulsory Education Law in some areas, etc.
In Huizhou, there is a well-known volunteer organization called Qingtian Volunteers. In a survey report on the family situations of dropout children from a primary school in Huadong County, it was noted that this school had over 300 students, few teachers, low teaching standards, no library, and no computers or printers. This area is a revolutionary old district where most young people work outside, leaving behind mostly elderly, sick, or disabled individuals. The village's collective annual income is less than ten thousand yuan, and 19 specially disadvantaged middle and primary school students are sponsored by social philanthropists.
In rural areas, poverty directly leads to children dropping out of school. Particularly poignant is that these potential dropouts usually have excellent grades: there was a fifth-grade student aged 10, academically and morally excellent, whose family also included older and younger brothers. Several years ago, due to poverty, his parents divorced. His father, in his forties, supports the entire family through working outside. During home visits, it was observed that the house he lived in was dilapidated, and the three brothers resembled wild children, clearly neglected. There was a first-grade girl aged seven, one of four sisters. Her father died of liver cancer, and the family relies on her mother's work and relatives' help to survive. During home visits, it was seen that the girl was very smart and cute, and her house was filled with awards.
Volunteers concluded that ways to solve their living problems must be explored. Because if life cannot continue, even without tuition fees, hunger makes it impossible to study properly. These children can only wander aimlessly, seeking outlets for indulgence.
**Expert Opinions: Preventing Juvenile Delinquency Starts with Preventing Deviant Behavior**
Xing Dan's unfortunate death, because all three suspects were born in the 1990s, also drew attention to the topic of juvenile (minor) crime. Yesterday, Pi Yijun, Director of the Research Center for Juvenile Crime and Juvenile Justice at China University of Political Science and Law, and Wang Xiao, Standing Committee Member of Jiangmen City Committee, Minister of Publicity, Former Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League, and Director of the Guangdong Provincial Office for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, stated in interviews with this newspaper that despite repeated mentions of education for juveniles (minors), there is currently no specialized institution that can truly supervise drop-out youths, and education for juveniles urgently needs to start from psychological considerations, cultivating interests to prevent criminal behavior.
Pi Yijun: Preventing Juvenile Crime Starts with Preventing Deviant Behavior
Pi Yijun believes that analyzing the case of Xing Dan's assault, all three suspects were born in the 1990s, and their act of throwing stones on the highway was for amusement, which aligns with the psychological and behavioral characteristics of juveniles. Pi Yijun claims that juvenile crimes more often appear in the form of playful antics, all behaviors stemming from "playful motives," including attending classes, studying, playing...all filled with a playful mindset, and their lives also reflect a "playful existence" manner. Their criminal acts are generally considered "accidents during play." Even intentional crimes involve a playful mentality, such as fighting, reflecting the impulsive and passionate, consequence-ignoring psychological and behavioral characteristics of juveniles.
Pi Yijun believes that unlike adults who know the consequences of their actions, juveniles, due to insufficient life experience and other reasons, do not understand the severity of the consequences their actions might bring. Legally, their actions are typically considered "unplanned, lacking in willpower and control" deviant behaviors. Throwing stones on highways for amusement reflects this behavioral characteristic.
"Preventing juvenile crime involves preventing juvenile deviant behavior." Pi Yijun believes that truancy, skipping school, and other behaviors are manifestations of deviant behavior, indicating that juveniles displaying these traits are usually in an uncontrollable state, disregarding consequences. To prevent juvenile crime, it starts with preventing their deviant behavior.
Pi Yijun states that although there are institutions like the Commission for Concerning the Next Generation and the Youth League focusing on youth growth domestically, there is no concrete institution that can genuinely supervise drop-out and left-behind children. The state should allocate resources to increase investment in supervising drop-out youth or minors.
Wang Xiao:
Cultivating Interests to Prevent Juvenile Crime
Yesterday, Wang Xiao called this newspaper, expressing concern about juvenile (youth) crime and presenting his views. Wang Xiao claims that now the central government proposes strengthening social management, among which youth management is an essential component, relating to the future of the country and families. The fact that all three suspects dropped out of elementary school indicates that they did not complete nine years of compulsory education, sounding an alarm for education that should attract serious societal attention.
Wang Xiao analyzed that these three children committing crimes now, but the tragedy was embedded at an earlier stage. With societal development, rural areas have seen a large number of left-behind children and children from disadvantaged families who haven't received good education from society, schools, or families, adversely affecting the healthy development of these minors, leading some down the path of crime.
"For minors, including left-behind children, interest cultivation should be emphasized," Wang Xiao said. This time, the three teenagers threw stones for amusement, yet each child has an interest, such as basketball, drawing, football, etc. Not every child is born to commit crimes; whether they turn bad depends on how they are guided, especially through interest guidance.
Coordination: Chen Jie. Written by reporters Long Kun, Zhou WeiLiang, Huang Guojin, Chen Jie, Qin Zhongyang. Photos by Gao Tao Ge.
Related Reports:
Xing Dan's farewell ceremony will be held today, and after cremation, she will be buried together with Cong Fei.
Three unemployed teenagers throwing stones led to the death of Cong Fei's wife, robbery has been ruled out.