At A Bing Hair Salon, A Bing is giving Mrs. Wang, aged 78, a haircut. Photo by Fang Fei of our newspaper. Report by Wang Feiyuan.
The other day, Mrs. Wang from the Yue Tan area visited A Bing Ronghui Barber Shop again. She has been a loyal customer for over ten years because elderly people only pay one yuan to get their hair cut here.
As Mrs. Wang stepped onto the stairs, a service attendant greeted her with a smile, "Take it slow, Grandma, let me help you." With that, she assisted her inside. Just past 9:30 AM, all six barber chairs were already occupied, and eight more seniors were waiting in line, some discussing symptoms of rhinitis.
"I was passing by and saw the sign for one yuan, so I came in. Have you ever had your hair cut here? How is it?" The aunt sitting next to Mrs. Wang was visiting for the first time and still had some doubts. "I've been getting my hair cut here since the shop opened, it's been over a decade. Is it good or not?" Mrs. Wang pointed at the people around her, "Look, there are always this many people every morning."
In less than ten minutes, it was Mrs. Wang's turn. The barber helped her sit on the chair and draped a cape around her. "Oh, it's A Bing cutting my hair today." The A Bing mentioned by Mrs. Wang is Ye Weibing, the owner of A Bing Ronghui.
A Bing is forty years old. When he first arrived in Beijing in 1992, he noticed many elderly people getting their hair cut at roadside stalls, exposed to the sun in summer and the wind in winter. At that moment, he thought that if he ever opened his own shop, he would offer free haircuts to seniors.
In June 1998, A Bing opened his first hair salon in Xijiaominxiang. He posted a notice outside offering free haircuts to the elderly and printed 3000 free coupons for seniors, distributing them to the neighborhood committees nearby and also going door-to-door. Soon, the elderly began coming in increasing numbers.
Back then, many seniors insisted on paying after their haircut, but A Bing refused to accept the money. Instead, they often brought him drinks, fruits, and homemade pancakes... Afraid he wouldn't accept, they would shout, "A Bing, this is for you," and leave it at the door. Over time, some elders told him, "You should at least take a little money; we feel more comfortable that way." Thus, starting in 2001, seniors at A Bing Ronghui Hair Salon paid a symbolic one yuan for their haircuts.
In no time, Mrs. Wang's haircut was done. "Do you like it?" A Bing asked as he held up a mirror behind her. "Satisfied." Mrs. Wang walked to the front desk and dropped the one yuan she had been holding into the donation box.
The one yuan collected from the seniors was called the "One Yuan Fund" by A Bing. Every year, he supports three community widowed elders, adopts seven out-of-school children, donates to the "Mother Water Cellar" project and earthquake relief efforts in Yushu, among others. Although the "One Yuan Fund" isn't enough for all these charitable activities, it is converted into donations.
"When I first opened the shop, I had one apprentice; now there are five or six people in the store dedicated to serving the elderly, and one master responsible for home visits." Currently, A Bing Ronghui has three chain stores, providing haircuts to over 100 seniors daily and offering home services to those who are physically unable to visit. In thirteen years, he has distributed 180,000 free coupons.
"Individual charity work is weak, but the government has been very supportive of us." At the entrance of A Bing Ronghui Yue Tan store, there are six or seven steps which can be inconvenient for seniors in wheelchairs. In June this year, A Bing applied to the Xicheng District Civil Affairs Bureau for the installation of barrier-free facilities, which were approved quickly and completed within the same month.
"Treating the elderly well is treating your future self well." This small sign hangs in the A Bing Ronghui Hair Salon. Employees say it's their "store motto," emphasizing that doing good deeds and practicing filial piety cannot wait.
Related News:
Seniors aged 60 and above can get a haircut for just one yuan at a hundred stores.
Starting this month, the first batch of 100 "One Yuan Haircut" stores have been officially recognized, including A Bing Ronghui, Montan Beauty Salon, Si Mei International, Dongfang Meiyang, Dongfang Mingjian, and others. Seniors aged 60 and above, presenting their senior citizen certificates or ID cards, can get a one-yuan haircut at these recognized salons every morning.
"Helping the elderly is a tradition in the hairdressing industry. Since the 1980s, state-owned barber shops have set aside special seats for the elderly and children. In recent years, state-owned barber shops have gradually been replaced by privately owned ones, but this tradition has been passed down through generations. Among these 100 stores, at least 40 have provided one-yuan haircuts to seniors for over ten years," said Wu Zhijun, the market director of the Hairdressing and Beauty Association.
A Bing Ronghui is currently the longest-standing in the industry, having persisted for 13 years. Three years ago, the Municipal Hairdressing and Beauty Association learned about this situation and started promoting it within the industry. In the future, the number of one-yuan haircut outlets will increase to 500.
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