When residents in Chongqing's Guanyinqiao Subdistrict face a neighborhood dispute, many offer the same answer when asked whom to turn to: "Go to Lao Ma."

"Lao Ma" is Ma Shanxiang, a 69-year-old Communist Party of China (CPC) member, who has spent more than three decades mediating conflicts in the community. His work has filled more than 280 notebooks, totaling over nine million Chinese characters, documenting thousands of stories of patience, understanding and reconciliation. Over the years, he has received more than 20,000 visits from residents and successfully mediated more than 2,500 disputes.

Ma is among the recommended nominees for the July 1 Medal, the CPC's highest honor, ahead of a gathering marking the Party's 105th founding anniversary on Wednesday (July 1). At the event, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, will confer the medal on model Party members and deliver an important speech.

One detail of the medal reflects the values it represents. Unlike China's national medals, which are worn on metal chains, the July 1 Medal features a woven fabric ribbon – a design personally proposed by President Xi. Modest rather than ornate, it symbolizes that the Party's highest honor belongs to those who come from the people, remain rooted among the people and devote themselves to serving them.

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What is the July 1 Medal?

Rooted among the people

Xi has described July 1 Medal recipients as "everyday heroes" who "come from the people and are rooted among the people."

The list of this year's recommended nominees reflects that idea. Though they come from different professions, they share one defining quality: years  – often decades  – of quiet dedication in places where they are needed most.

Like Ma, Wu Yaqin, a community Party chief, has spent three decades in grassroots governance, resolving more than 1,000 community disputes. Rural doctor Uhas Sulayman has recorded more than 100,000 patient visits, saved thousands of critically ill patients and delivered more than 3,200 babies. Village Party secretary Li Liancheng led Xixinzhuang Village from poverty to national recognition as a model village. First-class Merit Hero Wang Yuchang quietly continued serving the people after leaving the military. 

The same spirit also shines through scientific innovation. Petroleum refining expert Chen Junwu devoted his life to advancing China's refining industry and was still reviewing carbon-emissions reports in his final days. Zhong Jue, the 89-year-old academician, has spent a lifetime helping China overcome key technological bottlenecks in aluminum manufacturing. Agricultural expert Zhao Yafu has spent more than 60 years promoting modern farming in hilly regions, helping farmers increase their incomes by more than 30 billion yuan ($4.2 billion).

Passing on the Party's founding spirit

The July 1 Medal is not only a tribute to exemplary Party members, but also a way to inspire others to uphold the Party's founding spirit.

Xi has called on Party members in the new era to carry forward the Party's founding spirit, stay true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, and fulfill their responsibilities with dedication.

Many recommended nominees have already turned personal commitment into a shared cause.

Uhas's volunteer medical team continues to expand across China's border regions. Wu has established a training platform for grassroots governance, mentoring nearly 30,000 community workers. Zhong, meanwhile, still works alongside younger researchers to tackle new technological challenges while mentoring students and supporting those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Ma believes his work is far from finished. After retiring, he was rehired to lead the "Lao Ma Studio," a grassroots dispute mediation organization, nurturing a team of more than 80,000 volunteer mediators, affectionately known as the "Little Mas."

Though nearing 70, he says the cause of people's mediation is only beginning. Borrowing Xi's analogy of a relay race, he sees his role today as not only running his own leg well, but helping the "Little Mas" carry the baton into the future.

When the July 1 Medals are conferred on Wednesday, the spotlight will fall on a group of "everyday heroes." Their stories may begin in villages, neighborhoods or laboratories, but they all point to the same enduring values: staying close to the people and passing that spirit on to the next generation.