When you pass by a bus station in Taiyuan, north China’s Shanxi Province, keep an eye out for a bunch of wood canes together with a letter attached to them.

With snow unexpectedly falling on the city earlier in February, photos of walking sticks left at a bus stop went viral online with the letter reading: “It’s snowing today, please take a cane with you. It’s for free.”

A staff, while not handy on day to day basis for most people, is much needed when roads are slippery and muddy after a snowy day.

For the past 20 years, 75-year-old Bian Yinliang has been making millions of wooden canes to provide convenience for seniors and those who have trouble walking.

He makes one or two a day, and takes them to a nearby bus station or an underground passage when it rains or snows.

His inclination to give support to others began in 1998, when an old man asked Bian, who knows a thing or two about carpentry, for a cane. Managing to make one in no time and receiving the old man’s praise, Bian realized the good in helping others with his own skills, and decided to make canes since then.

Where to get enough wood has been an obstacle along the way. Bian gathers on branches and sticks on the way whenever he is out for a walk. Nearby residents who have heard of Bian’s initiative sprung to help him with the materials.

Bian does not believe he should make canes for money, as some have tried to convince him. He says his monthly pension of 5,000 yuan (833 US dollars), along with that of his wife, is enough for the couple.

“Taking pleasure in helping others can be more precious than money to pass on to the next generation,” said Bian.

With the weather clearing up in Taiyuan these days, Bian’s idea of making more canes does not stop.

Despite his altruistic deeds, Bian is very humble and says “it is not a big deal.”

“Wish the world would be full of such good-hearted people,” commented @liankanrensheng online.