'Our Story': Delivery man wins on Chinese poetry competition show

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After a battle of nine rounds, defeating even a master of literature from Peking University, thirty-seven-year-old delivery man Lei Haiwei surprised audiences across the country and emerged as the champion of CCTV's Chinese Poetry Competition. Lei has been working in Hangzhou for 10 years as a delivery man, his knowledge of poetry was inspired by his father when he was a child.

LEI HAIWEI, CHAMPION THE CHINESE POETRY COMPETITION "My father always copied down poems and shared with me when I was a primary student and ever since I've been interested in ancient Chinese poems."

However, as he was growing up, frequent school transfers hurt his schooling, and Lei missed the chance to go to university. But nothing could diminish his passion for poetry.

LEI HAIWEI, CHAMPION THE CHINESE POETRY COMPETITION "I happened to become fascinated by a poem about a swordsman through TV. I liked the poem so much I bought the book and recited the whole poem. And then I started to study poetry on my own, over the past few years, I've memorized thousands of poems."

And his efforts paid back. The Chinese Poetry Competition began broadcasting in 2016. This year, Lei auditioned to become a contestant. He stood out among the more than 70,000 people who tried out in Beijing. After winning, Lei still continues to deliver food. And one thing is certain, his knowledge of poetry will always be with him no matter where his deliveries take him. Zheng Chunying. CGTN