Che Jun (left), Party chief of Zhejiang, visits a veteran in the province and gives him a special commemorative medallion to honor his outstanding contributions to the nation. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

Zhejiang province started distributing special commemorative medallions in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China to those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the province on Sept 4. More than 23,000 people in Zhejiang will be granted the medallion.

The medallions were jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

They were designed to honor veterans who participated in the Chinese revolution before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chinese citizens who have been awarded national awards after the founding of the People's Republic of China, military personnel (including ex-servicemen) who have been awarded a first-class merit after the founding of the People's Republic of China for their bravery in war, and those from abroad who made remarkable contributions to the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The Zhejiang government began setting up a work force early this year to formulate a distribution plan and calculate the number of recipients. 

The recipients come from all walks of life – some are teachers, while others are sanitation workers, scientists, engineers and policemen.

The medallions are made of gilded copper and feature five stars which represent the nation. The number 70 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The special commemorative medallion in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China [Photo/zj.zjol.com]