Landmark repaired by a Chinese vlogger Photo: Jilin-1 satellites

A Chinese vlogger recently spotted a vandalized "Serve the people" landmark in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's Gobi Desert of Hami via satellite maps, drove 2,000 kilometers to restore it, and the action ignited widespread praise, according to media reports.

The final restoration was confirmed using imagery from the Jilin-1 satellites, according to the constellation's official WeChat account on Tuesday.

In the Gobi Desert, massive slogans such as "Serve the people" and "Seize the day" were laid out in the 1960s by People's Liberation Army soldiers to provide ground reference points for flight training, leaving an indelible mark of the era with profound historical significance, the report said.

The vlogger, called Luekaopu Lüshe, discovered varying degrees of damage around the slogans, particularly  large scar between the two characters. The blogger then procured large quantities of stone to carry out repairs.

In 2024, the giant characters were gradually damaged by people performing drifting stunts with vehicles. Online videos show the off-road enthusiast recklessly drifting across the slogans, leaving circular tire tracks. 

Damage between two characters was particularly severe, with furrows up to a palm's depth carved into the ground, the report said.

After learning of the vandalism, the vlogger drove 2,000 kilometers to Hami. He searched the Gobi for two days and nights to find matching black stones, purchased 20 tons of them, and with the assistance of four helpers, spent a week filling all the drift-induced pits. After completion, the final restoration result was confirmed by Jilin-1 satellites imagery.

Global Times