40 years of fixing people’s watches for free
Print Edition
EVERY morning at 7 o’clock, Kong Lingfa opens his home to welcome people who come to have their watches fixed, and he does it for free.
Kong has been a resident at Nanquan Yuan, a Ganquan Road neighborhood community, for 40 years, and has been volunteering to fix watches since the beginning. The reason is simple: He wants to give back to the community that has helped him in the past, as he became disabled at a young age.
His younger brother, Kong Lingqi, recalled that when he was young, Kong (Lingfa) had difficulty walking to school with crutches, so two of his classmates carried him to school so his arms wouldn’t get bruised. The bus line No. 13 Kong took to get to work every day had a special stop for his convenience.
Kong studied mechanics during his free time to help others with his skill. He’s good at math, physics and chemistry, and sometimes the neighbors invite him to tutor their children.
Now in his 60s, Kong suffers from chronic diseases. But when he sits by his workstation, he’s focused and earnest. Now people from other districts in Shanghai also come to him with broken watches.
“I have handled many precious items with historical value,” Kong said.
Sometimes he stays late so people can get their watches fixed by day’s end, yet he never takes anything in return.
“The trust others have in me cannot be replaced by money, so it’s worth it when they come,” he said.
Over the years, the watches he fixed have become older. What’s more valuable than the watches themselves is the sentimental value to the owners, the story of people behind each watch. For Kong, he’s not only fixing the timepieces, but also helping people to remember something from the past and hold on to the memory.
Kong is also the leader of a service team made of disabled residents in the community that has formed over the past decade. They volunteer and help people with their own strengths.
For the residents in Nanquan Yuan, Kong is a true friend and they often come to him with problems or frustrations. As the year comes to an end, Kong gives a dinner party at his home, inviting neighbors and friends to come and share stories.
Always keeping others in his heart, Kong’s positive personality and caring heart brings happiness to those around him.
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