Yu Xinyi salutes in front of the slogan "Serve the People". [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

Yu Xinyi, from Jiangshan – a county-level city located in Quzhou prefecture, in East China's Zhejiang province – recently became something of a web celebrity because of the strongly positive reaction to her group photo with her former comrade-in-arms when she retired from the service in September, according to local media reports.

Her picture, released on the video sharing platform Douyin, received a million thumbs up.

Yu was born in Jiangshan in February 2001 into a military family, which influenced her as a child. As soon as the college entrance exams were over, she resolutely joined up and after a strict selection process in September 2019 she was admitted to the military camp of her dreams and began serving in the People's Liberation Army Air Force.  

"In order not to fall behind the others, you may have to work harder than them," she said. Yu said that to improve her training results, she undertook more personal training every day and also increased her body weight from 40 kilograms to 50 kg, so that she could have sufficient strength to participate in various physical training.  

Two years of military life has reportedly inculcated in her the qualities of selfless devotion and responsibility and on only her second day back home, she signed up as a social services volunteer.  

"It is very meaningful for me to do what I can to help my hometown to be a civilized city," she said.