Ethnic Kazakh brothers likened to 'kinsfolk'

Lu Shixing works at his home in Qinghe county, Altay prefecture, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Feb 16, 2016. [Photo by Yexilik Burat for chinadaily.com.cn]

Lu Shixing gave a mid-aged ethnic Kazakh man 1,000 yuan ($153.2) and good wishes before leaving the man's home in Qinghe county, Altay prefecture, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Feb 3, four days before the Spring Festival holiday.

The Kazakh man, named Hastar Henayat, has suffered heart disease for five years. Due to limited local medical facilities and a lack of money, he had been unable to seek hospital treatment in Urumqi, the regional capital, 525 km from the county.

Lu provided timely help and Hastar is now undergoing treatment.

It is not the first time that Lu, 65, an entrepreneur, has helped residents in Qinghe county, or his neighbors in a broader sense. Apart from funding unprivileged people, he also teaches skills to local young people, which enable them to support themselves and their families.

Lu was born into a Han family in Pei county, East China's Jiangsu province. At the age of 22 he moved to Qinghe county, where more than 76 percent of residents are Kazakhs. In 1978, he came across a man who was to become his master, an old Kazakh called Tangnao who taught him the skills of electro welding.

After years of study and practice, Lu borrowed 500 yuan from the county government and started his own business. Now he is the owner of a building materials factory valued at nearly one million yuan.

He has never forgotten his master.

"My Kazakh master helped me at the time, in turn, I helped other Kazakh brothers during past years," said Lu.

He has recruited apprentices to teach them electro welding since around 1990 and now the number passing through his hands has reached 73, most of whom are Kazakhs.

Tasken Jinshan became one of his apprentices in 2002. With a low education background, he was jobless before meeting Lu.