During the years from 1985 to 2017, Wang Shouqiu had walked over 300,000 kilometers in the mountainous areas of Wanbailin district in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, carrying letters, newspapers and parcels on his back.

Wang, 54, a postman in Taiyuan, spent six days every week delivering on foot mail to 25 villages and two coal mines, covering an area of 138 square kilometers. In 2017, a delivery car was finally assigned to him.

Whether it was sunny, snowy or rainy, dressed in a green working suit and carrying a bag of over 25 kilograms, he started his work at 8 am and usually returned home at around 8 pm.

It was common to see him covered in mud on rainy days, and in sand on sunny days.

"I had to always watch out for the sudden appearance of wild boars and dogs on my route," he said. "During the rainy and snowy days, I had to cover my bag with plastic cloth to prevent the mail from getting wet."

Over the past 36 years, he has delivered over 600,000 pieces of mail without any mistakes.