In the aftermath of those devastating disasters, rescuers and volunteers from across the country, and even abroad, risked their own lives to help people in the quake-stricken areas.

Zeng joined the Ramunion in 2021 when he had already taken a job in the catering industry. "But whenever there is a disaster that needs the rescue effort of Ramunion, my teammates and I ask for leave from work immediately and head to the scene of the disaster," he says.

In June 2022, Lushan county suffered another strong quake. Zeng was working in the provincial capital Chengdu but rushed back home, this time as a rescuer, and pulled many people out of harm's way.

Three months later, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Sichuan's Luding county. Zeng and his teammates worked for six days in a hard-hit village cut off from the outside world. They assisted firefighters in rescue and evacuation and undertook the job of delivering and distributing relief materials.

With all the experience in quake relief and rescue skills acquired through special training sessions, in Turkiye, Zeng and his Ramunion teammates searched over 170 collapsed buildings and freed nine trapped survivors.

Joining international disaster relief for the first time, Zeng says he has gained a better understanding of the notion of a community with a shared future.

"National boundaries don't matter when disasters happen because we all live in the same global village," adds Zeng.