Fu undergoes a health check for a blood donation.

"Fu is a typical example of an excellent soldier. His life demonstrates what a strong army should be like," says Yang Chengxi, military commissar of Yunnan province.

In life, Fu was a legend among those who knew him for his commitment to the military and compassion toward his fellow people. But in death, anecdotes about the man have been shared, and spread and have inspired. His was a life cut short, but despite its brevity, it was a life lived to full effect.

Photos of Fu show a short man. His face was gaunt and dark. His superior Li Daoyin says Fu was hardly the type to stand out from the crowd. But there was something in his eyes that spoke of the intensity of the man.

In Fu's dormitory, a piece of calligraphy with the words "to serve my country" was hung on the wall. Throughout his 17 diaries written over six years, the words "hero" and "achievement" crop up again and again.

"To be a soldier and a hero was his childhood dream. My son loved watching military films and reading military novels," says Fu's father Fu Guolin.

Fu's superiors and soldiers under his command describe a committed military man who was extremely disciplined, and was strict with himself as well as with his troops.

In 2010, at grenade throwing drill, Fu used his left hand, having broken his right during a daily exercise. He practiced throwing with his left arm for hours each day, until finally he could throw 10 meters farther with his left hand than he could with his right.