Gong Xiuze provides door-to-door haircut service in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the past 18 years, Gong Xiuze has provided nearly 10,000 free haircuts through door-to-door service for people who need help, including seniors, people with disabilities and sanitation workers.

Gong, 81, a retired traffic police officer from Taiyuan, Shanxi province, was born in Zhangzi, a county known for its traditional haircutting techniques.

"I had learned some basic skills of haircutting in my youth and helped my comrades-in-arms cut their hair in the military between 1964 and 1968," he said. After leaving military service, he became a traffic officer in Taiyuan and continued to cut hair.

Upon his retirement in 2004, he found he had free time.

"When I walked around in the parks in the city, I often found sanitation workers do cleaning work in the early morning," he said. "They were really hard workers, and I wanted to do something for them."

He made some handwritten notes and sent them to the workers, telling them to visit for a free haircut, he said. He also gave notes to people confined to wheelchairs or having difficulty moving, promising to visit them with his scissors at home.

"I can feel my value of life at an old age while helping others in need," he said. "I will continue the service as long as I can move."