Legendary Wuxi traffic officer hangs up gloves

"I believe people will return you a favor after you give them a smile," Qin said recently in a manner clearly reflective of his personality.

One group of Wuxi residents to whom Qin is most familiar is middle school and high school students. As the youngsters make their way across roads heaving with early morning traffic, they learn to appreciate Qin's demonstrative gestures and timely whistle blowing as he controls the flow of cars with the skill of a seasoned orchestra conductor.

Qin Jiacai is well known by school children who often pass through the area, here he helps a group cross the road in November 2006. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Qin's friendly and energetic spirit have turned him into something of a local celebrity amongst Wuxi's social media users who will often post photos of the man onto WeChat and Weibo when they pass him.

Despite Qin's suitability and seemingly natural disposition for the job, he has not always worked for Wuxi traffic police and he still remembers the recruitment poster in 2001 that first drew his attention to a possible career shift.

"I worked in as plastics factory worker when moving to Wuxi at the age of 16. As the industry changed and new upgrades were made I was laid off. One day I saw an advertisement in a local newspaper about the possibility of becoming a reserve traffic police officer. The job has given me a new lease of life."

Qin Jiacai performs a wide range of duties on a daily basis and is known for his generous and patient spirit, which is typified here by his helping an elderly man cross the road at Chao Yang Plaza. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Initially, Qin found some aspects of the job frustrating, such as jaywalkers refusing to follow his instructions. However, Qin's attitude has always been to respond to the digressions of pedestrians and drivers with a smile, as opposed to any negativity.