The wife of Wang Feng collects the award on his behalf. [Photo by Deng Jia/Asianewsphoto]

Wang Feng

In May, Wang Feng risked his life to rescue his neighbors from a massive fire that broke out in their three-storey building, in Nanyang, Henan province.

Wang, who lived on the ground floor with his wife and daughter, was the first to notice the fire. After he took his family to safety and raised the alarm, Wang ventured back into the burning building to save others. He was severely injured in the process and died from severe burns in October. His efforts helped enable firefighters to rescue 20 residents.