China's Yanji City, a busy transport and trade hub between China and North Korea, opened a "morality bank" for citizens with good deeds on May 14. (Photo : Reuters)
Yanji City, a county-level city located in the eastern Jilin Province of China, opened a "morality bank" on May 14. Operated by Danying Community, the bank is intended for citizens who have done good actions, for which they can exhange for free benefits according to their corresponding points.
According to a report by the Global Times, tasks like collecting garbage in the surroundings can earn the Yanji locals 10 points, reporting lost wallets is worth 50 points, and donating blood is equivalent to 200 points.
The news site added that helping in parlous settings and donating stem cells can earn the citizens 300-500 and 1,000 points, respectively.
However, the interested residents must first open an account with the bank to avail the benefits.
Wang Shuqing, a community official in Yanji, told the news site that over 600 members have already opened their accounts with the bank, adding that the bank's telephone lines have never stopped ringing since its opening.
Free haircut worth 150, home cleaning worth 500 points, and a health check equivalent to 1,200 points were among the equivalent rewards of the citizen's good deeds.
On the other hand, "Models of Community Morals" will be awarded to locals who earned as much as 6,000 points.
"Morality banks" started in China in 2002 to encourage Chinese people to exhibit kind and thoughtful actions to their fellow men.
Changsha, a prefecture-level city located in south-central China, is one of the Chinese cities with a "morality bank."
The establishment of the "morality bank" has received positive feedback from Chinese people as well as critics.
