People in north China's Hebei province are flocking to donate their blood amid a nation-wide shortage. Our reporter Shen Le traveled to Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province and brings us this story.

Offering a helping hand.

43 year-old Qiu Jiang works for a steel foundry in Shijiazhuang. He has just returned from a business trip. But instead of having a rest, he went directly to the nearest blood collection center.

Qiu Jiang, Blood Donor, said, “I heard the news that many cities are experiencing a shortage of blood. So I decided to help out.”

It's a workday, but Qiu Jiang is surprised to find a long queue of people who arrived even earlier. He waits for almost an hour to have his his blood pressure checked.

Zhang Yingluo, Nurse, said, "Thanks to the widespread media coverage, the number of blood donors has increased by at least 50 percent."

Proudly, Qiu Jiang shows me his donation certificate. According to China's Blood Donation Law, Qiu's parents, wife and children are entitled to use the same amount of blood he has donated in case of need. But for Qiu Jiang, a sense of obligation outweighs the benefits.

"I roughly know my rights after donating blood. But that's not the reason I'm here. Hopefully the blood can be of some help to the needy." Said Qiu Qiang.

Among the blood donors, many are migrant workers. If they need to use blood in their home town, their donation records here won't count. Fortunately, there is a way round it, at least in Hebei.

Shi Zhongren, Director of Hebei Blood Center, said, "Out-of-towners can mail us the receipts and have all their blood charges reimbursed. They don't have to come back here in person."

To make it more convenient for donors, the blood collection center has lengthened its opening hours. But even as closing time approaches, the room is still full of eager donors.