Elementary school students in Wensu county, Aksu prefecture, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, sent 200 sheep to east China's Zhejiang Province on Jan. 13, expressing their gratitude for years of generous support and donations received from the province.

The heartwarming story began with Zilalai Tuokexun, a sixth-grader at an elementary school in Bozidun Kirgiz ethnic township, Wensu county. She wished to gift a sheep, raised by her family, to the kind-hearted people in Zhejiang Province who had provided valuable assistance to her.

Tuokexun's idea found widespread support among her schoolmates. As a result, the students sent 200 sheep, carefully processed and packaged, along with other local specialties, such as Aksu apples and Wensu rice, to Zhejiang.

The first batch of gifts is expected to be distributed among enterprises, schools, government departments, and other organizations that have aided Tuokexun's school.

A portion of the mutton has been transported by cold-chain trucks to a cold storage facility in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province. The meat will be used to make mutton pilaf, offered free to the public at Wulin Night Market in Gongshu district, Hangzhou, on Jan. 20.

Under China's "pairing assistance" program, Zhejiang Province has partnered with Aksu prefecture to aid in its development.

Due to the remote location of the school and the financial challenges facing local families, many students at the elementary school in Bozidun Kirgiz ethnic township have received care and assistance from various sectors of society. A significant portion of the donations come from enterprises and other organizations in Zhejiang, according to Zhang Jie, an executive at the school.

"The students wanted to give sheep to their benefactors, and of course, the school supports this wonderful act of gratitude. We believe this is a great opportunity to help them better understand the importance of gratefulness," Zhang said.